Kew isn't just any old Great Garden of the World, this is 'Botany HQ'.   As New York is HQ to the UN and Brussels is HQ to the European Union, so London is HQ for all plant life on planet earth. 

A few other cities can claim older Botanic Gardens (Padova, Amsterdam and Oxford), but none has played such a pivotal role in the advancement of botany and the great tradition of gardening.

It was to Kew that Joseph Banks brought all his botanical samples after traveling around the world with Captain Cook and it was Banks who helped establish Kew's reputation for plant research.

Today it contains the world's largest and most diverse collection of living plants (30,000), employs 250 plant scientists, is host to 14,000 trees and shrubs, is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and sees 1.3 million visitors a year pass through its gates.

But don't let these prestigious statistics discourage you from just having a great day out with the family. 

Kew, above all, is a top class gardens for visitors, with rolling parklands, intensely colourful beds, unmatched collections of trees and shrubs, along with a host of excellent physical features. 

There really is something here for everyone.

Kew Gardens are also very large, covering 120 hectares, and cannot be fully appreciated in one day. In fact it would take around four days to properly explore the entire site so we suggest one visit per season in order to get a sample of all that Kew has to offer.

In springtime the Rhododendron, Magnolia and Cherry are breathtaking, while the woodland walks with vast quantities of bulbs challenge belief that you are in the middle of a great city.

In summer the great broad border walks and parterre displays show off fabulous selections of cottage garden annuals and perennials, all planted with immense skill to create an artful and beautiful effect.

In autumn the woodland walks change from green to a riot of reds and golds as the huge collection of Acers deliver their hidden talents.

And of course in winter the warmth of the Palmhouse, Temperate House and Princess of Wales Conservatory are a delightful retreat from London's winter winds.

But if you are on a one-off visit to London then there is a 72 seater eco-train that will take you on a guided tour along with commentary.

The Tree-Top Walkway is a world class feature that transports you to that special world only normally inhabited by birds and insects. 

The Rhizotron, in contrast, demonstrates with plenty of interactive screens what happens beneath the ground.

Perhaps the most astonishing new feature is The Hive, an abstract construction from around 170,000 pieces of aluminium which catch the changing sunlight. 

There are 1,000 LED lights dotted around its core which glow and fade, while a unique soundtrack hums in response to the activity of real bees in a beehive behind the scenes at Kew. 

It is immersive, very impressive and really highlights how important bees are to life on earth.  A little Disney-esque maybe, but with a powerful and valuable message.

Lets not forget the old favourites like the Pagoda, Kew Palace, the delightful Waterlily Glass-house and the huge Kitchen Gardens amongst so many others.

These large and very beautiful gardens are within easy reach of the centre of London and provide a wonderful day out from the hustle and bustle of the city.