The following points highlight the top four National and International botanic gardens of the World. The Botanic Gardens are: 1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (England) 2. National Botanic Gardens, Lucknow (India) 3. Lloyd Botanic Gardens, Darjeeling (India) 4. Royal Botanic Garden, Sibpur, Kolkata (India).
Botanic Garden # 1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (England):
It was started by Sir Henry Capel (1696) as his private garden but later on in about 1759 Princess of Wales started to develop here a royal botanic garden.
Sir William Jackson Hooker, Professor of Botany in the University of Glasgow, was appointed Director of these gardens in 1841, and under his directorship the gardens increased from 20 acre to more than 250 acres. In 1865, J.D. Hooker succeeded his father as the Director of Kew.
Kew Bulletin was started in 1887. The present area of these gardens is about 300 acres. Various departments of this garden are its Library, Herbarium, Economic Museums, Gardens and the Jodrell Laboratory. A Curator is the incharge of the Gardens while the other departments are headed by a Keeper. Important publications of the gardens are Kew Bulletin, Index Kewensis, and Kew Botanical Magazine.
Botanic Garden # 2. National Botanic Gardens, Lucknow (India):
It is situated on the south bank of river Gomti and covers about 75 acres of land. It is bounded on one side by Rana Pratap Marg and on the other side by Ashok Marg.
Big Citrus, mango and guava orchards having great number of varieties are situated near the Ashok Marg enterance. A beautiful collection of roses is present in its Rosarium. Vanasthali is a picnic spot in this garden, covered by large trees. An experimental station, used for cultural, hybridization and other techniques is also present in the garden.
A Canna garden, many big laboratories, offices of the director and museum are all located in the garden. A big nursery and an attractive pool is also there. Many big lawns, a beautiful lake, aquatic garden, conservatory, Palm House, Fern House, Cactus House, Orchid House and a Medical Plot are some of the other peculiarites of this beautiful, attractive and scientifically arranged garden.
Botanic Garden # 3. Lloyd Botanic Gardens, Darjeeling (India):
This garden is situated at an elevation of about 6,000 feet in the East Himalayas in the district of Darjeeling (West Bengal), and was named after the donor of the space for the garden Mr. William Lloyd.
The garden was established in 1878 and its present area is more than 40 acres. The complete area of the garden is divided into three main sections, i.e., (i) Upper indigenous section, (ii) Lower exotic section, and (iii) Miscellaneous section. A temperate flora of thirteen countries is represented by more than 1500 kinds of plants, arranged in twenty divisions.
Some of the countries, of which the plants are represented in this garden are Japan, Australia, North America, China, Malayasia, etc. A small herbarium of about of 20,000 sheets is also attached with the garden.
Botanic Garden # 4. Royal Botanic Garden, Sibpur, Kolkata (India):
It was founded by Lt. Col. Robert Kyd in 1787 at Sibpur, and he also acted as the first Director of this garden. The garden represents a large number of the tropical plants of the world. Many Fern Houses, Orchid Houses and Palm Houses are the specialities of the garden.
It is also the headquarter of the Botanical Survey of India, and some of its scientific publications are Annals of the Royal Botanic Garden, Kolkata, Cinchona cultivation in Bengal, and Records of Botanical Survey of India. Libraries of the Botanical Survey of India and Royal Botanic Garden are also well-known to the botanists. A big and well reputed herbarium is also associated with the garden.