Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (Kew Gardens) - a huge green mass on the banks of the Thames between Richmond and Kew in southwest London. This is one of the world's largest collection of living plants, which is visited by about two million people a year.

In 1759, Augusta, Dowager Princess of Wales, laid in an old Kew Park on an area of ​​3, 6 hectares, "an exotic garden." Since that time, visitors are attracted Chinese pagoda erected in 1761. In 1767, the garden received the status of the Royal Botanic. The golden age of the garden came when its unofficial leader in 1773 was the famous botanist Sir Joseph Banks, to maintain friendly relations with King George III. Research expedition brought here from all over the world unseen plants. It was then taken root here magnificent birds of paradise, and the British Isles in vogue African pellargonii.

With the death of Banks Kew it fell into decay, but in 1840 the government appointed him director of another large botanist William Hooker. Under his leadership, the Botanical Garden has become a real research center, has got a huge library. In 1860, they started to cultivate the South American cinchona, which helped to defeat malaria in the 70 years of the XIX century to successfully grow seedlings of rubber trees in South-East Asia, where a result was able to lay the plantation of rubber.

Today in the Kew area of ​​more than 120 hectares grow about thirty thousand species and varieties of plants from around the world. The gardens are also known for its unique buildings and structures. The Alpine lodge Davis found a shelter belt of alpine plants - a special system of automatic control of blinds prevents overheating rooms. Nearby is the smallest of Britain's royal residences, Kew Palace, built by the Dutch merchant Samuel Fotre around 1631 - can be visited. The Marianne North Gallery housed paintings by this artist of the XIX century, which alone traveled to America and Asia, sketching plants.

In 2008 Kew discovered an unusual structure - an alley above the treetops: glazed tracery bridge length of 200 meters, extending to a height of fifteen meters. Since it is well to observe the life, swirling through the trees.

There Kew altogether too amazing artifact: the world's largest compost heap. These collect weed weeds, leaves, tops and branches of plants, generously added a high-quality manure from the stables of the Royal Horse Guards - and it turns out the compost, which vlёt leaves the auction.