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Press Release
Christmas shopping in magical surroundings at Kew
For release: 2 November 2001
Kew Gardens shops offer an unrivalled range of beautiful and affordable gift ideas for garden and plant enthusiasts this Christmas.
The Victoria Gate shop and the Market at White Peaks are packed with inventive and high quality gifts, many with a gardening theme, this Christmas. Late-night openings with free entry every Thursday and Friday (from 29 November to 21 December) means those weary of the West End crush can do all their Christmas shopping in the stunning environment of the world’s most famous garden. Thousands of lights transform the gardens into a glittering landscape where live music from a brass quintet and roving piper adds to the atmospheric setting. With seasonal food, free trips on Kew’s Explorer people carrier, plus hundreds of affordable and stylish gift ideas, Kew offers the perfect respite from Christmas high-street hassle.
Kew’s own stunning jewellery ranges include silver-plated Palm House brooch pins at £24.99 and Kew cufflinks featuring the famous Pagoda at £27.50. An exclusive range of orchid jewellery, created especially to celebrate Kew’s annual orchid festival, beautifully portrays the Phalaenopsis orchid with items starting at £29.99.
Among the new ranges of exclusive Kew designs is the delicate Leaf Satin Collection of photo frames at £10.95, a selection of journals from £7.50 and photo albums at 23.00, all available in a range of colours. The new Rose Cotton collection of books and stationary includes a bound visitor’s book and address book both at £15.95.
More gifts for the practical gardener are galvanised watering cans at just £11.99 and handcrafted garden gift sets containing a trowel, fork, gloves and string at £18.50. Other affordable items include Leperello cards, notebooks and scented candles depicting orchids and architecture at Kew.
Children are in for a treat this Christmas with a brand new range of gifts inspired by Kew’s theme ‘All life depends on plants’. The fun accessories depict cartoon characters of bugs, beetles, frogs and hedgehogs and include a rucksack at £4.95, boxed coloured pencil and rubber set at £5.95, T- shirt at £11.95 and quality waterproof lined jacket and bag at £24.95.
Winter is an excellent time for gardeners to draw inspiration from the printed page. Kew’s wide range of gardening books cover every horticultural subject, from organic gardening, medicinal and herbal plants, Feng Shui, landscaping, decoration and inspirational planting schemes to perennials, pests, ponds and propagation. There’s also a great range of books for children including practical fun on how to grow flowers to fantasy stories about Flower Fairies and Christmas folklore.
Mouth-watering food gift ideas include preserves, jams and marmalade; cherries in brandy, pears in syrup and lemon curd; and Kew milk and dark chocolate. Inspired by the origins of festive food from plants from all over the world, there’s a great range of organic cookery books, featuring mushrooms, lemons, spices, herbs, chocolate, coffee and whisky. A new range of housewares including tablemats, coasters and trays in leaf and script design add to the spirit of entertaining this season.
Artists have long been inspired by wonderful plants, and Kew’s shops feature a range of beautiful botanical drawings and prints of luscious blooms, fine drawings and stunning photographs from Kews archives at £15 for a mounted print and £45 framed.
For those looking for something extra special, a stunning range of Bilston and Battersea enamelled boxes are available from £57.00 to £92.00 portraying tulips, lilies and azaleas in gorgeous designs.
Kew Gardens is just 25 minutes from Charing Cross by District line tube and 20 minutes by overland train from Waterloo. Free parking is available. Kew’s Victoria Gate Shop, and new retail outlet White Peaks are open from 10.00am to 3.30pm, seven days a week. Special Christmas late night opening with FREE ENTRY to the Gardens, is on Thursdays and Fridays, 5.30pm to 8.30pm, from 29 November to 21 December (entrance via Victoria Gate only).
Admission is £6.50 for adults. Children of 16 and under are admitted free. The gardens close at 4.15pm during December and January, with last admission at 3.45pm. Kew’s information line is 020 8332 5655 and the website is: www.kew.org
For further information and photographs, contact Claire Hyde or Hannah Rogers in the Press Office at Kew Gardens, on 020 8332 5607 or 020 8332 5619. Email: pr@kew.org
For further Press information please contact:
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Kew: Public Relations Tel: +44 (0)20 8332 5607/5619 |
Wakehurst Place: Public Relations Tel: +44 (0)1444 894018 |