Kew Botanical Gardens is leaping into 2008 with the biggest display of spring flowers in the country. Over 5 million flowering bulbs will melt away the winter and carpet the beautiful open spaces of Kew with a riot of colour. Two million blue, white and mauve crocuses (Crocus vernus) will greet visitors as they enter the grand Victoria Gate entrance of the Gardens.
This luxurious sea of colour stretches beyond the Temple of Bellona and towards King William's Temple from early March – it is one of Kew's most spectacular displays of the year. Visitors will also be able to stroll down the length of the Broad Walk bathed in the glorious sunny glow of daffodils. The Broad Walk is one of the key features of Kew's Victorian landscape and provides a wonderful amble on a sunny spring day. Later in the season thousands of deep blue, starry flowered Chionodoxa siehei carpet the area surrounding White Peaks. These delicate alpine plants are known as Glory of the Snow in western Turkey as they emerge from the melting snow of the mountains.
Never miss the beautiful displays…
The best thing about spring at Kew is that visitors can time their trip to perfection by keeping an eye on our Bulb Watch map at www.kew.org/bulbwatch . This map is regularly updated by garden staff working in the Gardens so you can be sure never to miss one of the stunning displays! There will be a bulb-themed scratch card trail throughout the festival and a hyacinth display will add yet another dimension to the multiple climatic zones of the Princess of Wales Conservatory.
Fun for all the family…
There are activities for the whole family this spring and the popular Animal Farm will be filling the school holidays with fun; children will be able to stroke, groom and feed animals on the Farm from the 1 – 20 April. Easter weekend this year is going to be a treat for young explorers, with our annual FREE Easter Chocolate Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday - 23 March – and our friendly giant bunnies returning to hop around Kew from 21 - 24 March! There will also be spring themed craft activities and interactive games in our botanical playzone, Climbers and Creepers from the 21 – 24 March and then the 5th until 20th April.
Last chance to see Moore…
Spring will also be the last chance to see the Henry Moore at Kew exhibition, which closes on the 30 March. Supported by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and co-curated by The Henry Moore Foundation, this is the first exhibition of its kind to be held in London and has twenty-eight large-scale sculptures to admire. Drifts of flowers will provide the perfect backdrop to these beautiful sculptures as the season moves from winter through to spring. This powerful exhibition highlights the inspiration that Moore took from nature and his enjoyment of seeing his works in a landscape setting. -- www.rbgkew.org.uk
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