A Winter Walk in Kew Gardens

On a wintry day, the setting of the pagoda at Kew resembles a Chinese watercolor.

The Sunday after Elsebeth and Christina returned home, Marianne, Soeren, Kevin, and I set off for Kew Gardens. We had a pleasant winter walk through the grounds and greenhouses on a misty afternoon. 

Our tour guide, a volunteer, shared some of the history of the garden, which began as a royal estate and hosts the largest and most diverse botanical collection in the world with 8.5 million specimens. But, of course, most people visit Kew simply because it is beautiful. I hasten to add that it is especially lovely in the spring, summer, and fall, but it also has it charms in winter.

A friendly volunteer guide pointed out some of the garden's specimens.

We saw a monkey puzzle tree and learned how it got its name. When it began to be grown in England in the 19th Century, someone said that "Climbing that tree would puzzle even a monkey." (At home, we just call them monkey trees.)

It's scientific name is Araucaria araucana. The species is so ancient that the trees are called living fossils. 

But we were standing in the pathway. We turned around and found we were blocking the way for the Kew Gardens Constabulary! Responsible for patroling the gardens, the constabulary was founded in the 1840s with the original officers gardening volunteers and veterans of the Crimean War. 

We teased Soeren, who was the last to move out of the way, and we chatted with one of the officers who joked, "I've keeping my eye on you!" (You can't trust those Danes and Americans.)

Seriously, they were very friendly and good ambassadors for their unique police force.





Meanwhile, between bouts of light drizzle and taking refuge in the greenhouses and the cafe, we enjoyed ourselves immensely,

I was particularly taken with a large sculpture called The Hive, which served to entice kids into the center while providing educational information about the importance of bees. Looking up from inside was spectacular.

As the gardens were shutting for the day, we saw our new friends, the police constables again. They waved goodbye to us. The Underground station was a short distance away, and we hopped on the Tube to go back to the flat. Kew is only a short distance away from where we're staying.

Our adventures with our Danish friends were drawing to a close--but we still had the evening and part of the next day.

More to come...