Royal Botanical gardens of Kew

The royal Botanical gardens of Kew (Royal Botanical gardens off Kews) have very large botanical gardens located between the communes of Richmond upon Thames and Kew at the south-west of London. It is about richest the Botanical garden of the Monde.

History

They for origin exotic, baptized Kew House , consisted Lord Capel of Tewkesbury, increased and largely increased the Garden by the Augusta princess of Saxony-Gotha (1719-1772), widow of Frederick (prince de Galles) (1707-1751). Sir William Chambers (1723-1796) there built many building like the Chinese pagoda of 1761. George III enriches the Gardens with the assistance by William Aiton (1731-1793) and by Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820). The old buildings of Kew House are demolished in 1802. The Dutch House , close to the Gardens, is acquired by George III in 1781 to be used as nursery for the children of the royal family. It is known today under the name of Kew Palace. In 1840, the Gardens receive the official name of national Botanical gardens . The new director, William Jackson Hooker (1785-1865), increases the surface of the site, which passes from 30 hectares to 109, then with 121. The site also includes/understands a Herbier and a Bibliothèque. The Palm House (or house of the Palm tree S ) is built by the architect Decimus Burton (1800-1881) and the blacksmith Richard Turner (1798-1881) between 1841 and 1849. It is the first construction of scale using the Wrought iron. Tropical the House (or tropical house ) is the largest surviving building of the time victorienne.

Presentation of the site

In spite of poor environmental conditions (the atmospheric Pollution coming from London, of the dry grounds and weak rains), the Gardens constitute the largest collection of plants of the Monde. The entry of the Gardens is paying. The nearest subway station is Kew Gardens station (served by the District Line and the Silverlink). Another station, Kew Bridge station, in the north of the Gardens, is at a reasonable distance from walk.

Collections

It is to try to diversify its plantations, that Kew founded two other establishments, the first in the Sussex names Wakehurst Place and the second in the Kent Bedgebury Pinetum (the latter is jointly directed with the forest commission of the kingdom and is specialized on the culture of the Conifère S). Kew is at the origin of the diffusion of the culture of the rubber at the 19th century in South America. The royal Gardens are one of the most important centers in the world for the conservation of seeds. They take part, with the herbarium of the Université Harvard and the Australian national herbarium, with the database IPNI, providing a Nomenclature checked on the plants. In July 2003, the Gardens are added to the Liste of the world heritage establishes by UNESCO.

See too

External bonds

the site of the royal Botanical gardens
a virtual visit thanks to panoramas on 360°

Bibliographical orientation

Marilyn Ward and John Flanagan (2003). Portraying seedlings: illustrations collections At the Royal Botanical gardens, Kew, Art Libraries Newspaper , 28 (2): 22-28.

Simple: Kew Gardens

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