RSS Feed for the blog

A summer of new experiences

By: Christina Harrison - 17/05/2012


There will be plenty of new experiences to be had at Kew this summer - from appreciating intriguing sculptures to discovering lost Georgian kitchens. You can find out much more about them all in Kew magazine.

  •  
  • Close Thanks for liking this page. Tell us why by adding a comment at the bottom.

This year has so far proved to be a year for talking about restoration. Not long ago we described the fundraising campaign for the restoration of the Temperate House, and Kew’s new restoration ecology programme (winter issue 2011) but since then we’ve been preparing features for Kew magazine on the restoration of the Georgian kitchens at Kew by Historic Royal Palaces, the restoration of Westwood Lake at Wakehurst, as well as the work by Kew botanists and Kew’s GIS team in helping to restore an expanse of Sumatran rainforest. All very different projects, and all extremely interesting. 

Photo: Kew's Georgian Kitchens

The Kew Palace Georgian kitchens have been virtually untouched since the mid 1800s 

Going behind the scenes

In the summer issue of Kew magazine (out 30 May) we go behind the scenes with these last three projects to reveal how they were achieved and why they are all so important – be it to our heritage, protecting water resources or protecting native species and habitats. The Georgian royal kitchens, next to Kew Palace, have a fascinating tale of discovery, conservation and presentation to tell. I was lucky enough to head to the kitchens for a tour on Tuesday and experience them come to life again as several fully costumed chefs cooked a variety of delicious Georgian dishes and filled the air with enticing smells, as well as creating stunning frosted fruit centrepieces. Be sure to come along and discover the royal kitchens and Kew’s history this summer. You can find out much more online and even watch Georgian cooking lessons on Youtube. 

Photo: Kew's Georgian Kitchens

The Georgian kitchens have just been restored and are being brought back to life 

Kew's new exhibition

Alongside these fascinating stories, which have required some pretty last minute photoshoots, we have been following the progress of the installation of the David Nash exhibition – David Nash at Kew: A Natural Gallery. Award-winning writer Ambra Edwards met up with David Nash to find out more about his background, his philosophy, his plans at Kew and the new work he’s creating in his Wood Quarry (or outdoor studio). We hope you’ll enjoy the article and the exhibition – it will be changing over the course of Nash’s year at Kew so will be well worth a few visits through the seasons. Our What’s On pages in the magazine list all the events, talks, tours and courses organised around the exhibition so be sure to check them out when you get your copy. 

Photo of 'Overlap' by David Nash

Overlap by David Nash - one of many sculptures now in the Temperate House 

Kew magazine is out on 30 May - you can get your copy from the Kew shops (for the special price of £3.95), by subscription or for free when you become a Friend of Kew.

 ...and finally

We had a great response to the new design of Kew magazine, so thank you all for your kind messages, encouragement and constructive comments. We aim to keep bringing you the best stories from Kew and Wakehurst to help you get the most from supporting Kew.

- Christina -
 

 

Related Links

No comments on 'A summer of new experiences'

About Christina

Kew publishing award accepted by Christina Harrison

Christina accepts a Kew Publishing award at the Garden Media Guild awards in 2012. 

Christina joined Kew in 1999 after finishing a BSc. degree in Plant Ecology and an Advanced National Certificate in Horticulture. After initially working as a horticulturist in Kew’s Arboretum and the Hardy Display section (on the Grass Garden) she went on to become Festivals Interpretation Officer between 2002-2008, helping Kew’s onsite visitors understand what makes Kew tick. In the meantime she completed an MA in Garden History, a subject that continues to be one of her passions.

Christina was short-listed for a Garden Writers Guild award in 2007 for one of her articles in Kew magazine, and is the author of Kew’s Big Trees, published in 2008. She became editor of Kew magazine in September 2008. “I see Kew magazine as a window on the world of Kew,” she says. “I hope between its pages the many facets of Kew’s work and the people who make it happen are revealed for all to see and encourage readers to continue to support Kew.”

Get your copy of Kew magazine

  • If you would like to publish material from this blog in a separate publication, please get in touch with Kew’s Press Office at pr@kew.org. See our full Terms & Conditions here.

Related Tags

  1. english garden
  2. innovative
  3. around the world
  4. adventurous
  5. successful
  6. irreplaceable
  7. ground breaking
  8. amazing
  9. beautiful
  10. creative
  11. imaginative
  12. inspiring
  13. exotic
  14. for kids
  15. fun
  16. popular
  17. interesting
  18. english heritage
  19. historical
  20. romantic
  21. ancient
  22. rare
  23. active
  24. landscapes
  25. discovered
  26. old
  27. unusual
  28. high
  29. challenging
  30. donate
  31. for friends
  32. gifts that help
  33. the UK
  34. treasures
  35. at risk
  36. endangered
  37. fragile
  38. sustainable
  39. useful
  40. brand new
  41. special interest
  42. powerful
  43. high up
  44. ornamental
  45. pretty
  46. Kew at home
  47. wet
  48. extraordinary
  49. hot
  50. wild
  51. rare
  52. flowering

Follow Kew

Keep up to date with events and news from Kew

Archive for Kew magazine blog

View this blog

Follow Kew on twitter

Sourced from @KewGardens
See your favourite reasons to visit