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30 September 2026
A day at KEW
Glasshouses, sculpture and a fond farewell
By Joan Hersey & Hidge Machtus
It is not often that a delay on the M25 earns our gratitude, but on our visit to
Kew Gardens it gave the rain time to stop before we arrived. Excellent timing, Mark of Premiere Coaches! If only every traffic hold-up came with such a useful service.
With so much to explore, a single day at Kew was never going to be enough, although we certainly gave it a good try. Magnificent glasshouses, gardens, sculptures and the Great Pagoda offered plenty of reasons to keep wandering, and plenty of reasons to return.
The Palm House was already being prepared for its planned renovation, with some plants moved to temporary accommodation. Relocating a collection of tropical plants is quite a task, especially when some have long since outgrown anything resembling a manageable flowerpot.
By comparison, the restored Temperate House looked particularly grand. Henry Moore's sculptures added another dimension to the visit, their substantial forms sitting among the plants and landscapes. His exhibition, Monumental Nature, brings sculpture into settings where changing light and weather become part of the experience.
Of course, there were things left unseen. The Princess of Wales Conservatory received glowing
reports from those who visited, while The Hive looked intriguing enough to deserve a visit of its own. The list for next time was growing nicely.
This outing also marked a special farewell. Hidge, who organised the visit, is stepping down from the Trips team to make more time for her other commitments. Her beloved Kew was a fitting final outing, and we send her our warm thanks for all she has contributed. She will be greatly missed.
A Family Connection
Hidge shares why Kew holds a special place in her heart
My grandfather was the eldest of four children. When his father, a dentist in Chelsea, died following a fall from a penny-farthing bicycle, Grandad had to leave school in his early teens and find work to help support the family.
He became a gardener and, during the 1920S and 1930s, was Head Gardener of a small estate in Kent. As war approached, his employer died without heirs, while a number of Kew's staff were joining up. Grandad applied for work at Kew and was appointed temporary head of the Temperate House.
Every time I visit, it gives me great pleasure to imagine him walking around that huge
Victorian glasshouse.
His great passion was developing new cultivars of fuchsia. One he helped to create was named after my mother, Phyllis. It still flourishes in the gardens of his descendants, although, sadly, there isn't one in the Temperate House!
Every time I visit, it gives me great pleasure to imagine him walking around that huge Victorian glasshouse.
Hidge
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