Kew Gardens

Kew Gardens is somewhere my mother has talked about for years and how she went often when she was little and would love to take me. At the time I just thought it was another Royal Park in London, so after researching and finding it has the world's largest collection of living plants I was sold - just a shame it is almost at the end of the District line a whole 2 hours away from my Essex surroundings...

So it was quite fortunate that I have two weeks job-free before starting my new adventure and am certainly making the most of it. My mother and I set off yesterday where I would finally visit this stunning exotic-jungle in the outskirts of London. When you go through the gates at Kew the vast scale of the gardens is breathtaking - you are greeted by a huge greenhouse lined with rows and rows of colourful tulips on the lawn in front which overlooks a stunningly quaint lake.

Make sure you grab yourself a map but don't walk around with your head lost in it as you'll miss all the best bits! My advice is to lose yourself in the gardens as there is something different at every turn. You can go from walking through the Canadian mountains stretching your necks to see the top of the Redwood trees to skipping through the english countryside laced with bluebells and English Oak trees.

Be sure to venture inside the smaller greenhouse to the left of the larger 'Palm House' to see the largest range of cactus' I have ever seen (serious plantslut envy!) it looks small from the outside but don't be fooled. I really hope you chose to see Kew Gardens this spring/summer if you haven't already been as it is a national treasure. We spent a whole 4 hours walking around and I am still sure we didn't quite see it all..

Try to go in Spring to catch the Cherry Blossoms!