Kew Gardens in London

Kew Gradens is also known as the Royal Botanical Gardens.  This is 300 acres of park on the south bank of the Thames. Itis a showcace os historic Victorian plant collections,  heritage roses, endangered British plant species and contemporary artistic and themed gardens.  The garden consists of many differen areas, buildings and key features that form it’s all oer design.

The garden also consists of magnificent vistas. These are gardens stretching from buildings to water. There is the Syon vista that stretches almost 4000 feet from the Palm House to River Thames and the Pagoda Vista that links the Palm House to the Pagoda Vista.  There is also a Cedar Vista, lined with cedars that spans the Syon and Pagoda Vistas and that makes the Pagoda house visual from the River Thames.

There are many glass greenhouses in the gardens and some date from the mid 1800s. This includes the Palm House, the Temperate House, Princes of Whales Conservatory, Alpine House, Evoltion House and Waterlily House.

The Asian influence at Kew Gardens is reflected in the Pagoda, the Japanese Minka nd the Japanese Landscape and gate. You can see stone lanterns, moon bridges and water lily strewn ponds in the park as well.

There are some very old buildings in the Royal Kew including Queen Charlotte’s Cottage, Kew Palace and the Royal Menagerie that used to house animals of all kinds. At one point Kew Palace was also known as Dutch House as Queen Carolien leased it out after King George II.  Near Queen Charlotte’s Cottage are many ornamental bird and animal suclptures and the menagarie still includes fish birds and live kangaroos.

Stone replicas of tiger sand other animals that were made of Portland stone for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II also stand guard in the garden.

There are many themed gardens including the Rose Gardenbehind the Palm House, Bamboo Gardne next to the Japanese Minka, the queen’s Garden bheind Kew Palance and the Rose Pergola near the Order Beds and Grass Garden.

The area also has rows and rows of Japanese ornamental cherry trees and Hooly Walk has hollies over 135 years old.  A pine dating from 1846 grows in the Rose garden.  There is also a forest of redwoods imported from America in the Woodland Glade near the waterlily pond.

There are so many heritage buildings and natural treasures in Kew Gardens it is no wonder that it has been designated a World Heritage site.