The Kew gardens of London

If you love nature, greenery and outdoor spaces, you will not be able to invade the prestigious Kew Gardens in London. The gardens, extending over a hundred and twenty acres of grassy surface, nowadays host over 40,000 species of shrubs. The original structure of the Kew Gardens dates back to 1650. It is in this precise historical period that the mighty Lord Capel of Tewkesbury began building the complex. During the following centuries, it was embellished, enriched and expanded by numerous other internationally renowned figures, who used many of their wealth to give greater prestige to Kew Gardens.
This is the case, for example, of Princess Augusta (wife of Frederick of Hanover, then Prince of Wales), who gave orders to raise numerous new pavilions or George III who increased the size of the gardens, helped by Great mastery by William Aiton and Sir Joseph Banks, two British naturalists and botanists. During the 1840s, Kew Gardens gained a precious acknowledgment that helped them enter the status of a major national botanical garden. Less than two centuries later, in July 2003, gardens were placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List

There are many greenhouses within the Kew Gardens. The most famous is the Palm House and was designed, designed and built thanks to the work of Decimus Burton architect around 1845. Having become a true symbol of the Kew Gardens, it has been realized to accommodate in its interior the vast Exotic palm assortment. Inside the Palm House it was therefore necessary to restore climatic conditions similar to those of the tropical forest. The Temperate House, on the other hand, is made up of a central element, built around 1860, at which corners open two other polygonal greenhouses.

The entire complex occupies an area of over 5,000 m², or more than twice that occupied by Palm House. The Temperate House has been designed to accommodate various kinds of shrub from various corners of the world. Among them, we can remember Jubaea Chilensis, the one that can in all respects be considered the largest indoor palm in the world. There are also many smaller greenhouses, such as Waterlily House, which has its own rare species of tropical aquatic plants, the Evolution House, which offers a variety of visitors a chance to see a path aimed at showing them the The plant’s evolutionary process and the Bonsai House, which, as conceivable by its name, hosts a large collection of bonsai inside it.

Near the Palm House, there are ten different marble statues depicting animals. Each statue features a special coat of arms and the entire sculptural complex is known all over the world with the name of Queen’s Beasts, or Queen’s Animals. Such a name is due to the fact that the original works of art were originally intended to be carved to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, which took place in 1953. The sculptures today are merely copies of the original works . Tradition tells that every animal symbolically refers to a precise member of the Queen’s royal family.

Where, how, whenRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE

Tube: Kew Gardens:Victoria Gate at 500m

Train: Kew Bridge (800m from Elizabeth Gate)

The  Kew Gardens every days open
from 10 am to 6.30 pm monday to thursday
from 10 am to 8.30 pm friday to sunday and holydays

More infos: www.kew.org

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