Take a Walk on the Wild Side

It was a lovely walk on Sunday, through trees, fully green at last, grassy areas filled with wild flowers. The martagon lilies were particularly lovely & the rosebay willow herb was just beginning to burst into that mass of blowsy pink fluffiness. The birds were singing & the weather was almost nice. There was even a thoughtfully placed seat to pause & enjoy the sights & sounds.

This rural idyll was slightly marred by the frequency of planes passing overhead & the raucous sound of green parakeets….

…because we were in Kew Gardens directly under the Heathrow flight path.

This wild area of Kew is the Queen’s Cottage grounds, in the NW corner of the gardens. Apparently it was once a game preserve & pleasure garden, presented to Kew in 1898 by Queen Victoria on the understanding that it would remain as a natural site. Over time non-native trees are being removed & replaced & the focus is on habitat creation & bio-diversity. At some time in the future there will be a nature trail but at the moment it is just lovely to be able to wander through what could be rural countryside so close to central London.