Enjoy the great outdoors with London attractions this summer

People taking a 'staycation' and visiting London attractions this summer do not have to miss out on the exotic sights they would have enjoyed on an adventurous long-haul holiday, with Kew Gardens offering a trip round the world in the space of a few hours.

An idyllic day out for people looking for things to do in London, an exhibition at the famous gardens is offering visitors the chance to experience the striking sights, sounds and fragrances of plants native to a variety of exciting locations.

The Princess of Wales Conservatory has been dramatically transformed into a bleak desert landscape, playing home to the cacti of South America and aloes of Africa - displaying the diversity of desert greenery.

From the parched desert, guests can quench their thirst at the gardens' tropical rainforest, exploring the biodiversity of the rainforest under a humid canopy from Brazilian tropical palms to ancient cycads in the Palm House. The central section of the Palm House features plants from the Americasincluding cocoa, rubber, banana and papaya plants. A number of Asian fruit trees are also featured in the house, such as mango, starfruit, breadfruit and jackfruit.

Venturing again to a starkly different landscape, tourists can enjoy the tranquil waterfalls and fragile, pretty flowers found on the Alps and other mountain ranges around the world in the Davies Alpine House. Featuring cushion plants from high-altitude areas and colourful Mediterranean blooms, one of the highlights for plant lovers is the rare Chilean Blue Crocus, Tecophilaea cyanocrocus. The unusual plant has scented cobalt blue flowers with a white centre and has been extinct in the wild since the 1950s.

Visitors can then descend from the delicate mountain landscape to immerse themselves in exotic East Asia, which features a soothing Japanese landscape complete with its characteristic structured planting and lavish blossom. The Japanese gateway was created for the Japan-British Exhibition held at WhiteCity in London in 1910. Touted as "one of the finest examples of a traditional Japanese building in Europe", the construction is built in the late-16th century architectural style of the Momoyama era. Also included in East Asia is the iconic Chinese-style Pagoda, which is framed by a tree-lined vista.

The Mediterranean garden is packed with colourful and aromatic flora and fauna. Tourists can relax among olive groves, stone pines and cork oak. This was designed to emphasis the economic use of many of the plants of the region, the diversity of wildlife that inhabit its environment and the conservation that is needed to promote its survival.

Guests can next head over to the majestic California redwoods to experience the tallest tree family in the world, usually located in Oregon and California.

Last but not least, the menthol-scented Eucalyptus and the endangered Wollemi pine are on show in the Australia section of the gardens. The selection of plants range from those native to the east coast along to the western granite outcrops.

To delve deeper into the East Asia, rainforest, mountains or desert and semi-arid worlds, visitors are invited to embark on a walking tour and learn about the biological diversity of the gardens as well as its current science and conservation work.

London Attractions