A Year at Kew Book

Reading Rupert Smith’s A Year at Kew is almost as good as visiting England’s most famous botanical gardens – and certainly as good as watching the accompanying TV series. With some impressive colour plates to buttress his text, Smith presents the reader with a fascinating month-by-month journey through the beauty of the gardens, with a host of ancillary information about the people who keep this great British institution in business (and it’s no easy task, as just a chapter or two of the book makes abundantly clear). Kew’s Royal Botanical Gardens have been voted the country’s favourite gardens (admittedly, hardly a surprise), and have been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, ranking them with the Taj Mahal and the Pyramids. The million or so visitors who visit this haven of natural beauty would certainly agree with such recognition, but - as Smith informs us - a veritable army is necessary to keep things green. This dedicated group consists of scientists, landscape architects and, of course, hosts of gardeners and botanists who maintain the non-pareil collection of plants, trees and flowers that delight the eye of the visitor. Smith describes the monthly highlights at Kew and the Wakehurst Place country estate (noting, for instance, the famous orchid festival in February), while the often-neglected splendours of an autumnal Kew are equally celebrated.In some ways, it's the intriguing behind-the scenes insights that makes A Year at Kew so diverting; a visit to Kew will never be the same after reading Smith’s splendid tribute. --Barry ForshawRead More