Great Broad Walk Borders

Feast your senses on these rich, colourful borders - a striking walkway into the heart of Kew.

Great Broad Walk Borders, RBG Kew

Believed to be the longest herbaceous borders in the country – and possibly in the world – our Great Broad Walk Borders stretch out in a rainbow of colour.  

At more than 320 metres, the borders offer an adventure for the senses – with fresh fragrances, dazzling flower beds and feathery grasses in a joyful display that evolves with the seasons.  

Originally designed as an impressive promenade to the Palm House, the borders were replanted in 2016. Arranged in themes across eight large circular beds, they showcase a spectacular range of plant families – ideal inspiration for your own garden.  

From wonderful cultivars to wild species used in research at Kew, there is plenty to discover along the way. At their finest in summer, there is still plenty of interest in spring and autumn too.  

Each of the eight beds has a plant list for you to view. Look out for swathes of the golden yellow Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii, Geranium ‘Orion’, salvias, lilies, and spires of Verbascum and Phlomis. 

Kew tip  

The borders are a feast for the senses. Take a stroll and try to catch the fresh fragrance wafting from the mint family (Lamiaceae) bed as you pass by aromatic clusters of sage, lavender and catmint.  

Mint family beds along the Great Broad Walk Borders

Visiting the Great Broad Walk Borders 

 

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The Great Broad Walk Borders opened in 2016 and extended in 2023. The Board of Trustees of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew would like to thank Defra, The Davis Foundation (in memory of their parents), and all other supporters of this garden.

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