Buckingham Palace

As Annie said... "Queen Victoria is everywhere!"

Gate detail

Kathy walking through the gardens behind Kew Palace.

Honoring the Gardener

Perhaps not the best time of year to see Kew I suppose, but as a former Biology teacher and an Ecology and Systematics major this was a "must do".

I think the Crocus and some Camellias were the only things in bloom but the scale of the place (300 acres) is impressive and the classic Victorian hot houses are interesting.

Their current exhibit was of orchids in the Princess of Wales Conservatory and it was nicely done.

Crocus Blooms

The Gardens are "royal" because for many years before Kew became a national botanical institute kings and other members of the royal family either lived on or owned the land and buildings at the present site.

George III took over the Kew Estate in 1772, when his mother died, and Sir Joseph Banks became unofficial director. The subsequent fame of the botanic gardens is largely due to Banks. Under his direction collectors went all over the world in search of plants of economic, scientific or horticultural interest.

With the deaths of both George III and Sir Joseph Banks in 1820, the botanic gardens fell into decline and in 1840, they were handed over to the State. The following year, Sir William Hooker was appointed as the first official director. He established the Museums and Department of Economic Botany in 1847 and the Herbarium and Library in 1852.

The Kew Herbarium contains over 7,000,000 specimens, representing nearly 98% of all of the genera in the world. It is the world's largest collection of historical plant specimens (including types).

The Gardens cover 300 acres, and includes a very extensive arboretum, water features, herbaceous bedding, some of the world's largest and most famous botanical glasshouses, and many historic buildings.

Kew Palm House

In the Palm House

Field Trip?

Water Fountain Detail

Amorphophallus titanum

One of the more interesting plants a Kew is the Amorphophallus titanum. Although they have several none were in bloom. That was probably a good thing since the place would be packed with people even though they are reported to stink something awful when in bloom.

The Amorphophallus titanum was discovered in 1878 in the rainforest of central Sumatra in western Indonesia, by the Italian botanist and explorer Dr. Odoardo Beccari, the stories caused quite a sensation and disbelief among European botanists. Not until the first specimen flowered in cultivation at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England in 1889 did the world take notice.

• Amorphophallus titanum flower is ranked as the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world, and is produced from the largest tuber.
• A mature underground corm (tuber) produces a huge flower, which is usually taller than a man.

• The tallest inflorescence reported was 10.75 feet (3.3 m) with the average being 6.5 feet

The A. titanum is difficult to cultivate - not because, as was once rumored, it eats its grower - but because it is prone to rotting, does not reliably increase in size and fails to produce seeds or offsets as easily as other species of Amorphophallus.

The plants rarely set seeds because the female flowers open first and by the time the male florets are producing pollen the female is no longer receptive. Each plant contains both flowers and florets. Even in the wild it is difficult because there must be an another similarly timed pollen-producing flower. In addition, flowering can take at any time of the year so chances are stacked against pollination. There was once a rumor that elephants pollinate this monstrous flower. Instead pollination is believed to be performed by large carrion beetles lured by the powerful odor of decaying flesh. This overpowering stench is released in waves when the flowers are ready for pollination. Its Indonesian name bunga bangkai means corpse flower.

Victoria & Albert Museum

Now days we're encouraged to take only pictures and leave only footprints, but during the height of the Victorian era when Britannia ruled the waves, and the sun never set on the British empire their explorers apparently took everything, and they brought it here!

One review I read said the V&A is like your mad Aunt's attic. An apt description. This place has everything, and apparently only 10% of what they have is on display. That's probably a good thing.

 The Victoria & Albert Museum (commonly known as the V&A) houses the world's greatest collection of decorative arts, as well as the national sculpture collection. Founded in 1852, and housed in Aston Webb's immense, sprawling, exceptionally grand building (1890), the V&A offers a staggering cross-cultural view of human achievement.

The museum shop is also excellent, as is the (pricey) café, and the jazz brunch/lunch every Sunday has become an institution (£9.50 including entrance to the museum).

The Complete Works of Shakespeare

We met with Andrea and her friend Laura and went to see The Complete Works of Shakespeare. It's funny, but a bit more juvenile than I think it needed to be.

Still an interesting premise for three Americans to attempt to summarize 37 Shakespeare plays in under two hours. Originally formed in California in 1981, the R.S.C. has been traipsing around Britain since 1991, performing variations on its slapstick send-up of the great dramatist. Clad in Elizabethan garb and sneakers, the three members of the R.S.C.--Matthew Hendrickson, David Letwin and Adam Long--tackle the 37 plays (and the sonnets) of Shakespeare in 97 minutes!

Macbeth with full Americanized Scottish accents.

the comedies presented as American football announcers.

A five-minute sketch presents Titus Andronicus as a gory gourmet-cooking program.

They also do a thoroughly postmodernized take on Othello in gangsta rap: "Here's the story of a brother by the name of Othello/ He liked white women and he liked green Jell-O/ And a punk named Iago who made hisself a menace/ 'Cos he didn't like Othello, the Moor of Venice."

The second act was all Hamlet; quick, really quick, fast and then backwards! Oh yeah and audience participation as well.

I just want to be able to say I saw the complete works of Shakespeare during my trip to London.