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What makes Kew Gardens unique?

This historic landscape garden features elements that illustrate significant periods of the art of gardens from the 18th to the 20th centuries. The gardens house botanic collections (conserved plants, living plants and documents) that have been considerably enriched through the centuries.



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The name Kew, recorded in 1327 as Cayho, is a combination of two words: the Old French kai (landing place; quay derives from this) and Old English hoh (spur of land). The land spur is formed by the bend in the Thames.

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Charges at Kew were first introduced at Kew during World War One as a means of raising money. [4] That penny admission cost rose to 15p[5] by 1983 when the current status of the Gardens as a Non-Departmental Public Body was established by the National Heritage Act 1983 to the current adult ticket price of £15.

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Also known as Kew Gardens, it is also the largest botanical collection in the world. Featuring 18th to 20th century landscaping techniques and elements, the Kew Gardens house the most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world, representing nearly 95% of the vascular plants and 60% of the fungi.

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Once inside, the green houses are superb, the orangery is really nice, the tree walkway is brilliant and the Japanese Gateway a great place to recharge. I visited on a cold, crisp Sunday in February. It was very busy, so will be packed on a Summer Sunday.

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During the Blitz, 30 high-explosive enemy bombs were dropped onto the Gardens. Our Herbarium, Temperate House, Palm House and Waterlily House suffered damage.

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A non-departmental public body, Kew receives about a third of its funding from the government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), but said it does not have “what's termed an intellectual property budget”.

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Queen Charlotte and her family enjoyed many happy summers at Kew before the King became ill. The palace had begun life as a private home and retained an intimate, domestic feel. Life there was relaxed, with the King and Queen walking in the gardens unescorted.

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Our oldest chestnut-leaved oak (Quercus castaneifolia) is the biggest and fastest-growing tree in our Gardens. Within our vast collection of 14,000 trees, made up of more than 2,000 different species, lives an oak tree with a mammoth record. Meet our majestic chestnut-leaved oak (Quercus castaneifolia).

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Kew Gardens is a middle–upper class neighborhood in the central area of the New York City borough of Queens.

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The origins of Kew Gardens can be traced to the merging of the royal estates of Richmond and Kew in 1772. William Chambers built several garden structures, including the lofty Great Pagoda built in 1761 which still remains.

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With over 8.5 million items, we house the largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world. They represent approximately 95% of vascular plant genera and 60% of known fungal genera. Here is a guide to the different types of collection we hold.

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