Artful grass displays at London's Kew Gardens

I'm not a grass person. But during our recent trip to London's Kew Gardens, I decided to move beyond my comfort zone, open my mind a little, and spend some time in Kew's Grass Garden.

I may just be a convert.

Was it because of the perfect weather (18C/64F, partly cloudy, calm)? The fact that I was on vacation? The season? Or something else?

Perhaps it was because of the incredibly artful way that Kew has arranged its grass collection: 550 species from around the world. And the time of day: midafternoon, which meant the sun was shining on, around, and through the grasses in spectacular ways. How could I resist?

I took 225 photos at Kew--63 of them at the Grass Garden, alone. It was lovely. Here are a few highlights:

Shenandoah Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum), native to most of North America.

Purple Moor Grass (Molinia caerulea), native to Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa. This particular cultivar is 'Poul Petersen.' It forms purple flower spikes in the spring and summer that resemble Lavender from a distance.

Hare's Tail (Lagurus ovatus), a Mediterranean grass.

Medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae), native to Southern Europe and North Africa.

Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana), native to Southern South America.

Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium), native to much of the Eastern and Central U.S. and Northern Mexico. I've been meaning to add this grass to my garden because I find it attractive, and because it's one of the few grasses native to my area that thrives in partial shade.

Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum), native throughout most of Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. This cultivar is 'Squaw,' which blooms with a cloud of pinkish flower heads.

Himalayan Fairy Grass (Miscanthus nepalensis), native to parts of Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

Blue Grama Grass (Bouteloua gracilis), native to much of the U.S., but common in the Midwest and West.

Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata cylindrica), native to parts of Asia, Micronesia, Melanesia, Australia, and parts of Africa. This cultivar is 'Rubra.'

Korean Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis brachytricha).

I could go on and on. But the true beauty of the grasses at Kew extends beyond their individual merits to the way the botanical garden has them combined in artful waves of color, texture, height, and form.

(Just four days after our visit, London experienced a major windstorm. Fortunately, Kew reported it lost only 12 of its 14,000 trees, and the damage otherwise was minimal. I wonder how the Grass Garden fared.)

Helene's garden

Helene at Graphicality-UK and I have been online friends for a couple of years--commenting on each other's blogs and emailing back and forth occasionally on the side. When plans were finalized to visit London this fall, I informed Helene--and she graciously invited us to visit!

Helene's garden is every bit as special as it appears on her blog--maybe even more so, because it's a comfortable, organic oasis in the midst of a very urban neighborhood. Walking into her garden after pounding the pavement of the city streets is truly a secret garden experience.

Not only does Helene have an incredible collection of plants carefully arranged in a small area, she also has an eye for structure, scale, and perspective. Her creative arrangement of hardscapes, paths, and plants is pleasant from every direction.

A vase artfully arranged with the garden's latest blooms brightens the sitting area,

Along with bright mugs, comfortable patio chairs and potted plants. After following Helene's blog for a while, I know she has plants blooming and sharing the spotlight year-round.

Some of the highlights during our visit:

Two varieties of Skimmia (S. japonica),

Several types of Hydrangeas, including 'Pinky Winky' (H. paniculata),

Japanese Maples (Acer palmatum),

Primroses (Primula vulgaris),

Chinese Lantern plant (Physalis alkekengi),

Passion Flowers (Passiflora),

and several cultivars of Fuchsias. Some of the Fuchsias are tucked in surprising places behind other plants, and I like the way the light plays with the blooms in an old-fashioned kind of way.

Helene also has a healthy collection of Hellebores, already showing signs of new growth.

Her striking, colorful 'Mary Eveline' Dahlias are definite focal points.

Helene's is very much a working garden, with experiments, seedlings, and propagated plants always waiting in the wings.

My personal favorites are all the luscious, healthy Roses--particularly photogenic just after a rain shower.

Thank you, Helene, for your hospitality.

I know you said the Sunflowers are done for the season, but they'll be back next year. And we'll all be following your blog to see what magic you work in your little piece of heaven in the middle of the city.

I'm just a wandering homebody

I've just returned from a trip to London. If you follow Helene's blog at Graphicality-UK (and I highly recommend it, because it's an excellent blog and her garden is amazing!), you know that I had the pleasure of visiting Helene. More on that visit soon, but I want to do the post justice after I've had a chance to look through all the photos and reflect a bit.

I was thinking of  a way to tie the London trip to my monthly post about John Muir when I came across this interview with Muir about his world travels. If you take the time (five to 10 minutes) to read the inverview, I think you'll find it interesting and entertaining.

Are you like John Muir? Do you feel healthier at home or away from home? Indoors our outdoors?

I'm the opposite of Muir, and yet the same. While I love traveling and feel fortunate to have visited many fascinating places, it always takes me a couple of days to adjust after reaching my destination, and then again after returning home.

But I do agree with Muir that travel is well worth the time and investment. It opens one's eyes to new places and people (and plants), and instills a greater sense of tolerance. You realize that people in different cultures and locales really aren't that different, afterall. I also heartily agree that whether near home or far away, we all benefit from being outdoors!

We spent a lot of time outside in London, as the weather was mild and pleasant for most of the time. In addition to my visit with Helene, I plan to share several other trip highlights soon. I left home just before the first killing frost here in my garden. I figured I'd come back to brown, dead plants and flowers. So as I snapped photos of creative container plantings, unique plants, and artistic garden designs, I did so with a feeling of nostalgia and wistfulness for the growing season just passed.

But comicly (at least I thought it was humorous), when I stepped out of the terminal at O'Hare Airport ... there were more magnificent potted plants still blooming and very healthy.

Terrible photo taken at night with my iPhone, but you get the idea.

Better yet, when I got home I saw that the Begonias, Umbrella Grass, and Swiss Chard in my own planters were still alive--even though they weren't covered, watered, or cared for while I was gone. Ha!

It felt good to be home! Unlike John Muir, I feel very comfortable nestling into my comfy little home--at least until the next big adventure!

We had a great time in London seeing the sights, visiting a few gardens, and most of all--spending time together as a family in a very exciting city.