Kew

Friday found me in Richmond - a short walk away from Kew Gardens. My niece, Tendayi and I set off to spend some time there. It is a wonderful place to walk. The trees alone, make the visit worthwhile. I have never seen such variety. We passed one that looked like a mountain of branches. You could not see a trunk - just branches cascading down from somewhere. It was a weeping beech. We looked more closely and you could have held a wedding under the canopy created by the branches!

After a lovely lunch in the Orangery, we wandered through some of the greenhouses. The waterlily house was amazing. I remember reading about lily pads that could be 5' across. Well - there they were, truly amazing. There were leaves with designs that looked like they were painted on them, diverse textures of leaves and breathtaking flowers.

There was a special exhibit of glass at Kew. There were pieces here and there, but the temperate greenhouse was full of them - growing from the ground as if they were plants, hanging from the ceiling and floating on the water. Some were quite bizarre. I liked the effects of others. Pictures will be posted when I get back.

Nature heals as does family. I felt refreshed.