Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew is a fantastic must see botanic garden it is not a garden design site it is a botanic garden so as far as I am concerned the criticism re design is ludicrous Its history dates back 250 + years and the tours are brilliant the history is great Hooker etc
It has many champion trees the student beds are always of interest Wisley has an entirely different purpose so comparing the 2 is comparing oranges and apples

(5.0/5)

Kew gardens is an absolutely amazing place. Plants and flowers from all over the world, beautiful park land. Excellent for a peaceful day or an educational trip. I have travelled all over the world and it is great to recognize the flowers and plants.
Kew gardens started as a study of plants and now has evolved into a beautiful place to visit.
It is very expensive and could be a lot cheaper to encourage families to appreciate the wonders of our world.
However, it is 5 star as it is a great place to visit. Great place to have a picnic or a cup of tea at one of the cafe/restaurants.
The gardens change all year round and found that spring and late summer is the most productive time.

(5.0/5)

It may be expensive, and the parking too, but this is a wonderful garden to visit, particularly in winter. Best to become an annual member if you live in the vicinity because you can return whenever you want and also visit Wakehurst Place, with its amazing Millenium Seedbank.
There is always something in bloom in the glasshouses;the water lilies are spectacular; the Princess of Wales Conservatory is a great place to take children; and if you like walking, you can't get much better than Kew Gardens - especially in the autumn when the leaves are turning, and spring, when the bluebells are in flower.

(5.0/5)

I'm not sure if its me or its Kew. Lets accept that the plants are magnificent shall we?

Its expensive? Yup I don't object per se to that but then charging me to park my car......

It doesn't "feel" like a garden it feels like a museum of plants. To me a really great garden makes me want to pull out a book and sit and soak the atmosphere up. I am sure Kew is the better planted the more interesting the..... but I am more likely to return to Batemans or Pashley. Kew never manages to draw me in the closest it comes, is away from the glass houses by the lake where the gardenmaffia tend to keep away.

I felt the same way about Wakehurst Place. Amazing, stunning but lacking in soul.

(3.0/5)

I think that the children's garden and educational play area (there's even a flower to play in) make Kew a great place to visit with a young family and of course no dogs are allowed so you can even let toddlers toddle without worrying about dog mess! The High tree walkway is also an amazing new attraction for older children.

As a Garden designer however, I am disappointed that nothing much seems to change in terms of the design of the planting. With RHS Wisley leading the way and commissioning new garden design why doesn't Kew follow suit and give us some new design to inspire us. I really feel that gardens shouldn't just be museums but should be places to be inspired and see new ideas....

(3.0/5)