South West London

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew » The original gardens were created for Augusta, Princess of Wales around her home, Kew Palace. She was much helped by Sir William Chambers who was influenced by oriental gardening and designed the Chinese pagoda in the grounds and other buildings. The estate was acquired by the nation in 1841 and enlarged to become a place for the scientific study of horticulture. It now contains the largest collection of plants in the world with tropical and sub-tropical plants being kept in appropriate conditions in magnificent Victorian glasshouses. The variety of plants is overwhelming but Kew has a magic far above the ordinary run of Victorian plant collections, perhaps because of its size and the underly..... Read more on Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Chiswick House Garden » <p>The 1720s garden was sufficiently changed by 'landscape' ideas for <a href="https://www.gardenvisit.com/biography/alexander_pope">Alexander Pope</a> to see it as the first garden in which 'the genius of the place' had been consulted. <a href="https://www.gardenvisit.com/biography/lord_burlington">Lord Burlington</a>, the owner and chief designer, was helped by <a href="https://www.gardenvisit.com/biography/charles_bridgeman">Charles Bridgeman</a> and <a href="https://www.gardenvisit.com/biography/william_kent">William Kent</a>. They aimed to make an <a href="https://www.gardenvisit.com/history_theory/garden_landscape_design_articles/historic_design_styles/augustan_garden_design_style">Augu..... Read more on Chiswick House Garden

Hampton Court Palace Garden » The renaissance garden, which Henry VIII made here in the 1530s, was converted to the baroque style between 1660 and 1702. Naturally competitive, Henry VIII wanted Hampton Court to outshine Francis I's palace garden at Fontainbleau. Henry VIII's garden had square plats of grass with lions, dragons and other painted heraldic beasts on posts. There was also a mount overlooking the River Thames and a Water Gallery leading to a landing stage for the royal barge. After Charles II became king, in 1660, he employed John Rose to make a canal, inspired by Versailles and 1.6 km long. It runs at 90<font size="-1">&deg;</font> to the the axis of the Henry VIII's heraldic garden. When William of Orange l..... Read more on Hampton Court Palace Garden

Syon Park » A Tudor house with later additions. The park and lake were designed by Lancelot Brown in 1760 but the dominant character today is nineteenth century. The garden is framed by a domed and galleried conservatory, designed by Charles Fowler in the 1820s. The circular pool has a copy of Giambologna's Mercury. The lake is surrounded by gardenesque planting. Read more on Syon Park

Ham House Garden » <p>The gardens of Ham House were restored by the National Trust to a 17th century layout to mark European Architectural Heritage Year (1975). The Trust used a plan by John Slezer and Jan Wyck (c.1671-2) as the basis for restoring the garden. This plan was partly inspired Robert Smythson's plan c1610.&nbsp; Plants which would have been available at the time have been carefully selected and have faithfully recreated the atmosphere of the period. There is now a parterre (with questionable planting) and a 'wilderness'&nbsp; which is not very wild: it is a wilderness in the sense defined in <a href="https://www.gardenvisit.com/biography/philip_miller">Philip Miller</a>&rsquo;s <em>Gardener&rsquo;s..... Read more on Ham House Garden