Kew's - 250th birthday next year.

I've spent many hours at Kew in the early 1980s.

Audio Slideshow: Kew's beautiful buildings

The world famous gardens at Kew in west London will celebrate their 250th birthday next year.

They began life in 1759, when Princess Augusta - the mother of King George III - started an amibitious nine acre garden around Kew Palace.

Today, covering 326 acres, the Royal Botanic Gardens are home to the world's largest living plant collection - with 30,000 species listed.

But the World Heritage Site is also home to more than 40 listed structures.