On a windy day in April, I met up with my former lecturer Professor William Chaloner (Bill Chaloner), who for 13 years was a member on the board of trustees at Kew Gardens.

Kew attracts up to 2 million visitors a year and is a well-known haven that all Londoners should be proud of. In this article, I try and emphasise how important Kew has been both historically and in current times for scientific research and conservation, as well as providing an environmental sanctuary, (almost) in the heart of London.

I hope this interview (part text, part video), led by an expert in the field of Ecology, will shed some light on the amazing work that Kew Gardens carries out, as well as a bit about its history and what Kew can offer those who choose to visit.

Bill has been a professor at various Colleges of London University for over 50 years, and has written a number of papers on ecology, and particularly the ecology of the geological past. In the interview below he tells me a bit about these important and historic gardens in South West London.

Can you tell us a bit about your background and your time as trustee at Kew Gardens?

I’ve been a Professor in various Colleges of London University for around 50 years now - originally at University College London as a botanist; then on to Birkbeck College and then to Bedford University (now Royal Holloway, University of London) where I am an Emeritus Professor.

My connection with Kew started when in 1984 Kew was given charitable status and was placed under the control of its own Board of Trustees. It was no longer answerable to the (then) Ministry of Agriculture for money provided by the government, but rather to the new Board of Trustees. Arthur Bell (the new director at this time), appointed some of his university colleagues as trustees of Kew and I was one of them (one of twelve). Some of these trustees were botanists like myself, and others were more connected with the public interest in ecology and conservation - people like Sir David Attenborough.

Please tell us a bit about the history of Kew

Kew has been going for 250 years, and was originally founded by a woman – the Princess of Wales, Princess Augusta. In those days, gardens were popular and people tended to have pretty looking gardens with wonderful smells and herbs which were used for cooking and drugs for medicines. She had more ambitious plans for an exotic garden, with interesting plants from remote parts of the world - and this was the beginning of Kew Gardens.

When she died, her son George III decided to join his own land at Kew with his mother’s and the garden became Kew Gardens (plural) and grew from strength to strength.

One of the early features of Kew is the ‘Palm House’. It was built over 150 years ago in 1848 and was an important and exciting addition to Kew as it meant that all sorts of very large, tropical plants could be grown here in London. People flocked from all over (often via the London Underground) to see the Palm House; and to the see the palms, cocoa, banana and rubber trees growing there. It [the Palm House] became a feature of London.

Click below to play the full video of Bill talking about Kew’s history and its famous Palm House.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

© Kew Gardens (open daily), Edward Bawden 1936. Commissioned by London Transport
The London Underground had an important link with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, as it was the quickest and easiest way of reaching the gardens. The two organisations went into advertising partnership!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After talking me through some of the history of Kew and explaining how it became an extremely important and popular place to visit - Bill spoke a bit about what he thought attracted visitors to Kew and about the unique environments it has to offer.

The Role of Kew

With the mission statement ‘To inspire and deliver science-based plant conservation worldwide, enhancing the quality of life’, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has throughout history, made important contributions to increasing the understanding of the plant kingdom, providing many benefits for mankind along the way.

Today it is still first and foremost a scientific institution. With impressive collections of living and preserved plants,and the Jodrell Laboratory studying plant products and the biochemistry, structure and genetics of plants, it forms an encyclopaedia of knowledge about the plant kingdom.
By visiting Kew, you can appreciate the exceptional work it carries out straight away – both for conservation and education. The range of environments provided within its grounds and glass-houses - from lawns to woodlands, rainforests to deserts, and recreated mangroves filled with aquatic plants (Bill Chaloner’s personal favourite!), are truly unique and to be protected, supported and celebrated.

The role of Kew has certainly changed over time ‘from a decorative Botanic Garden to a centre of important research into plant life and plant science’ (as Bill Chaloner points out in the video below). It has become increasingly concerned with plant conservation and biodiversity and its work in science and conservation is making a huge mark both in the UK and all around the world.

To find out more about the remarkable conservation work Kew carries out, please visit the Science & Conservation page on Kew Gardens’ website.

For more information on visiting Kew Gardens and for admission prices, please click here for Visitor Information

GreenLondon would like to say a special thanks to both Professor Chaloner for donating his time and to Kew Gardens for allowing the interview to take place on these wonderful grounds.