ne of the biggest encyclopedias about the plant kingdom on the Earth is the Royal Botanic Gardens (known as the Kew Gardens), located on the bank of the Thames, in the western part of London. With its rich collection of plants and detailed botanic resources, the Kew Gardens have a world-famous reputation of being a stunning place both to admire and to learn from. 

The Kew Gardens originally surrounded a royal estate and belonged to the Royal family until 1840, when they were turned over to the state. And it was under the state’s management when the Kew Gardens took on their present-day appearance. 

The centerpiece of the Kew Gardens composition is a large oblong lake, on the bank of which is located the Chinese Pagoda, 165 feet (50 meters) high. The gardens are also decorated with numerous architectural elements, such as figures of shepherds and a statue of an athlete struggling with a snake. In general, the park composition consists of a number of different gardens, each fascinating with its unique features. Among these are the Duke’s Garden, housing ornamental herbaceous plants, the Alpine House, displaying mountain plants, the Rhododendron Dell, which in May and June becomes picturesque with the various color patterns of rhododendrons – yellow, red, pink, white and purple, the Aquatic and Rose Gardens, and many others. 

Two large greenhouses add to the beauty (and botanical purpose) of the gardens. The iron-and-glass structure of the Palm House, 66 feet high, contains mainly woody species and flowers, collected all over the nation. The Temperate House is the other greenhouse, another interesting building to visit. 

As mentioned above, the Kew Gardens attract not only plant admirers but also botanists from all over the world who use the Kew collections for their studies. Moreover, the administration of Kew Gardens is interested in the preservation of plant species, threatened with extinction and cooperates with other botanical gardens to solve specific area problems. Extensive scientific research is carried out, conferences are conducted and even educational opportunities are offered at the Royal Botanic Gardens. It is worth mentioning that one of the world’s most popular botanical libraries is right here.