Last week RBG Kew kindly invited CSSC members to an exclusive volunteering day to help the Horticulture team with some gardening in preparation for Autumn and to find out more about the work that Kew does.
RBG Kew is a botanical garden located in Richmond, London. It spans 326 acres and is globally renowned for its extensive plant collections, research programmes and rare and endangered species. Kew is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offering visitors a chance to explore diverse plant life, historic glasshouses, and beautifully curated gardens (CSSC members get free entry).
Volunteer, Rachel shared her experience of the day:
"The Kew Gardens team warmly welcomed us, bright and early, before the gates were opened to the public and gave us some insight into the history and workings of Kew.
We then had a beautiful sunny walk past the Palm House overlooking the lake and to the site that we would be working on that day; situated next to The Hive – a 17 metre tall, striking sculpture that recreates life inside a beehive.
RBG Kew is a botanical garden located in Richmond, London. It spans 326 acres and is globally renowned for its extensive plant collections, research programmes and rare and endangered species. Kew is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offering visitors a chance to explore diverse plant life, historic glasshouses, and beautifully curated gardens (CSSC members get free entry).
The Kew Gardens team warmly welcomed us, bright and early, before the gates were opened to the public and gave us some insight into the history and workings of Kew.
We then had a beautiful sunny walk past the Palm House overlooking the lake and to the site that we would be working on that day; situated next to The Hive – a 17 metre tall, striking sculpture that recreates life inside a beehive.
Our first project of the day was to add mulch, which had been made onsite at Kew, to the base of several trees. This was to provide a protective layer, conserving soil moisture and suppressing weeds in time for Autumn and Winter weather.
Next on the agenda was preparing a grassy meadow area for Spring wildflowers. We raked and cleared cuttings of the grass, dodged some instant heavy rainfall, and filled 2+ skips with grass!
At the end of the day, it was great to see the impact we’d made and look forward to visiting in the Spring to see our efforts."
A big thank you to RBG Kew and our CSSC volunteers for making this day such a success!
Be sure to check out RBG Kew with unlimited free entry using your CSSC membership!
