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kaberettToday, as a slightly-belated mid-week birthday treat, we went to Kew.
This was in part because they e-mailed me about the current Secret World of Plants installation, which sounded like exactly my jam, featuring as it does
Unfortunately, unlike the artist render, the structures are all actually installed on fairly deep woodchip of a kind I looked at and went "... nope" about taking my chair onto.
But! The wisteria pagoda was only a little past its peak (where, last visit, I thought "hmm, if I come back in a couple of weeks..."); some prone wisteria, including white Wisteria floribunda 'Alba' underplanted with white borage; the orchids in the Alpine house were lovely; I Learned that daisies and their relatives (including sunflowers) actually consist of lots of tiny disc florets in the centre cushiony bit, plus ray florets as the outer "petals"; Quercus dentata, which has reasonable oak-shaped leaves and a RIDICULOUS habit with lots of little twiggy crowns (at least the specimen we saw); some actual small oak galls in the process of forming; the rhodedendron dell was in fine form; and some fantastically garish tulips that weren't quite over.
The bluebells were mostly done, though we did get to see some of the dregs of them before I went "-- the wind just changed and the air smells different, it's about to rain, do you want to head back?" and A said "... Met Office reckons there's less than a 10% chance of rain for the next three hours, let's keep going" and so we did and then we got rained on (without making it all the way to the place we first thought of). We saw a COOT BABY, which Declined to get damp but did wimble around on the top of the nest every time a parent came near it with food, and did do a very satisfying Plomp once it had run out of (a) food and (b) legs, and did also yell a little. We also saw a bunch of GOZZLES (goslings), and EVEN they waved their SHIT LITTLE WINGS around.
And then I ate a slice of birthday cake in the car while we got rained on before we set off, and it was lovely.
This was in part because they e-mailed me about the current Secret World of Plants installation, which sounded like exactly my jam, featuring as it does
... a series of unique large-scale installations by acclaimed artist Vaughn Bell that will begin to pop up across the Gardens from early May onwards.
You'll get to explore our overlooked native plant habitats in a series of six immersive structures, from native meadows and hedgerows to sand dunes and woodland.
Pop your head into the viewing holes and you'll see these incredible environments, specially curated together with our world-renowned team of horticultural experts, from a whole new perspective.
Unfortunately, unlike the artist render, the structures are all actually installed on fairly deep woodchip of a kind I looked at and went "... nope" about taking my chair onto.
But! The wisteria pagoda was only a little past its peak (where, last visit, I thought "hmm, if I come back in a couple of weeks..."); some prone wisteria, including white Wisteria floribunda 'Alba' underplanted with white borage; the orchids in the Alpine house were lovely; I Learned that daisies and their relatives (including sunflowers) actually consist of lots of tiny disc florets in the centre cushiony bit, plus ray florets as the outer "petals"; Quercus dentata, which has reasonable oak-shaped leaves and a RIDICULOUS habit with lots of little twiggy crowns (at least the specimen we saw); some actual small oak galls in the process of forming; the rhodedendron dell was in fine form; and some fantastically garish tulips that weren't quite over.
The bluebells were mostly done, though we did get to see some of the dregs of them before I went "-- the wind just changed and the air smells different, it's about to rain, do you want to head back?" and A said "... Met Office reckons there's less than a 10% chance of rain for the next three hours, let's keep going" and so we did and then we got rained on (without making it all the way to the place we first thought of). We saw a COOT BABY, which Declined to get damp but did wimble around on the top of the nest every time a parent came near it with food, and did do a very satisfying Plomp once it had run out of (a) food and (b) legs, and did also yell a little. We also saw a bunch of GOZZLES (goslings), and EVEN they waved their SHIT LITTLE WINGS around.
And then I ate a slice of birthday cake in the car while we got rained on before we set off, and it was lovely.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-18 10:10 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-18 10:58 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-18 10:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-19 12:59 am (UTC)*Growl*!!!
When are people going to et it ? It isn't difficult. Accessibility = a nice, smoothish, relatively flat surface you'd be happy cycling across (or if you're a mountain biker, letting your 5yo cycle across).
Kab 1, A and the Met Office 0
(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-19 05:44 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-19 01:02 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-19 01:34 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-25 09:30 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-19 09:02 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-21 10:02 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-21 10:07 pm (UTC)Oh, please by all means do! I was considering e-mailing in to the Members address but hadn't quite got my act together yet.
It might have been fine but it would definitely have been hard work -- much harder work even than the grass -- and I looked at it and decided I couldn't face trying it even though the set-up was otherwise obviously my sort of thing.
(The chippings were probably less bad than gravel would've been, I will note.)
(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-22 12:43 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-05-22 01:02 pm (UTC)I will go ahead and get on with it myself -- no need for you to :)