A Morning Walk in Kew Gardens, London, England

With only days left in the year, I thought I should take advantage of the sunny morning and head to Kew Gardens to write the last post in my A Year in Kew Gardens series. It was a fairly spontaneous decision to start the project after a visit here in January but it’s brought me unexpected joy in following the year of these famous botanical gardens.

I’ve been coming to Kew regularly for almost as long as I remember. I even remember when you paid just one old penny to get in (so pre-1971), putting the coin in a turnstile at the entrance. It costs a good deal more than that now but my annual Friends’ season ticket is excellent value as I come here so often and I feel very lucky that as a Richmond resident, the Gardens are a kind of local park. Following the Gardens through this year though, coming each month to photograph the changes and see what’s going on, has brought greater focus to my visits, which in turn has made me appreciate them even more. It’s easy in familiar surroundings to just walk on without taking a great deal of notice of what’s around you. Before, I would of course notice the different seasons: the bulbs pushing their way through the ground in the spring; the vibrant colours of the summer and the glorious autumn colours later in the year. But coming here with the intention of writing a post on the blog about what I see has made me look with more attention; it’s highlighted changes throughout the year; as my camera has zoomed in to take close-ups of blossom and flowers my observations have become more focused too. If I loved Kew before, I perhaps love it even more now and feel I know it better. I love its diversity: from the ordered symmetry of the flowerbeds outside the Palm House – which change with the seasons – to the wilder countryside feel of the woodland glade. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).