Thursday 10 July 2014

Unexpected Kew

I am on the move so not visiting everyone's blogs as much as usual, and I can't sort out a problem with comments either -grr! But .I will do it on my return and meanwhile here's a post I drafted just before I left about a few unexpected aspects of those famous botanical gardens at Kew. 



Like  this goose with absolutely no sense of privacy has laid her eggs in the flower urns on the border of the great lake by the Palm House. About the busiest imaginable part of the Gardens, but perhaps she was inspired, in her little bird brain, by the sight of the egg like decoration all round the urn. They are about the size, shape and colour of her own eggs! You'll see the gardeners have put a barrier round her, with instructions to the public not to disturb her. But really she seemed perfectly unfazed.


There are usually special events and artistic things going on in Kew - I think they aim to make it worthwhile to spend the day there with the family.  I couldn't for the life of me work out why they had given this tree a wonderful crocheted coat (below), but this little fellow was most delighted with it.


And this little girl loved the wooden sheep and her baby lambs.


Now I do know what this (below) is for. It's about choosing how much funding to give various areas of medical research involving plants. It's a way of voting. You choose a strand of wool in the colour that corresponds with the area of health you think should be prioritised for research, and tie it on the vine tree.


It is highly unscientific, but does look pretty.  I think I voted for antibiotics research.

For as long as I can remember, the big building you can see in the background of that goose picture at the top, was called the Wood Museum. I could never figure it out (you will notice I am not very good at figuring out things at Kew).  It was always interesting in a Victorian sort of way, and reminded me of the Pitt Rivers museum in Oxford, in the days when Pitt Rivers was truly dusty and forgotten.

Now, the Wood Museum has become a museum of Kew Gardens' collection of the things you can make of plants, and contains all kinds of intriguing Victoriana. Some of the collection is pretty old, but new exhibits are always being added, and it's an important resource for researchers. I was captivated by a model made by Rakkal Chunder Pal in India in 1886, showing an indigo dye works in all its intricate, realistic detail, from the ox-carts carrying the indigo plants to the works. You see the men carrying them up to the racks to dry


After several other processes, these poor fellows have to stand in the indigo up to their waists and beat the mixture with their paddles.


It's a huge model, and really deserves a whole post, because it's large and indigo dye making is an intricate process ... but hopefully you will get there yourself one day and manage to see it all.


These are earrings, created from some little seeds called Job's Tears, and what seems to be some form of yarn. The accompanying notice said that the Royal School of Needlework was helping conserve many of their more fragile items, like this.  I was particularly intrigued by a 19th century Japanese vest made of mulberry paper, but unfortunately I couldn't get a good shot as the museum is quite dark.

I found these porcelain false teeth, set in india-rubber, most fascinating.  I wonder when dentists stopped calling themselves "surgeons."

The exhibition looks to be permanent, and so I hope to revisit next time I go to Kew and look at it all again - it repays close examination.  But it was getting near to closing time when I left, and I took a rather remote woodland path around the side of the gardens just to see the student show gardens.  And I met this blocking my way, standing in the middle of the path.


I've never met a peacock in a wood before.  It didn't exactly seem scared of me but after we looked at each other, it decided to make a detour through the long grass instead of continuing along the path.. 

What a wonderful thing to meet in a wood!

And of course in between seeing this stuff I also saw any number of amazing plants. That's what Kew is all about, and my next post will show some of the most picturesque and interesting.

43 comments:

  1. The goose and the peacocks are the stars!

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  2. Oh! These are stunning pictures! I am thinking you might enjoy reading Elizabeth Gilbert's "The Signature Of All Things." Gardens and biology and the importation of plants are all themes in it.
    And my heart- that peacock!

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  3. Many years ago, I visited Kew Gardens with a friend. I found it all very interesting and beautiful, even though we never met the peacock in the enchanged woodland.
    The indigo making model looks fantastic!

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  4. What a goose! Gardeners should plant some flowers before she wanted to do the nest there.I'd like to visit Kew some day, it's my dream Jenny!

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  5. I'm not familiar with Kew Gardens so this is all very interesting.

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  6. Your tree reminds me of a recent Kaffe Fasset exhibition at the America Museum in Bath - and they decorated a huge tree with coloured pom-poms - and it was wonderful. (Granddaughter unimpressed by exhibition, but would have spent hours going round and round that tree!)

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  7. The peacock is magnificent. What a lovely colour it is.

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  8. In our house in Phoenix we often had a Goose that laid her eggs in one of our flower pots. Vicious little madam she was too. Every time anyone walked past she'd try and attack them. In the end we just had to remove the pots.

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  9. Jenny, a truly wonderful outing - thank you! The goose! the goose just stole my heart. :)

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  10. I love the photos of Mother Goose in the urn and the beautiful blue peacock, but the red Job's Tears earrings are rather alarming. I couldn't imagine what the lower half of my body would look like, after standing in indigo all day!

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  11. An encounter with a peacock in iridescent blue--sounds like a title to me.

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  12. Fascinating post. I quite like what that goose has done. It's go tthe "in your face" attitude tattoed all the across its beak. :-)

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  13. Ha! Ha! The goose says, I'm too busy showing off to move, so go ahead capture as many cute photos as you like! How fun. Thanks for being able to share such exciting photos too.

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  14. I would imagine the rubber base for the false teeth would be more comfortable to wear. Loved Mr. Peacock in the woods! And the daring mama goose. Felt very sorry for the indigo dye fellows. Always interesting posts, lady! ;)

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  15. Meeting a peacock as you walk through the wood ~ now there is inspiration for a children's story if ever there was one Jenny. Kew is on my list.

