Kew Garden Britain

Kew Garden or Kew Gardens are extensive informal gardens located in London. The Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, is the organization that is responsible for the maintenance of Kew Gardens. The formal name of Kew Garden is The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The present director of Kew Garden is Professor Stephen D. Hopper.

Kew Gardens started off initially as Kew Park in the 1700's. Lord Capel of Tewkesbury is credited with laying the initial foundation of the garden. Princess Augusta enlarged the garden. The noted architect Sir William Chambers constructed a number of structures within the garden premises. The Chinese Great Pagoda built by Sir William Chambers in 1762 is one of the attractions that draw in more and more tourists.

King George III further contributed towards the development of the garden in the early 19th century. He was assisted by noted botanists like Sir Joseph Banks and William Aiton. The Kew Park was rechristened as a National Botanical Garden in 1840. The sizes of the gardens were gradually increased by acquiring adjoining lands. The expansion era also included the construction of the Palm House by the noted architect Decimus Burton. The Temperate House, built in the 19th century, is presently the largest functional Victorian glasshouse in history.

The 20th century saw further additions to the basic structure of the Kew Gardens. The Princess of Wales conservatory started functioning in 1987. The conservatory recreates 10 global climatic zones.

Kew Gardens of Today

Kew Gardens is a botanical research institution of world repute. The herbarium is an important seed-bank. Regular scientific interactions with peer botanical gardens in other parts of the world have enabled Kew Gardens to acquire and maintain an important botanical database. The garden also houses an extensive and well-stocked library of botanical interest.

Kew Gardens can be reached by using one of the many modes of transportations that take travelers to the destination. The Kew Gardens station is on the Travelcard Zone 3 of the London Underground and the terrestrial train services. Both the the Silverlink Metro Train Services and the South West Trains can be availed to reach Kew Gardens. The high frequencies of these trains make access to the site extremely convenient. Buses can also be availed to reach Kew Gardens, as there are a number of buses that travel there directly or have stoppages at the Kew Bridge and the Kew Gardens railway stations, from where the gardens can be accessed on foot. Some of the buses that can be availed from London include No. 65, No. 237, No. 267 and No. 391. Other modes of transportation that can be availed to reach Kew Gardens include riverboats, bicycles and cars. Parking facilities are available.

The admission fee to the Kew Gardens is £12.25, although there are concessions for children below the age of 17, seniors above 59, students and other visitors with special needs. The admissions charges for the Kew Palace are separate, and visitors with passes for the Garden are only allowed to view the Palace.