[EN] A Tour of London’s Gardens – Kew Gardens (Royal Botanic Gardens)

The magnificent, colossal Palm House is the most iconic (Victorian-era) building within Kew Gardens.

A pair of majestic Chinese stone lions guard the entrance to Kew Gardens by the lakeside.

The Palm House houses a collection of subtropical plants, including palm trees, coconut palms, rubber trees, cycads, banana plants, and wild ginger.

Centuries-old palm trees.

Ascending via the spiral staircase, one can enjoy the flora from the elevated platforms, offering a unique perspective.

Charming subtropical flowers and foliage.

The White Lotus House.

Large-leafed lotuses paired with smaller water lilies in the circular pond.

Poetic and picturesque blue-purple lotus blossoms.

Vines bearing melons and pumpkins climb inside the Lotus House.

A quintessential English garden, full of poetic charm.

The Princess of Wales Conservatory.

Tropical plants and flowers, featuring various cacti, ferns, succulents, coconut family plants, and large-leafed lotuses.

Vibrant and lively lotus blooms.

Beauty speaks without words.

Outdoor rock cascades surround the area.

White citrus groves nestled amidst lush greenery.

The magnificent 230-year-old Wallemia pine tree.

The dignified Red Kitchen Garden - a Dutch-style building.

The orderly Queen's Garden behind the palace.

Stunning century-old trees stand tall everywhere.

Charlotte’s Summer Palace, a retreat for Queen Charlotte, surrounded by the bamboo garden.

Pastoral scenery with shimmering water reflections.

An eye-catching aerial walkway.

Breathtaking century-old trees.

The Mediterranean Garden.

Vibrant yellow flowers blooming brilliantly in the Mediterranean Garden.

Another landmark of Kew Gardens—the Chinese Pagoda, built between 1761 and 1762.

A grand view of the Japanese Garden overlooking the Chinese Pagoda.

The captivating Japanese Garden.

The Hive - Wolfgang Buttress .Simmonds studio stage one and BDP 2016 installation

Interior scene of the hive.

Text and Photos / Chen Qixiang

I do not visit art exhibitions in galleries or museums; instead, I find my joy in gardens, parks, or nature. I love observing flowers and plants, engaging in a silent romance with them. Immersing myself in both nature and art is my greatest passion. Viewing exhibitions and taking walks are indispensable parts of my daily life. My fervent dedication to art and my deep affection for nature mean that wherever there are no exhibitions, there are surely natural landscapes, flora, or unique geological features. For me, viewing art and observing nature hold no distinction; both are fields of energy where I converse softly with art, flowers, and mountains. "Beauty" is omnipresent, unrelated to art itself; as long as one opens their eyes and mind to perceive and be aware, it is there.

London holds my deepest affection. It is an artistic capital second only to Europe, lined with art museums and numerous first-class galleries, boasting endless exhibitions. As a member of the International Association of Art Critics, I possess a membership card that grants free access to special or themed exhibitions anywhere. This privilege allows me to skip lines and avoid ticket purchases. Driven by curiosity and a diligent desire to see, I continue until I am fully satisfied. Exhibitions never tire me; for me, they are all-you-can-eat feasts. Roaming through gardens, parks, or even forests, wandering among mountains and waters to appreciate beautiful scenery while immersing myself in nature’s embrace brings me immense happiness.

London is a city overflowing with greenery. Winding along the Thames, trees form shady canopies. The city is dotted with large gardens, parks, and green spaces. Kensington Park in the city center connects to Hyde Park, creating a vast oasis—truly the lungs of London. Other highlights include the beautiful Regent’s Rose Garden, Sports Ground, St. James’s Park—a peach-blossom paradise before Buckingham Palace—and the verdant Green Park behind it. Most homes feature front and back yards, reflecting the high quality of life for Londoners.

Botanical gardens are a must-visit space during my travels. Not only do I explore exotic plants from around the world that spark imagination, but I also delve into the humanistic and geographical landscapes of each region. Like a plant enthusiast, I feel excited and delighted every time I visit a garden, becoming intoxicated within its beauty. The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, located in the southwestern suburbs of London, is arguably the world’s most beautiful, largest (covering 120 hectares), and richest repository of temperate to tropical flora. The world’s first glasshouse, the Palm House, was designed by architect Decimus Burton in 1860 and has since become a crucial institution for botanical research. In 2003, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This unparalleled botanical garden was originally created in 1759 by Augusta, Princess of Wales, on the banks of the Thames. Designed by Count Architect Decimus Burton, it became Britain’s first royal botanical garden. After the Princess passed away in 1772, her son, King George III, and the Queen continued to merge and expand Kew Gardens. Managed by Joseph Banks, a count who loved nature conservation, this glorious empire collected tens of thousands of plant species from across the globe. Kew served as a royal summer retreat until the British government acquired it in 1840, rapidly expanding its scope and facilities to take on its current appearance.

Presented within this massive English landscape are diverse themes: lake views, lush forests, vibrant seasonal flowers, expansive lawns, rose gardens, greenhouses of various sizes, palaces, the Chinese Pagoda, Japanese Garden, bamboo groves, Mediterranean garden, aerial walkways, cottages, pastoral paths, small bridges over flowing water, breathtaking century-old trees, and charming rural scenery—all woven together into a earthly paradise.

