Dave and I got motivated yesterday and went to Kew Gardens, partly to see an exhibit called "The Hive." It's an art installation based on a beehive, with thousands of LED lights that flicker and represent the bees communicating with each other. (The Hive is somehow linked to one of Kew's actual hives, apparently.) It's surrounded by a meadow of bee-friendly flowers (now mostly past their peak) and it's supposed to get us thinking about how to protect pollinators and our own food supply.
You can step inside The Hive on two levels. From the upper level, the top looks like this.
It's a cool construction, and very mathematical with all its geometric metal "cells."
On the way to The Hive we passed this Japanese pagoda tree -- planted in 1760! America was still a British colony, and the French monarchy hadn't yet been guillotined. The folks at Kew call it an "old lion." I like how the trunk has been braced with bricks on the right.
We also visited the palm house and the ridiculously humid waterlily house, where I had to wipe down my lens several times but finally managed to get a decent picture.
I also bought us a membership to Kew, so I hope now we'll go back a bit more frequently.
Before we went to the gardens, Dave and I visited a terrific restaurant in Clapham called The Dairy. We saw it a couple of years ago on one of Mary Berry's cooking shows, where she toured the herb garden on the roof. The food was spectacular. We loved it. And we asked to visit the roof and got a little tour of our own!
Do the bees in the actual beehive at Kew wear little transponders that switch the LED lights within the structure on and off?
ReplyDeleteA brilliant day out, thanks for the photos. It is amazing how old trees can get to be if not cut down.
ReplyDeleteLove that water lily - so pretty! That's the kind of day that Mike & I love to have. There is somewhere around here a large garden - Reynolds something or other? Hmm - when I can walk again we'll have to head there.
ReplyDeletewell, if I ever make it to London I will have to go there. beautiful shot of the water lily.
ReplyDeleteInteresting concept, that beehive exhibit. I love that water lily photo. Truly beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThat tree looks how I feel sometimes. lol
ReplyDeleteBriony
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The HIVE, How fabulous!! WOW! On the list for Stella and Me when we need a Kew fix, thanks for the tip. Dearly love that old tree, so glad that people are kept a safe distance from it. Thanks for this gorgeous post, made my day!
ReplyDeleteWonderful pictures, and sounds like an excellent day out. I love that tree; reminds me of an old person with limbs gnarled by arthritis but still going ...
ReplyDeleteThose hive photos are fantastic. I wish I could see it in person. Did you know that the National Building Museum in D.C. also has a "hive" on display. Theirs is made of round paper tubes. You can see a picture of it on their website. I saw photos of it in Instagram last week. That tree is simply amazing, it's age boggles the mind. That restaurant sounds fantastic. I've been watching Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood's "Master Class" series on Netflix and have seen lots of recipes I want to try when it's cool enough to light the oven again.
ReplyDeleteI swear that this morning when I opened your blog on my phone, I read "Dave and I got married yesterday" and I thought, "Good Lord, how many ceremonies do two people need?" and then I went back reread and it made more sense.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling I would absolutely love the Kew Gardens, with or without the hive exhibit.
That tree...love it with all my heart.
The water lily shot is amazing.
Glad you guys went, glad you had a good time, and glad you got delicious food, too!
I adore Kew!
ReplyDeleteThe hive looks like a wire tornado from the outside. The water lily photo reminds me of a story from my childhood of Thumbelina, a tiny creature who lived on a water lily.
ReplyDeleteAlphie
Love this! Thank you. We went to Kew the day after we got married 35 years ago.
ReplyDeleteCould you hear the soundtrack to the Hive? It's gorgeous and such an interesting concept. This alone would be a reason for me to travel to London.
(https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/feb/08/bee-band-the-hive-kev-bales-martin-bencsik-wolfgang-buttress-nottingham-arts-theatre-be-one)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UevWXcSkiNg)