My 2015 England Adventure at the Spice Festival at Kew Gardens!

A Sunday Market on the Walk to Kew!

The Produce and Fruit Look Great!

A New Restaurant to Have Afternoon Tea?

Had to Have My Morning Scone and Cuppa!

King William's Temple

A Celebration of Saffron!

Information on Pepper and

Ginger And

Vanilla Among Others!

Giving The Scoville Units Scale Life!

Presentations and Food Tastings All Day Long!

Keik Serving Lunch!

Love the Gate of the Student Vegetable Plots!

Part of the Plant Family Beds!

Waterfall in the Rock Garden!

It Was Definitely a Two Scone and Cuppa Day at Kew!

A Beautiful Display of Containers at Kew!

I always try to come up with extras during the time I am on vacation in England.  Doesn't necessarily have to be gardening inspired, but I did find that Kew Gardens were having Spice Festivals on Sundays in October.  I had been to Kew on my last visit and I wasn't planning on going back this visit, but I thought it would be a fun day!  Soo I bought a ticket online and took the Tube to Kew.  When you come out of the Tube station there is a lovely group of shops and restaurants to greet you.  On this particular Sunday and maybe it is every Sunday for the neighborhood, there was a market.  The markets bring the neighborhoods together no matter where in the world you are.

So on to the Spice Festival at Kew.  There were lots of vignettes all over the grounds and so you saw a lot of the gardens and learned about different spices.

My favorite part was finding out whether I was a supertaster or not.  Just by putting a piece of special paper on your tongue, you could find out if you were a supertaster, a taster or a non-taster.  Because my paper just tasted like paper, I am a non-taster.  So I wondered with my GERD, and if I can't have chili or spicy food, what spice should I be eating and the speaker's response was ginger and horseradish!  Both of which I can tolerate!  And after this visit to Kew, I think I will always go to Kew on my England vacations because there is just so much to see and enjoy.  I also want to have a cream tea at the Kew Greenhouse.  Always up for scones and tea! 

We finally have bright sunshine and warm temperatures in the herb garden today!  Even warmer tomorrow!  Hope you are having a great day wherever you may be!  Talk to you tomorrow!

The First Day of a Green Winter?

'Blue Boa' Agastache is Doing Well!

A Calendula Blossom Frozen in Time!

This Agastache I Usually Kill!

Pineapple Mint is Still Going Strong!

Got to Move This Golden Feverfew!  Next Year!

This Gray Herb Container Has Done Well!  Even the Curry Plant is Alive!

Looks Like Spring Not Winter!

Well, I was outside poking around the herb garden this morning and was surprised by what I found!  A majority of plants are still green!  If this warmer weather would continue, I am sure that we would start seeing new buds and leaves growing again.  It is going to be in the 60's close to 70 on Christmas Eve!  So do you have snow cover in your herb garden yet?  It is an insulator for those very cold temperatures we are maybe going to get.  It may be an interesting year where I can get one lemon verbena to come back in the herb garden!  Fingers crossed!

Thought you should see what's going on the herb garden.  I'll get back to finishing my England trip tomorrow.  Hope you are having a great day!  Can't believe Christmas is at the end of the week!  I'll talk to you tomorrow. 

My 2015 England Adventure on Kensington Roof Gardens, The Muffin Man and Kensington Palace!

The Plaque Dedicated to the Landscape Architect!

The Entrance Wall

Reminds Me of Our House!

A Bridge on a Roof!

Part of the Woodland Garden

Mandarin and Carolina Wood Ducks Live Here!

And Four Flamingos!

The Spanish Garden is My Favorite!

Inspired by the Alhambra in Spain

Always Forget to Plant this Annual Verbena bonariensis

The Yucca Was in Bloom!

As Was the Nasturtiums!

All This On Top of a Building in London!

Derrick and Lucy from Liverpool!

The View from the Babylon Restaurant!

Tea at the Muffin Man

Kensington Palace

The Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace

The Orangery at Kensington Palace

A Tribute to Queen Victoria

So I don't always get to see the Kensington Roof Gardens when I visit London.  I was very happy to have Sir Richard Branson and his Virgin Limited Edition group buy the gardens in 1981.  It is not as easy to see the gardens because of corporate events, charity functions and weddings.  So I try to leave a couple of days blank for shopping and to fit this wonderful garden into my adventures.  Fortunately there is a website and they let you know week to week when they are open.  It is always a good idea to call too because there may be a last minute change.