The Palm House: Upon entering, one is immediately captivated by the magnificent, colossal Glass Palace Palm House, the most representative Victorian-era building in Kew. Situated by the shimmering lakeside, it is guarded by a pair of majestic Chinese stone lions. In front of the greenhouse lies a well-ordered bed of seasonal flowers and twelve white symbolic animal statues resembling lions, representing courage and strength during the Edwardian era. The Palm House houses a collection of subtropical plants such as palm trees, coconut palms, rubber trees, cycads, banana plants, and wild ginger. Lively mist sprays periodically into the humid and hot interior. The massive greenhouse has two levels; visitors can ascend via a spiral staircase to admire the flora from the elevated platforms, offering a unique experience, though the heat often leaves one drenched in sweat. Behind it lies a fragrant rose garden, and to the left, a small white Lotus House. Inside, large-leafed lotuses bloom in a circular pond alongside blue-purple water lilies, with vines bearing melons and pumpkins climbing overhead.

The Princess of Wales Conservatory: Exiting the Lotus House and passing by the lakeside, a picturesque pavilion stands atop a hill, backed by the Woodland Garden filled with colorful flower beds and vegetable patches. Arriving at a series of modern conservatories dedicated to Princess Augusta, these feature automatic climate control technology. They primarily display tropical plants, including various cacti, ferns, succulents, coffee trees, coconut family plants, large-leafed lotuses, and various orchids. A tall, fan-shaped greenhouse is dedicated specifically to alpine plants from the European Alps. Outdoors, rock cascades surround the area, with dense aquatic plants and vibrant alpine flora from around the world thriving among the rocks.

The Red Kitchen Garden: The dignified, vividly red Kitchen Garden is a Dutch-style building constructed in 1631, also known as the "Dutch House." A lush green lawn stretches before it, serving as a leisure space for Londoners. This exquisite structure was used as a royal palace during the reign of George III and later became a sanctuary for British kings and queens during the summer. Today, it operates as a museum. Behind the palace lies the French Garden, featuring the meticulous and perfect Queen’s Garden, orderly and adorned with vibrant seasonal flowers. It is stunningly beautiful, accompanied by a fragrant herb garden. Hidden behind hedges nearby is a royal kitchen garden, which offers guided tours in period costumes during the summer holidays for pilgrims.

Queen Charlotte’s Summer Palace: In this picturesque pastoral setting, lush gardens are filled with breathtaking century-old trees. Following winding paths, crossing lawns, and entering verdant forests, one hears insects chirping and birds singing among the trees, appreciating the beauty of diverse species like plane trees, chestnuts, oaks, ginkgoes, and magnolias. Immersed in air rich with phytoncides, one continues past the Rhododendron Garden to wander and explore further. In a quiet corner lies a bamboo garden with exotic flair. A simple thatched cottage serves as Queen Charlotte’s Summer Palace, built in 1771. It remained a space for royal activities until Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897, when it opened to the public. It now functions as a lifestyle exhibition hall.

The Aerial Walkway: Guided by winding paths, one crosses through a redwood forest into a poetic, otherworldly scene. The mesmerizing lake scenery feels like a heavenly realm on earth. The lakeside becomes an ideal place for contemplation or relaxation, washing away fatigue and allowing one to enjoy the beauty of nature. Following the guide map, one arrives at the botanical garden’s eye-catching aerial walkway. Visitors can choose to climb stairs or take an elevator to look down upon the spectacular view of Kew Gardens from above.

The Great Broad-Leaved House and Mediterranean Garden: In a secluded corner stands a magnificent greenhouse built between 1860 and 1899, equipped with state-of-the-art air conditioning. It houses a rich variety of subtropical plants. Due to its large size, exhibits are arranged geographically: the north wing features Asian plants, while the polygonal room to the north displays exotic flora from Oceania, including New Zealand, Australia, and Pacific islands. Due to aging safety concerns, it is currently closed for renovation (I had visited it during my previous trip). Turning a corner leads to the Mediterranean Garden, centered around a decorative shrine to William the Conqueror, surrounded by all types of Mediterranean flora in dazzling colors, pleasing to the eye.

The Chinese Pagoda and Japanese Garden: Following a magnificent avenue of century-old trees to the southern corner of Kew Gardens, one finds another landmark: the Chinese Pagoda. Standing tall at 163 feet, it was built by Sir William Chambers between 1761 and 1762, inspired by a pagoda near Amboise on the Loire River in France. This exotic tower serves purely as a decorative element in the English garden, containing 253 steps leading visitors to the top for panoramic views. Adjacent to the Chinese Pagoda lies a Zen-inspired Japanese Garden, featuring a dry landscape design centered around a Japanese temple, depicting grand mountains, small bridges, and flowing water. Immersed in this poetic and picturesque beauty, one deeply experiences the harmony between nature and humanity.

"The Hive" Large-Scale Spatial Installation Exhibition: Kew Gardens hosts a spatial installation exhibition with environmental education themes every year. This year, artist Wolfgang Buttress collaborated with the Simmonds Studio to create a work titled "The Hive." Constructed from interlocking geometric steel rings forming a giant honeycomb structure, the installation uses visual and tactile forms to address current environmental issues. The mysterious mass death of bees worldwide in recent years has sparked global debate: is it due to natural climate change and environmental destruction, or the result of human pesticide use?