Images Dated 2015 February

Waterlily Pond, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, ca 1900

The waterlily pond, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, ca 1900. The pond was one of Sir William Thiselton-Dyer's additions, heated by condensed steam from the local water supply, making it possible to raise half-hardy aquatic plants. Some of the waterlilies in this photograph were supplied by the French nurseryman Joseph Bory Latour-Marliac. One of the first growers to successfully hybridize waterlillies, Marliac is probably best known for his yellow-flowered cultivar Nymphaea Marliacea Chromatella, which he sent to Kew in 1887. He is also renowned for contributing many of the waterlilies in Monet's garden at Giverny

© RBG Kew

Women gardeners put on their clogs ready for work, World War II

Women gardeners were employed at Kew during World War II, after an interval of nearly a quarter of a century. Fourteen women were enrolled onto the staff in 1940, joined by a further thirteen in 1941. The women referred to their unifrom of apron and clogs as battledress'. The clogs were wooden soled shoes with leather uppers. One of the women, Jean Thompson told colleague Betty Cooper: "My most vivid impression was the difficulty I had balancing on the rocks in my clogs."

© RBG KEW

Joseph Reardon pictured during service in WWI

Joseph Reardon joined the staff as a gardener in July 1914, having trained at Tully Nurseries, Kildare. He attended Kew's "Mutual improvement Society" scoring the highest numbers in Economic Botany and in October 1914 lectured on Alpines in ireland for the same course. In October 1915 he left to become an Assistant at Cambridge Botanic Gardens, Massachusetts, where he was appointed Curator four years later. He is portrayed here during his wartime naval service

© RBG KEW