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K
2 Arboretum
Kew's Arboretum holds a comprehensive collection of hardy trees; the majority are arranged by genera but those in the northern area form mixed decorative plantings. This division reflects the historical development of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
For management purposes, the Arboretum is divided into three areas. North Arboretum includes the original 1759 botanic garden and amenity plantings, West Arboretum includes the Lake, Bamboo Garden and Rhododendron Dell, and South Arboretum contains Berberis Dell, the Heath Garden and Queen Charlotte's Cottage Grounds.
Historical development of the Arboretum
Detailed historical records of Kew show that in the sixteenth century the River Thames was much wider, with inlets extending into oak woodland. By the eighteenth century, however, little woodland remained on the estates of Richmond and Kew which were later linked to form the present gardens.
George II and his wife, Caroline, lived on the Richmond estate from 1721 and employed Charles Bridgeman to landscape the grounds. None of his work remains, although several elderly sweet chestnuts (Castanea sativa) close to the Lake date from this period. The adjoining Kew estate was leased in 1731 by George II's eldest son Frederick, a patron of the arts and a keen gardener, who began the development of the grounds. After his death in 1751, his wife, Augusta, continued the work and in 1759, aided by Lord Bute, founded a 3.6 hectare (9 acre) botanic garden. Trees dating from this period include the specimens of Ginkgo biloba, Robinia pseudoacacia and Sophora japonica growing near the Princess of Wales Conservatory.
In 1757, the architect, William Chambers, began to relandscape the Kew estate, constructing many fanciful buildings, surviving examples of which include the Pagoda, Ruined Arch and Orangery. Under the influence of Bute and the curator, William Aiton, the botanic garden collections continued to expand and by 1768 Sir John Hill listed 488 hardy trees and shrubs in the gardens.
With the death of Augusta in 1772, George III became the owner of both the estates and employed Lancelot "Capability" Brown to remodel the Richmond garden. Sir Joseph Banks, President of the Royal Society (1778-1820), became a close friend of the King and, in his unofficial capacity of horticultural advisor to Kew, sent plant collectors around the world. He concentrated on tender species and little was added to the Arboretum. In the 1780s Love Lane (now Holly Walk), a public right of way running between the two estates, was made private and later the two estates were finally amalgamated.
After the deaths of Banks and George III in 1820 the gardens declined steadily. In 1840, a Parliamentary Committee report recommended that Kew Gardens be put under direct governmental control. William Hooker became its first Director in 1841 and worked ceaselessly to restore and expand the Arboretum in the southern part of the garden, formerly the royal Pleasure Grounds. Construction of the Palm Housewas begun in 1844 and completed in 1848 and the surrounding area was landscaped by William Nesfield, who laid out the vistas and avenues centred on the Palm House. In 1845, a further 80 hectares (200 acres) to the south was made over to arboretum plantings, systematically arranged according to the Bentham and Hooker classification of plant families. In 1870, William Hooker's son Joseph, the second Director, initiated the Pinetum plantings within this area. These were also systematically arranged, subdivided into Old and New World species.
Queen Charlotte's Cottage and its grounds were presented to Kew by Queen Victoria in 1898 with the express wish that the area should retain its natural appearance. It is now managed as a conservation area, planted with British native species. Part of the grounds of Kew Palace were added in 1895, and the addition of the Cambridge Cottage Garden, presented after the death of the last Duke of Cambridge in 1904, brought Kew to its present size of approximately 121 hectares (300 acres).
The Arboretum in the Twentieth Century
In the early twentieth century, there was a period of decline. Because high levels of atmospheric pollution were badly affecting growth at Kew, the major pine collection was transferred to Bedgebury in Kent, which had been selected as the site for a new national Pinetum. By the mid-1950s the Arboretum was in poor condition, with many plants doubtfully named and of low quality.
Since the 1970s the situation has improved dramatically; there is now greater emphasis on gathering material of known origin, preferably directly collected from the wild. Kew staff have taken part in many collecting expeditions overseas, including trips to Korea (1982 and 1989), Chile (1985), China (1985 and 1988) and Turkey (1989), adding much interesting new material and greatly increasing the scientific value of the Arboretum. Better curation techniques are improving the quality of the collections and reducing maintenance requirements and the skilled tree surgery unit ensures that trees remain in good condition.
Wakehurst Place, an estate of about 187 hectares (462 acres) was leased from the National Trust in 1965 in order to provide much needed space and more suitable conditions for species which prove difficult to cultivate at Kew, such as Betula and Nothofagus.
The severe storms of October 1987 and January 1990 are the most recent events to have had a major effect on the Arboretum at Kew. Nearly 650 trees were lost in total, primarily mature broad-leaved deciduous trees from the areas developed under the direction of William Hooker. Losses in 1987 included the 200-year-old Turkey oak (Quercus cerris) near the Palm House Pond and a walnut (Juglans regia) planted by the Queen in 1959 near Kew Palace. Many botanical rarities, including Ehretia thyrsiflora, Ulmus villosa and Maclura pomifera, were also lost.
In 1992 the first plantings began for the Magnolia Walk, which will lead from the Main Gate to the main Magnolia collection near the Azalea Garden. A large-scale re-planting of lilacs (Syringa) began in 1993.
Useful Links
- Trunk Line: Tree advice, information and links