Kew in a blur. Time to see what all the fuss was about.

Ok to begin with an apology.  Three quarters of the photos in this blog post are out of focus or soft focus.  This is because, unbeknown to me, my daughters had been playing with the settings on the camera and smeared mucky fingers on the lens!  (Lesson always check your equipment before going out)  Luckily I noticed by the time I got to the big Jubaea palm so there are at least a few good photos.

This was my first trip to Kew Gardens and the journey there was very straight forward, taking less than 3 hours from Wakefield, West Yorkshire to the Kew Gardens ticket office using public transport.


View of the Temperate house, one of three large glasshouses at Kew

The main reason I wanted to visit Kew gardens was to see "the largest plant in captivity" this is the famous Jubaea palm  Raised from seed in 1846, it is widely believed to be the tallest glasshouse plant and is certainly the largest palm under glass.  More on that later.....


First here are some images from the plants growing outdoors at Kew including some  Trachycarpus palms and many bamboos.

T fortunei

 

P congesta

 

P parvifolia

 

 

 

They have built a very high platform to see the gardens from above.  The structures themselves are very impressive.  Unfortunately for me the lift was out of order so had to use the stairs.

 

 

The views from the top were very impressive although not good if you suffer from vertigo!

 

 

 

Kew is full of fantastic structures, some old and some new.  Here is a great example, the Pagoda.  One thing that did spoil Kew was the constant sight of loud planes which at times spoiled the relaxing feel of the gardens.

Not all palms are inside at Kew, there are some fortunei, chammys and a couple of Jubaeas including this specimen.

Most of the really impressive plants are found in the three main glasses houses.  Feast your eyes on these.

 

 

Tree ferns

 

 

 

Giant water lilies

Colocasia

Yucca queretaroensis

 

Chamaerops humilis

 

 

Now the above is only a small snippet of what Kew has to offer.  I did take many photos of the famous cycads but these were too blurry to post. :-(


The main reason I went to Kew was to see the Jubaea as its world famous and wanted to know what my small Jubaea will look like in a 100 years time!

It's found in the temperate house and has grown to such a height that the crown of the plant is squashing against the top of the glass house.  There is some debate as to how long it will remain before it has to be cut down and removed.   These are the photos I took of this magnificent palm.

 

 

 

 

As you can see a magnificant palm what looks fantastic up close.  Make sure you see it soon before it's too late.

Garden at it's peak in September

 

 

So it's September, the best month of the year!  The weather is still warm and settled although the nights are drawing in.  The garden is at it's peak, having had all summer to grow (even in this, one of the worst summers on record!)  So even in the chilly north of England in a rather dull and poor year for growing plants, many things have done well.  Here is a tour of my garden in photos, hope you enjoy and if you have any questions then please ask!

 

 

This is one of the most reliable gingers available, H forrestii, spidery flowers with a very delicate scent.  Although I grow it in a pot it is pretty hardy as far as I am aware.

Here is one of my favourite plants, Lobelia cardinalis with Arundo behind.  Strong red flowers really hit you in the face and scream exotic. 

This is a shot of the shady, wet part of the garden with fatsias, tree ferns and a rather nice cactus still dahlia which was left in the ground from last year.

 

 To the front and side of the garage is my alocasia bed with portora to the left, Mayan Mask in the centre and gageana to the right.  The tall ensete banana is montbelliardii.  The Phormium is making a recovery in the foreground.

 

My main bed with a mixture of bananas, grasses, colocasia and dahlias.  Good growth in August after a very very slow start.  The banana in the background, top right is called hiniba.

 

 

Here is my might Tetrapanax "rex"  It has been totally hardy, not losing the growth point in the 3 seasons that I've had it.

 

 

 Complete contrast in leaf form and texture here with the fine fronds of Dicksonia antarctica, the huge leaves of Gunnera and the numerous leaves of the Shirosima bamboo.

 

 

 

Newly acquired tree fern doing well under the dappled shade of an apple tree with shade loving palms and a polycarpa.

 

 

 

 New flush on a fatsia

 

 

Colocasia Pink Stem, could be hardy here but not tried it outside here.....yet. 

 

 

Would be without lilies even thought Lily beetles have finally arrived to this part of Yorkshire. 

 

My biggest palm, a lovely Jubaea. 

 

 

 

Butia with all Yorkshire grown leaves!

 

Brahea doing well, although only 3 new leaves so far this year.

 

 

My arid bed wouldn't be complete without Californian poppies.

Here is my only echium and will need winter protection if it is to stand a chance of flowering next year.

A general view of my front garden.  Everyting you see is in pots apart from the arid bed in the foreground.

All the plants in this photo have been grown from seed, cuttings or overwintered plants from last season.

 

 

 

My ginger bed with greenii and Verity, contasting foliage with I adore.

 

 

Dahlias are cheap and cheerfull and keep on going and going till the frosts.

 

Here we have the black leaves of Diamond Head colocasia and red and green leaves of a small ensete maurelii.

 

 

The image would never be replicated in nature with the arid Agave medio-picta alba and the pink flowering Hydrangea.

 

 

Spikies and softies.

 

 

More arids, this time Aeoniums planted out for the summer with house leeks below.

 

 

 

This Dasyliron has survived the last three winters completely unprotected!  Although the main plant rotted away, this is one of the offsets from the original plant.  The blue echeveria is left out all winter.

 

 

Musa and figs growing happily together.

 

 

 

 

One of many pot displays.

 

Coryline and Coleus

Finally an overview of my back garden.  I manage to cram a lot in such a small space.

 

Thanks for viewing.  Soon my attentions turn to preparing for winter....