Kew Gardens
Just under an hour from where we live are the beautiful Kew Gardens. We love Kew and despite visiting some incredible botanical gardens from all around the world nothing really compares to Kew.
Kew Gardens is a 326 acre site that is home to 40 historical buildings and in 2003 was declared a UNESCO world heritage site. Kew is home to some 8.3 million plant and fungal specimens.
Kew is big and after 3 visits we finally feel that we have seen most of what is on offer. We love the old glass houses that are home to incredible displays of trees, flowers, cacti and many others. The Palm House has been a favourite of ours since our first visit and the high humidity makes it feel like you are stepping into the tropics. The Temperate house has recently been renovated over the last few years and was opened again to the public in 2008. Kew’s Arboretum is home to 14,000 trees, take a wonder along a 300 meter boardwalk and discover trees native to Britain. The Davies Alpine House and Rock Garden are a favourite of ours. We love the incredible alpine plants that cling onto the rocks. If Cacti are your thing then head to the Princess of Wales Conservatory.
Experience the life of a bee in the Hive, a modern sculpture that helps us understand the story of bees. The head to the Treetop walk to take in incredible views of the gardens from up above.
Kew is not just incredibly beautiful and well looked after it is also the largest botanical gardens in the world with the largest collection of plants and an incredible 7 million preserved plant specimens. We struggle sometimes to look after our small collection of tropical plants at home, but Kew manages to help plants thrive from all around the world in London. The Giant Redwoods, Ferns and English Oak trees to the Bamboo forest all successfully live together under the careful watch of Kew’s botanists and gardeners.
We love trying to learn the differences between the native British trees and learning how to identify them. There are 60 native species in Britain, we have learned a few but still have a long way to go!
If you love the outdoors, nature, plants, trees and historic buildings then you will love Kew Gardens. Throw in some incredible modern structures and you and your family will love your day out at Kew. We would also suggest arriving early as parking is limited.
