London's Garden of Eden

Kew Gardens is a 320-acre park in west London founded by the mother of George III. It is home to more than 40,000 species of plants. It is celebrating its 250th birthday this year. It is a UNESCO-designated world heritage center, and about 10 percent of the plant species discovered each year are named there. Today, it was our science lab. We went there in part because the weather was uncharacteristically sunny, and it offered an opportunity for the girls to run and play outdoors. We especially enjoyed the Palm House, featuring the tropical flora of all the major continents and the Temperate House where plants from milder climes grow. We learned that one tree produces enough oxygen for five people to breathe. We saw tea and coffee plants. We saw coconut palms. We saw bananas ripening on a vine. We saw ancient and enormous cedars, magnificent oaks, sequoias and a 300 year old chestnut. We saw the world's tallest living indoor palm tree (a Chilean wine palm.) We heard about new species which are expected to begin growing as the climate of Britain continues to change, and we wondered whether we might someday be able to grow lime trees and bamboo at home. Unfortunately, the garden closed before we were through, but this is a place worthy of a return visit.