What Master Gardener—or plant lover of any type—doesn’t seek out a garden to tour? Anywhere, anytime, any weather. No matter how simple, how elaborate, or vast the acreage and the grounds, we are going! And the time and distance to get there and back is never a problem…we’ll travel all day for a one-hour tour just to take in the colors and scents, to savor the patterns and creative efforts.
My husband and I have enjoyed many gardens over the years and if the time in the tulips doesn’t get too lengthy, he goes along just fine with a minimum of eye rolling. From Portland’s Japanese Garden, to Italy’s Boboli Garden outside Florence, to Maine’s Coastal Botanical Gardens near Boothbay, and our own local Gibbs Gardens, these places abound with new opportunities to observe and learn.
Likely on everyone’s bucket list is the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew outside London, England. We visited on the first day of our England trip. It was a sunny, 70-degree day and much to our delight the garden was splashed with the glass art of Dale Chihuly. Having seen his work at our own Atlanta Botanical Garden, I was thrilled to learn his works were on display at Kew there when we were! His pieces were equally wonderful in this lush and exquisite setting as they had been in the state of Georgia.
Kew Royal Botanical Gardens is a world-famous, magnificent space spread over 320 acres. With over 50,000 living plants, Kew is an internationally renowned botanical research and education institution. Highlights include the Rock Garden, Forest, Tree-Top Walkway, Palm Glass House, Waterlily House and the immense Temperate House which goes on and on in every direction.
Add the Dale Chihuly glass sculptures to this setting and we had what was described as “the perfect marriage of art, science and nature.” We agreed! Chihuly’s works were so well nestled among the foliage, you had to keep going around the corner and turning in your own space to get the full view of the pieces. Each was an individual gift waiting for you to discover it as it unfurled its form and colors. Having discovered the piece and admired its fine craftwork, you then get to study its setting to see if you can figure why it was chosen for that specific site and planting.
It was a gardener’s dream, and a glass lover’s delight. (I am both.) I wish we’d had more time there. We spent the day, but nothing short of two to three days would have satisfied me…so much to see, learn and do. Add this one to your bucket list and keep on trekking on garden tours!
Submitted by Lavon Callahan, Headwaters Master Gardeners