A Visitor's Guide to the Royal Botanic Kew Gardens in London, England

If you enjoy visiting gardens, ponds and palaces and have a penchant for horticulture in all of its glory, then Kew Gardens is a place you should consider visiting. Situated conveniently between Kew and Richmond in the southwest corner of London, Kew Gardens is a wonderful place for families or couples to spend the day.

The Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew is situated on 300 acres of land and was created by Lord Capel, and then further enlarged by Princess Augusta. The Chinese pagoda, built in 1761, was built in honor of Princess Augusta and survives to this day.

I found Kew Gardens to be especially beautiful in the Spring, and guests should be aware when traipsing across the verdant meadows that they may encounter numerous peacocks as their companions while roaming the grounds of the gardens.

Kew Gardens was added to the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 2003.

Here are some suggestions of things to see and do at Kew Gardens:

Kew Palace

Kew Palace, a 4 story brick house, was built in 1631 by Samuel Fortrey. The palace was first used by the royal family in 1728 and then was purchased by King George III in 1781 as a nursery for the royal children. Queen Charlotte died at Kew Palace in 1818.

Compost Heap

Fitting for such a place, Kew Gardens has the largest compost heap of anywhere in the world, which is used in the gardens.

The Rose Garden

The Rose Garden began in 1923 in the location that was once the site of King George III's special lake which was built for the king to sail his swan boat in.

There are 54 rose beds in Kew Garden's Rose Garden, with each containing a different variety of roses. Hybrid tea, shrub, floribunda and Old English roses are arranged according to the color of their flowers here.

The Palm House

The Palm House was built over a four year period between 1844 and 1848 by Richard Turner. The Victorian Palm House grows plants that would normally be threatened in the wild and a quarter of the palms housed here are currently experiencing difficulties in the wild. The Palm House also contains plants that are grown for their timber, spices, fibres, medicines, perfumes and fruits.

The Temperate House