Henry Moore at Kew Gardens
Another warm day in London found us taking the shortish trip by Tube to Kew to see not only the magnificent botanical gardens but also the large collection of sculptures by Henry Moore dispersed throughout. Here are a few snaps I took on the way around. As you can see in the pictures, the gardens are looking a bit parched.
It’s more than 30 years since I was last at Kew Gardens, so I didn’t remember the way round very well. We ended up spending about four hours there, including a stop for tea at the Orangery which, I’m delighted to say, was served properly, in a pot, with nice cups and saucers and milk in a little jug. The last time I saw works by Henry Moore in an outdoor setting was back in 2011; see this post.
Though not many people have gardens as extensive as Kew, they are very helpful in assisting domestic gardeners with hints and suggestions of things to plant in different spaces: dry, damp, sunlit, shady, you name it.
Anyway, it was a really lovely day for all kinds of reasons. I know it’s corny but I was reminded of that song by Lou Reed:
just a perfect day
you make me forget myself
I thought I was someone else
someone good
After picking up his things from the hotel we went to Paddington where I saw my weekend companion onto the train for Heathrow. I’m a bit sad to be on my own again, but it won’t be long until the next time…and the next place.
In the Dark 
July 7, 2026 at 9:17 am
Grass is seriously tough stuff. What’s the red tree without leaves?
July 7, 2026 at 9:19 am
The bright red painted tree is a dead red oak that perished during the UK’s extreme 40°C heatwave in the summer of 2022…
July 7, 2026 at 9:32 am
Ah, it’s painted!
A few places in Britain did indeed reach 40C on July 19th in the 2-day heatwave that year, but the highest temperature – at RAF Coningsby – was obviously due to jet exhaust, as it was an upward notch at around the time that Tornado flights were logged. And the claims I remember that 2003 saw 100F for the first time are falsified by temperature data from RGO (Greenwich) for 9th August 1911.
The heatwave a fortnight ago was more uncomfortable than July 19th 2022 although cooler, because more humid.