Summer is here - Well the summer issue is anyway...
By: Christina Harrison - 18/05/2010
The summer issue of Kew magazine is now on sale - just as the weather seems to be cheering up!
- 8 likes
- 0 comments
At the end of April I was lucky enough to go along to the opening of the South Africa Landscape at the British Museum. The weather wasn’t quite South African but there was plenty of colour, singing and fantastic plants to lift our spirits.
The impressive Mountain aloe (Aloe marlothii) in the South Africa Landscape at the British Museum
The newly planted Landscape looked superb in the evening light – full of bizarre, architectural species such as quiver trees, pachypodiums and cacti-like euphorbias, all surrounded by vibrant daisies. The Landscape has brought a piece of a revered biodiversity hotspot to the centre of London and is well worth a visit - especially now the weather is improving. Check out the plants in the design here and see photos of the build at Kew on Flickr.
The Landscape is a result of the ongoing collaboration between the British Museum and Kew and is the third successful showpiece to have been built on the West Lawn in recent years. We’ll be revealing just how it was put together in our autumn issue – so watch this space.
There is a real South African theme at Kew this year as well. The summer issue of Kew magazine (out this week) reveals the background to the design and planting of Kew’s Palm House Parterre, which will be in place from early June. David Shipp – a Kew horticulturist and the brains behind it all - travelled to Namaqualand (a botanical paradise north of Cape Town), to see the natural spectacle of a desert brought to life by winter rains – a flourish of orange, purple, lilac, red and white flowers (to mention but a few).
In the midst of raising 20,000 plants for the Parterre display, David talks us through his trip and how he got the ideas for his design this year. Find out more about the Parterre and the plant list here.
Spring flowers in Namaqualand
Our main theme for the summer issue is biodiversity of course and we have plenty for you to enjoy – from exploring how we conserve biodiversity on site at Kew and Wakehurst Place to spotting pollinators in the Gardens, as well as how Wakehurst is helping in a study on honeybees. There are a few tips for attracting bees and pollinators to your garden too. Check out the full contents here.
Our news pages include coverage of the UK Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo – known as the Seed Cathedral. Designed by one of the UK’s most talented designers, Thomas Heatherwick, the Pavilion is both innovative design at its very best and a great way of showing the world the wonders of seeds and the work of Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank. There’ll be plenty more on this in our autumn issue as the Expo reaches its high point in September. Speaking of which, I’d better get commissioning.
Get your copy of Kew magazine at the Kew shops, or subscribe online now!
Do you have any comments on Kew magazine? Have you been to the Shanghai Expo? Why not let us know…
- Christina -
Tags: beautiful | creative | inspiring | innovative
- Print friendly
- Send to a friend
-
Send to a friend Close
- Spread the word
-
Spread the word Close
- Blog this
- Like this
- Close Thanks for liking this page. Tell us why by adding a comment at the bottom.
- Donate
About Christina
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.”
- 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
- english garden
- innovative
- around the world
- adventurous
- successful
- irreplaceable
- ground breaking
- amazing
- beautiful
- creative
- imaginative
- inspiring
- exotic
- for kids
- fun
- popular
- interesting
- english heritage
- historical
- romantic
- ancient
- rare
- active
- landscapes
- discovered
- old
- unusual
- high
- challenging
- donate
- for friends
- gifts that help
- the UK
- treasures
- at risk
- endangered
- fragile
- sustainable
- useful
- brand new
- special interest
- powerful
- high up
- ornamental
- pretty
- Kew at home
- wet
- extraordinary
- hot
- wild
- rare
- flowering
Follow Kew
Keep up to date with events and news from Kew
No comments on 'Summer is here - Well the summer issue is anyway...'