Those who are interested in natural historical monuments in London can visit one of them called Kew Gardens. Moreover, it is not difficult to get to it if you are already in the capital of Great Britain. You can do this in several ways: by buses at 65, 237, 267, 391, walk from the Kew Gardens subway station, take a river tram that runs along the Thames from Westminster Pire during the fall and spring, by train to the Kew Bridge train station. The trip will not take much time, and the impressions received will more than pay for possible road inconveniences.
Kew Gardens: Description
In order to quickly examine the interesting things that are available in this place, it will take at least a whole day. But in fact, in order to properly get acquainted with all the sights and plants that are located on the territory of Kew Gardens in London, one day will not be enough. People come here to relax and learn something new about wildlife. No wonder plant collections at Kew Gardens are among the world's top three collections. Presented here are specimens growing in different parts of the world, their number reaches 60,000. Scientists from all over the world come to Kew Gardens to study them.
These gardens are not only a natural monument. There is a lot of interesting architecture on its territory, and it is also a scientific center. In addition to the fact that rare species of plants are preserved here, work is also being done to breed them and to breed new varieties. The library, which is also located on the territory of the garden, has a huge collection of drawings, photographs, manuscripts, maps, illustrations. All of them are related to plants.
How the garden appeared
It all started with the fact that in the 16th century, the botanist Henry Kapel laid the pharmacy garden in this place. The organization of the park began in the 17th century, when the arrangement of the territory adjacent to the palace was taken up by the kings of England. The first was George III. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Gardens, opened in 1841. If earlier its increase was unsystematic, now, thanks to the efforts of the professor of botany William Hooker, the plants were arranged, a herbarium and a library were created. Already at that time, palm houses were built, in which they used the scientific and technological achievements of that time to maintain the microclimate necessary for tropical plants in them.
The area that the park now occupies reaches 120 hectares. During its existence, the gardens were subjected to both natural disasters and destruction by people. For example, in 1913, the Tea House was burned, which was later restored, and the storm of 1987 brought death to many trees growing in the park.
On the territory of Kew Gardens (in English Kew Gardens) is the royal palace, built by the Dutch merchant Samuel Fortry in 1631. These gardens are located in the southwest of London. Thanks to good funding from the Department of Agriculture, it is possible to maintain existing collections of rare and interesting plants, replenish them with new specimens, and conduct scientific research. In addition, the gardens profit from visitors, for whom they hold a variety of exhibitions and arrange attractions.
What to do in the park
Since the territory of the park is very large, you can move around it on a constantly running train. Guests go out at any stop, and then, having examined the places they liked, they can sit back and go on. In the park there is where to eat, there are entertainment for children, for example, face painting. Adults will also not be bored. They can attend workshops on plant care, take part in special events and competitions.
You can walk around the park on your own, but in order to get useful and interesting information, it is better to take an excursion. The park practices birthday parties, weddings and other celebrations. The premises are greenhouses or even a palace in which 200 people can have fun at the same time. Of course, the holidays spent in such a place are unforgettable.
Gardens work at any time of the year. Visitors come here even in winter. An ice rink works for them, light shows are held. A variety of festivals dedicated to plants attract many admirers of natural beauty. When it starts to get dark, the backlight turns on in the garden, which makes the surrounding objects fabulous. Everything has been done in the park so that people can rest and gain impressions. Some will like shady alleys, others will like a rock garden. The main thing is that the local territory is very clean, well-groomed and comfortable. Therefore, there are always many visitors.
Beautiful variety
The territory of the park is divided into thematic areas. There are both outdoor areas and greenhouses. The collections of plants are so diverse that it is impossible to briefly describe them; it is better to see everything with your own eyes, visiting Kew Gardens on your own. Watching plants, admiring them can not get bored. Firstly, because they constantly change their appearance depending on the time of year or growth period, and secondly, due to the fact that new specimens are constantly appearing, and no matter how often you should visit Kew Gardens, it always opens for you something new. There was a place for cacti, and for water plants, and for roses and lilacs, and for bonsai and alpine slides, ferns and orchids. Blooming specimens are especially beautiful. At Kew Gardens, the photos are simply gorgeous.
Not only plants
What are the attractions on the territory of Kew Gardens besides flora? The unique architectural buildings located here are: Kew Palace - the former residence of George III, as well as the summer house of his wife Queen Charlotte, a conservatory, royal kitchens.
A pagoda consisting of ten floors will surprise you (you can climb to its top through the internal stairs). In height, it reaches 50 meters. The walls of this building are made of bricks, each roof is covered with ceramic tiles. On the tiles are wooden dragons, which in the time of George III were covered with gold paint. These buildings date back to the 17-18 centuries.
Warm and humid
Also noteworthy is the tropical greenhouse "Palm House", which grows tropical flora. Interest is caused by predator plants. And there are about 5,000 orchids in the garden!
In front of the building are sculptures depicting animals. 10 statues are called the "Beasts of the Queen", because exactly the same figures were installed during the coronation of Elizabeth II near Westminster Abbey in 1953. Under the building there is a marine aquarium, and in addition to fish, it also has marine flora. The subtropical greenhouse Temperate House was also built.
In addition to them, there is also a "House of temperate climate." Rhododendrons and tea trees grow here, as well as a long-lived palm, whose age has reached 150 years. The Greenhouse of the Princess of Wales will introduce the visitor to the nature of all climatic zones. The desired microclimate is supported by special computers.
For architecture buffs at Kew Gardens, there is something else interesting. For example, the House of Water Lilies. This is a greenhouse in which aquatic plants are collected . The center of the composition is a pool with water lilies, some of which are the largest in their family. This room is very hot and humid.
Interesting buildings
A copy of the gate of the Japanese temple is decorated with a garden, and the Marianne North Gallery contains more than 800 paintings. The Millennium Sid Bank stores the seeds of all British plants. They are maintained in a state of hibernation by means of low temperatures. This is done in order to preserve the offspring of plants in case of extinction of any species.
Gather in Kew Gardens and herbariums. An interesting design, a walk along which is breathtaking, is an alley above the tops of trees. As the name implies, it is located above the garden and is a glazed pedestrian bridge 15 meters high. Even the compost heap of Kew Gardens is an interesting place, because in addition to weeds, cuttings of shoots and tops of plants from the garden collection, manure of royal horses fall into it. Therefore, the compost that is obtained here is sometimes sold at auction in order to gain additional funds for the needs of the park.
Our friends and helpers
There is also a house of evolution in the park. With the help of modern equipment, they talk about what path the plants went before they became what they are now. The building called "Museum No. 1" does not deceive. Here, a collection of clothes, food, medicines, tools, all that can be made from plants, is collected and put on public display. Man depends on them - this is the main idea of this exposition.
An educational center is located on the second floor of the building, and on the first floor people will learn about how flora helps humanity in various spheres of life.
Unforgettable beauty
There are a lot of plants in the park, they are all well-groomed and beautiful. Unusual carnivorous flowers or giant odorous flower Titan Arum. A huge lily with two-meter leaves can change its color. Specially created conditions in greenhouses allow you to enjoy the flowering of plants at that time of the year when they are not peculiar. For example, in January camellias and orchids bloom here. On the territory of the royal gardens, beautiful peacocks are walking.
A visit to this park is not disappointing. Perhaps Kew Gardens will be the main theme of memories of a trip to London.