Lazy Summer Afternoons For Less At Kew Gardens
For a limited period new late afternoon ‘taster’ tickets are available for just £7
Take advantage of the long summer days and enjoy a ‘taster’ experience of Kew Gardens with a late entry ticket. Pay £7 instead of £14.50 at the gates after 3.30pm until Sunday 8 September 2013 – the perfect way to sample Kew’s summer delights, including the IncrEdibles festival, which celebrates the delicious diversity of plants and fungi.
With over 300 acres of stunning landscapes, iconic glasshouses, art galleries, and much more, you will be busy on a taster visit - so plan and prioritise your visit on www.kew.org.
Here are some of the highlights of the Gardens:
Palm House: A splendid Victorian glasshouse, which is home to our extensive collection of tropical plants. It is the most famous icon of the Gardens, and a favourite of many visitors.
The Palm House is the perfect starting point if you wish to explore our beautiful glasshouses, to be followed by the more intimate Waterlily House – just next door and home to the grand, giant Victoria cruziana waterlilies – and finally on to the Princess of Wales Conservatory, which is home to a diverse array of plants from across the globe – from bright Brazilian bromeliads and beautiful orchids to spiky cacti found in arid desert regions.
Until Sunday 1 September the Palm House pond has been turned into the Tutti Frutti boating lake* for the summer festival IncrEdibles www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/whats-on/incredibles/tutti-frutti/
Xstrata Treetop Walkway (pictured left): An 18-metre high, 200-metre long walkway guides you around the crowns of lime, sweet chestnut and oak trees for a bird’s-eye view of Kew Gardens. For an equally contemplative experience, wander to the nearby lake and the stunning Sackler Crossing and finally the authentic Japanese Minka House.
Kew Palace and the Royal Kitchens: Discover the smallest and most intimate of the royal palaces, home of George III during his infamous episodes of ‘madness’. Once you have soaked up historic Kew, don’t miss the wide array of tasty cakes at the nearby Orangery restaurant.
Pagoda: This ten-storey replica of a Chinese pagoda completed in 1762 is wonderfully framed by a majestic vista. From the Pagoda you can head to the Japanese Landscape and then on to the Conservation area, where you can lose yourself in this area of natural beauty.
Botanical Art: Visit the stunning retrospective by artist and musician Rory McEwen in The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art before it closes on 22 September 2013. Next door, the Marianne North Gallery documents the travels of intrepid Victorian artist and explorer Marianne North. Brimming with over 800 vibrant paintings, hung frame to frame like a vast patchwork quilt these artworks provide a unique snapshot of the world’s flora and fauna over 100 years ago, documenting species and areas of the natural world now threatened.
August 5, 2013