- Hardcover: 192 pages
- Publisher: BBC Books (6 May 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0563521082
- ISBN-13: 978-0563521082
- Product Dimensions: 24.6 x 20 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
431,753 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #82 in Books > Home & Garden > Gardening > Encyclopedias > Royal Horticultural Society
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More About the Author
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk
Reading Rupert Smith’s A Year at Kew is almost as good as visiting England’s most famous botanical gardens – and certainly as good as watching the accompanying TV series. With some impressive colour plates to buttress his text, Smith presents the reader with a fascinating month-by-month journey through the beauty of the gardens, with a host of ancillary information about the people who keep this great British institution in business (and it’s no easy task, as just a chapter or two of the book makes abundantly clear).
Kew’s Royal Botanical Gardens have been voted the country’s favourite gardens (admittedly, hardly a surprise), and have been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, ranking them with the Taj Mahal and the Pyramids. The million or so visitors who visit this haven of natural beauty would certainly agree with such recognition, but - as Smith informs us - a veritable army is necessary to keep things green. This dedicated group consists of scientists, landscape architects and, of course, hosts of gardeners and botanists who maintain the non-pareil collection of plants, trees and flowers that delight the eye of the visitor. Smith describes the monthly highlights at Kew and the Wakehurst Place country estate (noting, for instance, the famous orchid festival in February), while the often-neglected splendours of an autumnal Kew are equally celebrated.
In some ways, it's the intriguing behind-the scenes insights that makes A Year at Kew so diverting; a visit to Kew will never be the same after reading Smith’s splendid tribute. --Barry Forshaw
Product Description
Following the success of the hardback, this paperback edition of A Year At Kew is published to coincide with a new 12-part series which returns to follow another year in the life of Kew Garden. The first series attracted average audiences of over 3 million viewers and the hardback book sold over 40,000 copies. Kew Garden has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, ranking it alongside Stonehenge, the Pyramids and the Taj Mahal. It receives over a million visitors a year and has been voted the UK s favourite garden. Beautifully illustrated and with extensive behind-the-scenes access, A Year At Kew captures the passion and commitment that goes into the garden and offers a unique look at this much-loved institution. Featuring a foreword by Alan Titchmarsh, himself a former student at Kew.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is an entertaining and absorbing book, a perfect read for cold nights snuggled up in an armchair or lying abed with the duvet pulled up to your chin. It offers a description of some of the work which takes place at Kew Gardens - from an insight into how decisions are made to more practical issues like the planting of specimens. Kew has a world reputation for its role in preserving plant life and its advocacy for the planet, and it is fitting that as many people as possible should hear the message and get to know about the vital work that goes on there.
So, all praise to the BBC for putting together a series about Kew. Inevitably, the book of the series also comes along. While I've criticised some of the BBC book choices as merely being exploitative marketing, there is a gentle legitimacy to this volume. "A Year at Kew" is a charming publication, well written, well illustrated. It is an absorbing read to get you thinking about the coming year in your own garden, or the coming year's opportunities to get out and visit local botanical gardens or explore your native flora and fauna. The text looks at the work of Kew, making it come alive, taking a natural perspective - how do the staff at Kew encourage plants to grow, find new species, organise and arrange the displays, etc. The photos are delightfully presented - they are low key, tranquil ... there's nothing garish about the illustrations. This is not a book which shouts. It's a book which whispers. Definitely to be commended if you are a fan of the TV series, have visited (or plan to visit) Kew, or are interested in the natural world.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
The actual Kew gardens is gorgeous!
2 Jun 2012
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Don't go to the actual Kew gardens during the weekend, it is FULL of screaming children. Aside from that, it was gorgeous and I loved hearing my tour guides. It is a very large place so bring walking shoes and some time. The book is an excellent supplement to the experience, as it lets you see the entire 12 months of Kew. It was given 4 stars because I didn't enjoy my experience as much as I wanted to. They'd make a killing with an open bar, lol, tolerating all those kids.
