The Japanese minka at Kew

Now that spring has finally arrived we look at a few places where you can combine cultural histories with sunshine - either in plush grounds or public parks.

1. Kew Gardens are an obvious place to start. Enjoy the spring air, or explore glasshouses full of plants from every climate from tropical to desert.

At the end of May Kew Gardens will be re-opening their Chinese pagoda to the public for the first time in many years. It has previously been too frail to allow many visitors. The pagoda was built in 1761 when all things Chinese were a novelty and highly fashionable. Whilst not a particularly accurate representation of a Chinese pagoda, it's an interesting early attempt by the West to represent the East.

The Japanese minka, or farmhouse on the other hand, is completely authentic: it is an original that was shipped from Japan to Britain five years ago for a festival.

The Chinese pagoda at Kew in summertime. Courtesy of Kew Gardens.

2. The Horniman Museum has some of the loveliest gardens in London - with winding paths and plenty of informal space to lounge in the sun.

Inside the museum, you can see the long-running Amazon To Caribbean exhibition, as well as new display of Buddhist Textiles from Cambodia and - opening shortly - photographs of 21st century Native American lives.

Crowds in Horniman Museum Gardens during the Africa 05 music festival. Photography: c. Len Cross

3. All of the museums in Greenwich are just five minutes walk from Greenwich Park - 183 acres of grounds suitable for picnics, kite flying and informal football games. The museums include the National Maritime Museum and the Cutty Sark which brought goods from Australia and China to London for many years. There are also two good smaller venues. The Stephen Lawrence Gallery is open from Monday to Friday: its current art show Look Both Ways considers the heritage of Black people in Britain.

Meanwhile the Fan Museum has its own tiny Japanese garden tucked away in its grounds and invisible to all but visitors to the museum.

The Buddhapadipa Thai Buddhist Temple near Wimbledon Common. Courtesy of Buddhapadipa Temple.

4. More contemplative spots include the beautiful Buddhapadipa Thai Buddhist Temple in South London. These small gardens with lakes and willows are for walking around in quiet meditation. All are also welcome inside the temple itself, which is the only traditional Thai temple anywhere in Europe.

5. Whilst we often recommend the beautiful Arab Hall at Leighton House Museum, the gardens are less well known. Staff tell us that they are often very quiet and empty - a good place for peace and quiet in an otherwise very urban area.

The Horniman Sunken Gardens display spectacular floral displays in Spring and late Summer. Photography: c. Horniman Museum

6. At the top of Exhibition Road, next to Hyde Park the Royal Geographical Society is running an exhibition on the past 100 years of Sri Lanka - seen through the eyes of increasingly-disillusioned early 20th-century colonial administrator Leonard Woolf, and modern businessman-turned-writer Christopher Ondaatje, who was born in Sri Lanka. Woolf in Ceylon runs until 26th May.