Plant themes. As a center for discovery and understanding, Kew has plants organized in scientifically-defined relationships. The Order beds (the aerial photograph at left is from a plaque at the site) shows the layout of beds containing plants from different families. There is a separate section for the grass family (below left) and a separate house for the alpines. Alpine plants are fascinating ecologically and tremendously popular in gardening. When one sees the variety of form and color, one can understand why.
The major areas
of Kew are well-labeled with descriptions of the various sites and some
of their history. In addition, and most remarkably, every single plant
is labeled. The Image at left shows a plaque describing the contents of
each plant label. The simple (but very nontrivial) fact that each plant
is labeled makes the visit to Kew completely different from that of another
garden. While many gardens have labels on their plants, at Kew, the issue
is vital because the primary purpose of the plant is for learning and
not for show. The first step in learning about a plant is to know its
name.
On to Garden
Themes
Royal Botanic Gardens
at Kew: Plant Themes