Blossoms, blue skies and birds signal the arrival of spring!

Walking around Kew this past week has been a pure delight. The fine weather has brought smiles to our faces and beautiful blossom to our trees, not to mention delightful bird song to our ears.

Image shows the white apple blossom on the branches of a tree against a brilliant blue sky. The sky forms a triangle top left while the remainder of the image is white apple blossom

Blue sky and blossom at Kew Riverside

Indeed, it seems that every garden plant and shrub is shouting “look at me, I made it through the winter!” I, for one, can’t stop singing the little ditty (variously attributed):

Spring is Sprung

The grass is riz

I wonder where the birdie is

The birdie is upon the wing

No, that’s absurd the wings is on the little bird!

Image shows 3 tiny brown and white goslings tentatively walking down a black and yellow ramp into a pond. A 4th chick remains on the pool edge. Two adult geese are watching over them are watching over them. We can see the concrete surround of the pond. There are 3 benches in the background

New arrivals at The National Archives

We’re very fortunate in Kew to have the Royal Botanic Gardens on our door step. Over the next few weeks the floral displays there are sure to be magnificent! But, if you prefer somewhere a little quieter, look no further than the streets around Kew.

The National Archives’ garden with its free deck chairs, is a perfect place to enjoy the spring. But please be mindful that the birds, ducks, swans and geese are nesting and should not be disturbed or fed.

Image shows a green deck chair underneath a medium sized tree that is full of pink blossom. There is a pond in the distance along with a large concrete building. There are benches around the pond and grass around the park.

Spring at The National Archives

Next on our little spring tour of Kew would be the Thames riverside. With trees bursting forth, wild flowers springing up and a cacophony of geese on the island, the scenery is forever changing. It’s a great spot for some photography too!

Images shows a metal railway bridge over the river thames. We can see a perfect reflection of it in the river. Trees on the banks of the river are leafless. The sky is a brilliant blue.

Reflections of Kew Railway Bridge

Further down the towpath at Westerly Ware the magnolia trees are a sight to behold. You might like to have a go at Petanque while you’re there. There’s a newly installed accessible picnic bench too!

Images shows three pale pink magnolia blooms on a branch. In the background we can see the grass of the park and a row of houses in the distance. some of the trees are just coming into blossom

Magnolia blooms in Westerly Ware

Image shows an accessible curved wooden picnic bench in the foreground next to a rectangular gravelled space. The rest of the ground is covered in grass. It is a park. There are trees in the background as well as a row of houses to the right.

Picnic and petanque anyone?

Round the corner at Kew Green, it’s a hive of activity as the grounds people prepare the cricket pitch for the up and coming season at Kew Cricket Club. Dog walkers should watch out as the barriers may be in different places.

Image shows a mechanised grass roller operated by a man. They are on a large expanse of grass in front of a cricket pavilion. The cricket pitch has a metal chain around it. There is a black dog in the foreground sniffing the grass. The sky is mostly blue with a few wispy white clouds

Preparing the cricket pitch

A little further along the green is the beautiful War Memorial garden by St Anne’s Church. It’s tended by volunteers from the Kew Society and looks its best at this time of year.

In fact, our volunteer gardeners are hard at work at the station and elsewhere making sure the platform gardens and other green spaces are looking their best. Why not volunteer this year? They’re a friendly bunch and you don’t need to have any experience!

Image shows a large stone cross memorial. It is in the centre of a two semi circular flower beds set in a grassy area. The grass is newly mown. There is a red and brown stone church in the background with trees around it

War Memorial Garden, Kew Green

Before I forget, if you’re an avid gardener, or a complete beginner, there are two initiatives that might interest you. Kew the Transition run a Seed Library and Seed Swap to encourage people to grow their own food and help improve local biodiversity. You can find out about it here And for those with too many plants, why not consider donating some of them to Habitats & Heritage? They are holding a Plant Sale for Wildlife on 11 May 2025 and would be delighted to receive your surplus to requirement greenery.

So yes, I think it’s safe to say that spring has sprung in Kew! Next, I’m looking forward to seeing wisteria in full bloom on our streets. They’re such an amazing sight. What blossom have you spotted? Why not post them on social media #kewblooms to brighten up our newsfeeds when the rain inevitably falls and grey skies return?

Happy Spring everyone!

Dr Sarah Clarke, Environment Lead, The Kew Society

Image shows pink cherry blossom against a bright blue sky. We can see the white fronts of a row of terraced houses through the blossom

Blossom seen on a street near you!

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Blossoms, blue skies and birds signal the arrival of spring!

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