Patricia Gentry-Verhoestraete

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: A Place To Find Solace In Nature During Coronavirus Pandemic

As a Blue Badge Tourist Guide, I feel proud and privileged to introduce visitors from around the globe to the greatest and most historic botanic gardens in the world: the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Both a UNESCO World Heritage Site with hundreds of years of history and a key scientific research centre at the forefront of saving our planet, the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew offers endless wonders for all to enjoy.

In this video, initially broadcast via the Guide London social media channels, I share some of the fascinating stories connected to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew which dates back to the early 18th-century.   Just a 30-minute train ride from Central London, the 326-acre site at Kew now has 40 historic buildings and its collection includes over 27,000 taxa of living plants, 8.3 million plant and fungal herbarium specimens, and over 40,000 species in the seed bank.

For a more in-depth virtual tour of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew followed by a Q&A session, get in touch via my Guide London profile. You can watch or listen from the comfort of your home or as a preparation for your next real-life visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Patricia Gentry-Verhoestraete

My name is Patricia.
I am a professional licensed tour guide in the UK with 20 years experience and holder of the prestigious Blue Badge.
Because of the Corona virus situation,nearly all real-life tours are not happening with the exception of couples or family visits. All of my most popular tours…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may also like

Film4 Summer Screen Returns To Somerset House

Film4 Summer Screen returns to the iconic courtyard at Somerset House in London from 6–19 August for 14 nights of open-air film screenings.

Read more

The View From My Window: The Source of Memories & Dreams

Time is weighing heavily as I sit at my window, sewing. Yes, buttons. Has it really come to this? Every once and awhile I’ll lean forward to wave or nod to a friend or a passing acquaintance. The window washer, the Baptist preacher, the local councilwoman, the `kids’ next door (who are now adults) … We know everybody. But truth be told, it didn’t get off to a good start. My husband Mike Rothschild and I moved into this house in Bow in East London at the end of the first year of the new millennium. Almost immediately we flew to the USA to visit family before returning to begin a massive renovation of our new home.

Read more