If you’re looking for the ultimate green paradise on earth, you don’t have to travel to far-flung and exotic locations; visit London! That’s where the unique Kew Gardens botanical garden is located, home to the world’s largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collection. Four years ago, it ended up in the Guinness Book of Records! One of the biggest tourist attractions in the British capital has more than 50,000 living plants in its collection, and UNESCO has included it on its World Heritage List. The Royal Botanic Gardens, which cover an area of 121 hectares, are visited by more than 1.35 million people annually, and believe it or not, they also have their own police force, the Kew Constabulary, which has been operating since 1845.
Different units
The Kew Gardens Botanical Garden consists of several different units. The Garden’s arboretum consists of 11,000 trees, with the oldest specimens dating back to the 18th century – the Japanese sophora (or pagoda) and the acacia tree are just a few. The tallest tree at Kew Gardens is the coastal redwood, and to give you an idea of what it looks like in real life, suffice it to say that this 40-meter beauty can be compared to the height of a 13-story building. Impressive.
Kew Gardens also houses the Bamboo Garden, home to the fastest-growing woody plants in the world. The Garden contains 130 species from China, Japan, America, and the Himalayas, making it one of the largest collections in the United Kingdom. Since some species are invasive, the Garden uses durable plastic barriers to prevent rapid growth. One of the attractions of this Garden is the Minka House, a traditional, simple structure in which the Japanese lived until the mid-20th century.
In the tropical nursery of Kew Gardens, you will be greeted by impressive carnivorous plants. These beautiful killers, as they are often called, usually live in soil with very few nutrients, and the prey they capture helps to supply them. Venus flytraps, sarracenias, and pitcher plants lure unwitting insects into a trap from which there is no escape with their intoxicating scent and magical colors.
Winter garden
After the exotic, it is time for cold, dry, and windy conditions, which allow mountain plants to flourish. Kew Gardens even has that! You can meet them in the Davies Alpine House, which grows some of the most resistant species in the world. Although their original natural habitat is in the Arctic, the Alps, or the Andes, you can admire them in London. To save energy, the air is cooled by passing through a labyrinth of pipes buried under the house at a depth where the temperature remains suitable throughout the year. The house is designed so the maximum temperature cannot exceed 20 degrees Celsius.
Another attractions
The so-called Treetop Walk, another attraction hidden in the Kew Gardens botanical garden, is also very popular among visitors. It is raised 18 meters above the ground and can be reached on foot, by stairs, or by elevator. The floor of the path is made of perforated metal and bends under your feet, making you feel like the entire structure is swaying in the wind. Be sure to visit the Beehive, a magical multi-sensory place whose primary goal is to evoke the unusual life of bees. It is an impressive 17 meters high, lies in the middle of a fragrant meadow of wildflowers, and is made of several thousand aluminum parts shaped like honeycombs.
In addition to the Palm House, the Royal Botanic Gardens include the Ornamental Grass Garden, the Water Lily and Bonsai Houses, and the Princess of Wales Conservatory, which Princess Diana officially opened in 1987. Its ten computer-controlled microclimate zones are home to plants from the dry and humid tropics, including many orchids.
And finally, another interesting fact – did you know that in 1985, during the construction of the Conservatory itself, Sir David Attenborough buried a time capsule in the foundation of the building with the seeds of essential food crops and several endangered species? It will not be opened until 2085, and given the grim forecasts and the fact that many plants could become extinct by then, these very seeds could be of crucial importance for the future and preservation of our beautiful planet, the only one we have.