A Year at Kew

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

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Entertaining and absorbing account - Rated
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.