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  16. That is a fascinating place! The edges of the planter do look similar to goose eggs, and in the US, dentists are still called D.D.S., Doctor of Dental Surgery.

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  17. Wow, I can't believe you got up so close to that goose without her trying to chase her away! We have lots of geese on campus and they usually hiss at everyone as they walk by.

    That peacock is beautiful!

    Those earrings are interesting - I would not have guessed that's what they were if I hadn't read about it.

    You know, sometimes blogger annoys me when trying to make comments too! Like I'll add a comment and try to publish it. The page refreshes, but my comment is gone. Or it'll make me sign back in again, even though I am already signed in!!!

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  18. How wonderful to see these lovely photos of Kew in all its wonderful diversity. I love the goose and also the fact that people have been asked to leave her alone…Beautiful! These small demonstrations of care, compassion and even just a bit of humour keep my faith in human nature.

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  19. I always wanted to visit Kew Gardens but the opportunity never arose.

    My dentist's plaque on the door states that he is a Dental Surgeon so perhaps the title is still in existence.

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  20. Everything in this post, the birds, the covered trees, the Wood Museum, are so interesting, Jenny. I can see why you stayed there till almost closing time.

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  21. Surprised to see all those amazing pictures taken at Kew! If you waited a little, perhaps the peacock open his tail and exhibit its colors....

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  22. Thank you for such a delightful post. How lovely to meet a peacock in the woods - surely the start of a great story here?

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  23. I have no idea how it is that you keep making me feel that I should re-visit London one day. I can ignore the interesting things that are there when they are not in front of me but when you show them I somehow want to see them again. Have dentists stopped calling themselves Dental Surgeons? I should know shouldn't I: my New Zealand Family has a dental practice!

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  24. What an interesting trip to Kew. I guess the wooden ewe and her lambs from Kew find shelter in the Wooden Museum each night; I would, wouldn't you?

    Enough of this nonsense, Lee!

    Peacocks are stunning birds. Years ago when living up at the Sunshine Coast, I woke up one morning to find a number of them wandering around our garden. I thought I'd perhaps imbibed too much the previous night, but when I called to my then husband to come and have a look...he witnessed what I was seeing, also. Apparently, people down in the valley below our house owned them and the birds decided to go on a morning stroll. There's a pub not far from where I live here, and they have peacocks roaming around their grounds.

    Very interesting post, Jenny. Thank you. :)

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  25. The goose made me smile... We have a lot of lakes here and one of the lakes has many swans. One year, a swan decided to build its nest right on the curb of the (busy) road that circles the lake. Mind you, there is about a 5-meter strip of grassy area, with trees, tall grasses, shrubs, and other vegetation between the shore of the lake and the road, but this swan just had to have its nest right next to the road!

    How cool to walk into a peacock! Around here, chances are you might walk into an alligator. All the official advice says to "turn around" if that should happen. Like...who wouldn't?

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  26. Wonderful photos. Your blog was mentioned by Teresa Ashby on A Likely Story and I can see why.

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  27. I love the story about the goose, I hope all goes well for her and the babies.

    cheers, parsnip

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  28. You do have a knack for finding the most unusual sights. Thank you so much for this tour of Kew Gardens - loved it!

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  29. That is quite a variety of amazing sights! I like the goose with her classy nest. She must know that real estate with a view of water is always more valuable.

    The false teeth are very realistic.

    The peacock is gorgeous!

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  30. I havem't been to Kew for years...but you've put it on my 'to do' list when next in London: loved the goose....as you say, totally unfazed...

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  31. A great day out! I canny remember the pond! I must have walked about there with eye shut.
    The museum bit is interesting and meeting a pheasant makes the day. I hope the goose has done well.

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  32. Hi Jenny,

    Know all about being on the move, my good friend. I'm taking a few moments out of my own upheaval to go on a virtual tour via your marvellous photos. Kew on view. We shall form an orderly Kew and hope the comment section is working.

    Thank you for this, Jenny.

    Gary

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  33. The crocheted tree coat just cracks me up. WHY?? Because it a great reason, you know.

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  34. The goose with her eggs is so interesting. Makes you wonder what she was thinking doesn't it? The museum looks interesting. I've heard about the indigo dye process but would have enjoyed seeing the complete model of the process.

    Darla

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  35. It definitely looks like I need to pay another visit to Kew! I love the dippy goose and I really liked all the yarn-bombed trees!

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  36. This is another interesting post, Jenny, with nice array of unexpected aspect. How fortunate you are to have encountered such a beautiful peacock! His train is so gorgeous and eye-shaped spots on the blue color are impressive. Thanks for sharing. Enjoy your summer.

    Yoko

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  37. Well I'm glad I "kewed" up for this visit! I remember being utterly exhausted when I visited Kew Gardens as an 11 year old with my grandmother. First time I knew what it meant to have sore feet. This exploration was much more relaxing. And what a delightful way to begin and end it all...with a silly goose to greet us and a prancing peacock to bid us adieu. Great fun, as always, touring about with you.

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  38. Jenny, I've never been to Kew and I'm so eager to go now that I've seen this post. They should pay you! Looks fascinating. (And I love the goose. She's very brave!). It all looks like my cup of tea -- fun, interesting, and a grand day out.

    Sending good wishes for the summer your way!

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  39. I always enjoy your miscellany. That peacock is a beauty.

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  40. Maybe the goose chose that spot for its view?

    I love the sort of museum that is filled with quirky items.

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  41. The goose picked a good spot there! Hehehe

    Where are you off to? Have fun. Safe travel!

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  42. I haven't been to Kew Gardens for a very long time -we used to go every weekend, but my daughters then had enough of it (that, and the baker changed). Your post made me want to go back!

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