Kew Gardens: London’s botanical gardens

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Kew Gardens are located on the south bank of the Thames near Richmond, about 10km south-west of London. Kew Gardens have been listed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites since 2003. Founded in the 18th century, they are now made up of 130 hectares of land on which there are over 40,000 species of plants from all climatic areas on Earth. Among these are 14,000 tree species.

HISTORICAL GREENHOUSES AND MODERN GREENHOUSES

Among the attractions of the garden, the Palm House, a glass and iron structure from the mid-19th century. This structure contains a tropical forest, with numerous endangered plant species in their natural environments. The largest greenhouse in the gardens is the Temperate House. A Vitorian greenhouse of almost 5,000 square meters, with plant species of a temperate climate divided by geographical areas.

The most modern greenhouse is the Princess of Wales Conservatory, a very modern greenhouse inside which there are plants from 10 different climatic zones. Among these carnivorous plants, orchids and baobabs.

Among the very numerous plant oddities present in the garden, there is also the Titan Arum (Amorphophallus Titanum). A plant originates from the Sumatra rain forests, which was discovered by the Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari in 1878. This is one of the most spectacular plants in the garden, with a huge flowery structure that reaches 3 meters in height.

Kew Gardens are open, from 9.30 in the morning to sunset, every day of the year except on Christmas Eve and for Christmas. The entrance ticket costs £ 13.50. It is very nice to spend a day exploring this garden!

How to get there: The “Tube” (London Underground) is the best way to reach Kew Gardens from central London. The station to get off is that of Kew Gardens (attention: you must buy the travelcard in the area: 3), from the station just follow the signs and after a short walk (about 10 minutes) you will arrive at Victoria Gate, this is the entrance that overlooks Kew Road, and is located in the middle of the gardens.

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