Out Of London: Kew Gardens

If you're a fan of Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania, then Kew Gardens is the place for you! I was able to take the Tube directly there with only one change of line, and then it was a 15-minute walk from the station. If you're a student, they give you a discount upon presenting your ID. I only paid 10 GBP, which is a pretty good deal for the amount of attractions I go to see!

The Palm House is a house made of glass with several different species of palm trees from around the world. It was very lush and green, and you could walk through the different paths and even head upstairs to view it from the treetops. One thing to note is that it's very humid inside, so much so that my camera lens fogged up! This is due to the hot temperate nature that palms need to be kept at in order to thrive.

The Princess of Wales Conservatory contains a variety of different flowers and plants, including ferns, pink and purple orchids, and cacti. There was also a stunning display of giant lily pads and aquatic creatures as well!

The Hive is a structure constructed out of wire and metal, as well as 1000 LED lights that vibrate and buzz. This strange piece is a representation of how honeybees communicate, sending messages by vibration to other members of the colony against the honeycomb they live on. This creates an almost orchestral swell of sound. And for all you music lovers, this orchestral soundscape of a honeybee colony is in the key of C, which is the key that honeybees buzz in. Pretty cool, right? (Also, there are over 275 bee species that live on the British Isles, and Kew Garden has 107 species. I had no idea there were so many kinds of bees!)

Kew Palace was home to King George III, his wife Queen Charlotte, and several of their children. It was an estate where George spent his time getting treated for mental and physical illnesses. As an interior designer, one of many things we can analyze is how a space can make you feel. Walking through this grand manor, it was surprisingly simple in furnishings for such a royal family. It was almost cold and uncomfortable, and I could feel the empty loneliness it brought forth. Some of it was more extravagant, such as the walls and gold gilding, marble in the columns, and the medieval fireplaces as well. It was interesting to see, but a bit somber as well, especially if you think about what must have been going on in that house around the time George was in reign.

On a lighter note, I decided to take the Woodland Walk to see more of the grounds. It felt as though I was away from civilization for a second, it was so quiet and peaceful. My favorite part of this trail was the feeders hung in the trees. There were squirrels and green parakeet birds fighting over the food. The squirrels were doing tricks and flips to reach for the little baskets, with parakeets flapping their wings and twittering about. It was quite amusing!

I made sure to check out the Great Pagoda, a towering structure of traditional Japanese architecture (it costs an extra 4.50 GBP to climb to the top, and they don't allow large bags!). In addition, I strolled through the Japanese gardens, with groomed gravel areas, right next to the Chokushi Mon, constructed from dark cedar bark.

Lastly, I visited the Temperate House, which was considerably cooler temperature-wise compared to the other two glasshouses. It was so pretty and green, with more plants from several continents as well as statues. You could also climb a spiral staircase and walk the perimeter of the glasshouse and look down on all the greenery.

Overall, this will take up a lot of time and walking, so be sure to plan your day around this! It is completely worth it for the money I paid, and I tried to see as much as I could. There was so much more, including a children's garden and treetop walkway, among some cafes and gift shops. A must-see for those with a green thumb!

Cheers!

-Mikayla