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Kew Gardens
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to simply as Kew Gardens, are extensive gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond upon Thames and Kew in southwest London. Kew Gardens originated in the exotic garden at Kew Park formed by Lord Capel of Tewkesbury. It was enlarged and greatly extended by Princess Augusta the widow of Frederick Prince of Wales for whom Sir William Chambers built several garden structures of which the Chinese pagoda from 1761 remains.
George III enriched the gardens aided by the skill of William Aiton and of Sir Joseph Banks. The old Kew Park was demolished in 1802. The "Dutch House" was purchased by George III in 1781 as a nursery for the royal children. It is a plain brick structure now known as Kew Palace.
In 1840 the gardens were adopted as a national botanical garden. Under Kew's new director William Hooker the gardens were increased to 75 acres and the arboretum to 270 acres, and later to its current size of 300 acres.
The Palm House was built by architect Decimus Burton (1844-1848) The Temperate house which is twice as large as the Palm House followed later in the 19th century. It is now the largest Victorian glasshouse in existence.
1987 saw the opening of Kew's third major conservatory, the Princess of Wales Conservatory (opened by Princess Diana), which houses 10 climate zones.
In July 2003, the gardens were put on the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
Despite unfavourable growing conditions (atmospheric pollution from London, dry soils and low rainfall) Kew remains one of the most comprehensive plant collections in Britain. In an attempt to expand in more favourable conditions Kew has established two out-stations at Wakehurst Place in Sussex, and Bedgebury Pinetum in Kent, the latter specialising in growing conifers.
The Marianne North Gallery was built in the 1880s to house the paintings of Marianne North. The gallery has 832 paintings.
As a result of the Japan 2001 festival, Kew acquired a Japanese wooden house called a minka. It was originally erected in around 1900 in a suburb of Okazaki. Japanese craftsmen reassembled the framework and British builders who had worked on the Globe Theatre added the mud wall panels. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kew_Gardens)
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