De Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam was founded in 1638 and is one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world. The gardens were initially founded to grow herbs for the local apothecaries and medics. 

In the later 17th and 18th centuries exotic plants were brought to the garden greenhouses by ships of the Dutch East India Company.

De Hortus is located in the centre of Amsterdam and is relatively small at only 1.2 hectares but the greenhouses and gardens are packed with over 4,000 plant species from around the world. 

The gardens are informal in design with curved paths and irregular shaped beds and from late spring to early autumn they are full of colour.

The Shippendaal Garden contains examples of the original plants grown in the gardens in 1646.

The Buxus hedge edged beds of the Semi-Circle have been planted to give visitors an overview of the different plant families, their similarities and differences.

There are four greenhouses that can be enjoyed at anytime of the year and on colder winter days provide a welcome respite from the chilly winds.

The Three-Climate Greenhouse is the largest and newest of the greenhouses. Entry is through the Sub-tropical zone, here there are many plants from South Africa and Australia - including Eucalypts, Callistemons and Ericas to name a few. 

The greenhouse has a treetop walkway that allows visitors to enjoy the tree canopy and view the plants from above.

The next area contains tropical plants, it is much warmer and more humid, the palms, lianas, epiphytes giving the area a humid, jungle feel. 

The Palm House was built in 1912 and is an imposing yet elegant building. It contains many fine examples of palms and cycads and during the winter months the numbers swell as large pot plants are brought in from the gardens to protect them during the harsh Dutch winter.

The Mexican Greenhouse is quite small but filled with many fascinating succulents including large Barrel cactus.

The Butterfly House is also quite small with a high humidity, tropical feel. It contains examples of tropical plants brought back by the Dutch East India Company and are now grown commercially for us to enjoy including coffee, tea, chocolate.

But the real charm here are the profusion of butterflies that live their full life-cycle in this little hot-house, including the bright orange, Flying Dutchman and swarms of other brightly coloured insects.

Every Sunday at 14.00 there are free garden tours. The guides are very knowledgeable and add a new dimension to the gardens. Tour tickets can be collected when you pay for garden entry.

There are other tours and it is worth visiting their website for details of those.