Kew Gardens

Quite on the spur of the moment, on the 11th of July, 2015, I bravely traveled outside of London zone 2 on a grand adventure. My travels took me to the lush plant-zoo that is Kew Gardens. A ticket to the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew costs £13 for students who order their ticket online, and £15 to full-price guests at the gate. I would highly recommend buying ahead of time, as the lines to the ticket booths were long, and an online ticket let you just walk right in. Tickets are good for any one day within a 30 day period after you buy it. 

After a short walk from the tube station through the well-kept village of Kew, I arrived at the crowded main gardens gate. I hesitantly entered through the un-queued portion of the gateway, my online ticket printout in hand. The attendant at the entrance glanced at my paper, handed me a map to the gardens, and ushered me further inside. Just like that, the park was mine!

Everything (save for food and merchandise) within the grounds is free to access once you are inside the gates. Map in pocket and feet ready for wandering, I set off toward the largest of the Botanical greenhouses. On the way, I stumbled across two of the Greek-style temples that are speckled across the garden(Image 1). Compete with potted orange trees and other Mediterranean fixtures, the temples seemed right at home in the sylvan landscape.

Finding that the large greenhouse was temporarily closed off for major renovations and improvements, I wandered instead toward the nearby alleged "tree walkway." Not far down the path, I began to notice the large metal supports for the raised walkway through the trees. While I enjoyed climbing the spiral stairs 60 feet into the air and strolling amidst the treetops, I had expected it to be a more extensive path (at least going from one location to another, rather than in a circle).

I spent the remainder of the day exploring the various other attractions and garden areas that Kew has to offer.

The grounds at Kew look sprawling and vast on the map, but can easily be walked thoroughly in a matter of hours. Parts of the gardens look a bit like Kensington Gardens, with trees and tall, yellow grass. There are several major attractions that are free-to-visit with a ticket to the gardens. These attractions include three greenhouses, the Palm House, and the Princess of Wales Conservatory), and several royal buildings such as the Kew Palace and (on weekends) the Royal cottage, complete with thatched roof. ~Winston