A great way to really learn about Kew
5 Jun 2010
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Kew is one of the great gardens of the world and there is no better way to learn about it than to read what each of twelve of the "curators" of its natural treasures has to say about the portion of the garden for which they are responsible.
The book is organized so that during each month one of the experts who create and maintain the various portions of the garden discusses their area of responsibility, the work they do and their own career at Kew. Obviously each season of the year involves different tasks and while we look for Kew's famous blue bells in May and rhodys in June and July, the curators are just as busy in October, planting for the coming year and organizing the pumpkin festival.
The experts focused on the Kew's unmatched array of trees, its arboretum, talks about maintaining its many ancient trees as well as planting its newest additions, preparing for the next generation's enjoyment. Caring for aquatic plants inside the garden's glasshouses requires an entirely diffent expertise. Many of the men and women actually running the garden have fascinating jobs; they all seem to love what they do and we get to learn about it in their own words.
Experts go abroad to gather seeds from the furthest reaches of China, of example. The seed project at Kew is helping to maintain biodiversity and having native gathered plants -- seeds actually taken from the wild -- is essential to this critical work. In the U.S. we count of the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley, the New York Botanical Garden and the Huntington in Pasadena for this vital role; but the world counts on Kew, which has been doing this for well over 200 years, stretching back to when the garden belonged to the royal court.
The structures shown include the home of George III, featured in the film, "The Madness of King George", and the book has a good description of the challenges current garden workers face in maintaining all of the garden's features. Economy suggests that the garden recycle all of its cuttings for example, so a large composting site is now essential to maintaining Kew's ecosystem. We learn about he critical role of beatles and other natural creatures in the garden and read about their cultivation and uses.
There are plenty of photographs and each month features one of the great ancient trees of the garden, some three centuries old and all wonderful to see. This is an excellent way to learn about Kew and would make a wonderful gift for anyone interested in gardening.
The book is organized so that during each month one of the experts who create and maintain the various portions of the garden discusses their area of responsibility, the work they do and their own career at Kew. Obviously each season of the year involves different tasks and while we look for Kew's famous blue bells in May and rhodys in June and July, the curators are just as busy in October, planting for the coming year and organizing the pumpkin festival.
The experts focused on the Kew's unmatched array of trees, its arboretum, talks about maintaining its many ancient trees as well as planting its newest additions, preparing for the next generation's enjoyment. Caring for aquatic plants inside the garden's glasshouses requires an entirely diffent expertise. Many of the men and women actually running the garden have fascinating jobs; they all seem to love what they do and we get to learn about it in their own words.
Experts go abroad to gather seeds from the furthest reaches of China, of example. The seed project at Kew is helping to maintain biodiversity and having native gathered plants -- seeds actually taken from the wild -- is essential to this critical work. In the U.S. we count of the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley, the New York Botanical Garden and the Huntington in Pasadena for this vital role; but the world counts on Kew, which has been doing this for well over 200 years, stretching back to when the garden belonged to the royal court.
The structures shown include the home of George III, featured in the film, "The Madness of King George", and the book has a good description of the challenges current garden workers face in maintaining all of the garden's features. Economy suggests that the garden recycle all of its cuttings for example, so a large composting site is now essential to maintaining Kew's ecosystem. We learn about he critical role of beatles and other natural creatures in the garden and read about their cultivation and uses.
There are plenty of photographs and each month features one of the great ancient trees of the garden, some three centuries old and all wonderful to see. This is an excellent way to learn about Kew and would make a wonderful gift for anyone interested in gardening.
Excellent book - highly recommended
24 Feb 2006
Format:Hardcover
I enjoyed this book - it reminded me of my trip to Kew gardens a few years ago.
It is amazing to read about the changes as the year goes by, and all the activities behind the scenes
Highly recommended!!
It is amazing to read about the changes as the year goes by, and all the activities behind the scenes
Highly recommended!!
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