Friday, October 24, 2014

The Royal Kew: Duke's Garden and Treetop Walkway

               After visiting Dave's Alpine garden I went to a walled garden that formerly was the private garden for Cambridge Cottage. The Duke's Garden is one of the lesser-known corners of Kew, overlooked by many visitors to the Royal Botanic Gardens. 

 
I saw the Cambridge Cottage in a beautiful English garden, where an inhabitant was the first Duke of Cambridge after whom the garden takes its name. The Cambridge Cottage and a garden was added to the Kew Gardens in 1904. Now there is the Kew Gardens Gallery that shows exhibitions of botanical art by past and contemporary artists.


I've read that Cambridge Cottage is licensed to host civil wedding ceremonies and receptions. But at the moment when I've been there were not ceremonies. 

 
Large lawns and seasonal beds, which were looking very colorful at this time of the year. The beds framed manicured lawns. 


I liked the composition of autumn flowers as Aruncus dioicus, Сosmos sulphureus, Astilbe, Rudbeckia, Sedum, Bergenia and herbs and a variety of violet lavender species and cultivars.


I've seen the ‘exotic bed’ that was made for seeing just how hardy some tender plants are, such as tree ferns, ornamental bananas, cannas and gingers  that thrive in warm conditions.





Near the Temperate House (which was closed for renovation) an Arboretum is. It includes a 59 foot high (20 m) Treetop Walkway known as the Xstrata Walkway. I wanted to climb up there! They said that Treetop Walkway offers spectacular views of the treetops and the gardens below. 



  The Walkway itself is quite wide with very substantial rails. Look at the picture to see people on the walkway it's gives you a guide to scale.

 

From the height of the Treetop Walkway the crowns are clearly visible especially I liked the branches of chestnut trees with fruits. The most wonderful views in Arboretum are the Mediterranean Garden, the Rhododendrons (they did not bloom in autumn), and the bamboo collection.



I imagined what the birds can see from such a height. I loved to walk of the Treetop Walkway!

 



Would you like to climb up this Walkway and to see the tree crowns as the birds see them?

To be continued...



35 comments:

  1. So beautiful! The garden design looks so neat. Love the color combination and the walkway... so interesting!

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  2. What a lovely garden and walkway! I'd love to visit... My twins came home from London yesterday. Happy weekend, Nadezda!

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    1. Sure your children had fun and practice in English there and now they have good experience.

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  3. Wow! What a great garden to visit!

    You asked me how I got the black background in my photos. Well, that's just our garden. It's that shady and dark that it always gives that black background for the plants in pots on the terrace if I photograph them with the garden in the back. I don't have picasa, never used it. So no tricks or anything really, just a mere coincidence ;)

    Marian

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  4. Lovely borders and a great opportunity to see the trees from a different viewpoint

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    1. You're right Sue, it was great experience. Thank you!

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  5. You truly were just like a bird Nadezda! What a wonderful place to visit. I have never been. We have the Royal Botanic Gardens here in Edinburgh and at a mere fraction of the size of Kew, worth a visit if you are ever in Scotland.
    Thoroughly enjoyable post, thanks for sharing it with us.

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    1. I'd like to see the Edinburgh Royal Botanic Gardens Angie!

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  6. Thank you for your pictures Nadezda, which brought me back to sweet memories, but strange enough I cannot remember the treetop walkway, may it was not yet there at that time. The views must have been great!

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    1. Hi Janneke!
      The treetop walkway is in the left corner of the gardens and no many visitors can find it. I had a fun climbing up there!

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  7. You must have had a wonderful trip. Your pictures are very attractive.

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  8. Very beautiful for an autumn garden. It must be an amazing view from up high. Happy October!

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  9. This is a beautiful and well laid - out garden Nadezda, thankyou for sharing these lovely images.

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  10. What gorgeous gardens and full of Autumnal colours. Thanks for sharing your lovely photos. P x

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  11. Hello Nazeda. Thank you so much for comment on my 'Molly's Lotment' blog. I'm afraid I've neglected it a bit and have put my posts up on my other blog 'Some Other Mountain' We both share a love of plants and flowers. Your pictures are lovely. We visited St Petersburg last year on holiday - I've written a bit about it on the side page on someothermountain.blogspot.com. We had a wonderful time. The architecture is truly amazing and the city, beautiful.

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    1. Molly, thank for stopping by! I will read your posts now too!

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  12. Wow ! Such an amazing place ! That's a fantastic idea to watch the garden from above !
    Have a nice weekend :)

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  13. Dear Nadezda,what a lovely place to visit!!So beautiful gardens with wonderful Autumn colours!
    Today we celebrate Saint Dimitrios,it's my nameday(Dimitra), Nadezda!Do you ceebrate him too in your country?
    Have a lovely day!
    Dimi...

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    1. Congrats Dimi with you nameday! We celebrate this holiday too and they say that if if's snow on Dimitry day so the next spring will be snowy. Fortunately we have no snow today and I hope the spring will be sunny.

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    2. Good morning Nadezda!Thank you for my nameday,wishes and for the informations about Saint Dimitry!
      Have a lovely week!
      Dimi...

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  14. Un paseo maravilloso por ese jardín. Subir a la pasarela y verlo desde arriba tiene que ser un precioso espectáculo. Por aquí tenemos muchos castaños;))
    Buena semana. Nadezda.
    Un beso.

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  15. Yet another beautiful tour from you, Nadi! Thaks! I especially love those rich late summer beds.
    I use to climb up to treetops as a child. I haven't done so for a while, but maybe I should - and remember good old times! At least I still could!

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    1. Sure you would love the treetop walking Tistou!

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  16. Welcome Nadezda!
    Excellent picture. I am delighted with the beautiful garden.
    This unforgettable journey full of impressions.
    Greetings.
    Lucia

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  17. I love the idea of a tree-top walkway. I believe there is one an hour's drive from where I live, and you have inspired me to find it. Thank you Nadezda.

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    1. It was a good idea Juliet to find the nearest treetop and feel like a bird looking down.

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