So off I went to Kensington High Street (Main Street) and surprisingly I remembered that the entrance is on Derry Street.  Because it is a building that has other tenants, you have to check in with the security desk.  Once you get in the elevator and come out to the entrance, you forget you are in the middle of London.  There are three distinct garden settings, Spanish, a Woodland garden and a Tudor garden that is more of three patios.  I was by myself for a bit of time and then a family came along and interrupted my solitude, but I am glad they did.  You see the photo of Derrick (sorry if I'm spelling your name incorrectly) and his wife, Lucy were there to celebrate Derrick's birthday with their family.  They came to the gardens and then they were going to see the Lion King!  A lovely couple that reminded me of our friends, Jim and LaVerne!  It was a joy to have them interrupt the peace with their joy!  It was their first time in London too!  Very excited for them!

I then had a tip from the Reppert sisters about going to The Muffin Man for tea.  It was a late morning/early afternoon tea.  Very simple.  Tomato and cucumber sandwiches mixed and a piece of Victoria sponge and another new favorite tea, Lady Grey.  It was delicious.  So I had a bit of time to do another adventure and I found I was near to Kensington Palace that once was home to Princess Diana and more recently Prince William and Kate.  The sunken garden was still lovely and I found The Orangery has made itself more of a restaurant.  It may be a new place for afternoon tea for my next visit!  So I hope you are enjoying my adventures to England.  Tomorrow we will be at Kew Gardens!

Seasonably cold here, but no snow!  Will be warmer starting tomorrow right through Christmas!  Hope you are having a great Sunday.  Talk to you tomorrow.

My 2015 England Adventure at the Chelsea Physic Garden and The Bard!

One of My Very Favorite Gardens in London!

The Wonderful Entrance Beckoning You to Come In!

A Look Through the Gate Into the Garden!

One of the Unusual Lavenders in Bloom!

One of My Favorite Rooms in the Glasshouses, the Pelargoniums!

They Were Very Happy This Day!

Really Doesn't Look Like a Garden in the City!

Remember It is an Apothecary Garden!

Lovely Vistas Everywhere You Look!

Even Some Roses Were Still In Bloom!

My Favorites, Nasturtiums Love the Weather!

A Bee Enjoying a Cosmos Flower!

Walking Across the Millennium Bridge to the Globe Theatre!

Sunset on the Bridge!

A Closeup of the Globe Theatre!

My Seat from On High!

The Stage Was Massive at Ground Level!

The weather continued to be extraordinary into October in London.  I only had had a bit of rain the day I arrived and I napped through that.  Eight days of perfect weather and this day was no different.  I had planned to go to the Chelsea Physic Garden during the day and to see my first Shakespeare play at the Globe Theatre that night.

Really the Chelsea Physic Garden is one of my favorites and if I needed to, I could walk to this garden every day.  It is that close to my hotel.  It is not huge, but it was started as a garden to train apprentices in identifying plants.  Because it is near the Thames it was a warmer microclimate for some very tender plants to flourish like a fruit bearing olive tree.  It is one of Europe's oldest botanic gardens.  Click the link to get a broader understanding of the importance of this garden.

In the evening I went to my first Shakespearean play, Measure for Measure at the Globe Theatre.  I am doing a talk about Shakespeare's herbs and flowers for a local library here and I knew that going over to London for this trip.  It was a beautiful night to walk across the Thames, albeit cold!  It was a last minute decision.  Hence, my nosebleed seat and it was cold, because the main stage is an open air theater.  They do rent blankets and seats cushions so you are a bit more comfortable.  It was wonderful, but I will spend a bit more dosh and sit closer to the action next time.  Don't really want to stand for two plus hours as a groundling for five pounds.  I do want a bit of comfort.  All in all it was another great day in my favorite city, London.

Well, winter has come even if briefly.  The wind is howling.  We had just a dusting of snow overnight and into this morning.  The thing is the cold!  It is biting!  Hope you are having a great day getting ready for Christmas.  I will talk to you tomorrow!