4 April 2011 Last updated at 03:04

Audio slideshow: Plant pictures at Kew

Victorian artist Marianne North travelled the globe to satisfy her passion for recording the world's flora with her paintbrush - and the results of her epic journeys have been displayed at Kew Gardens in London since the 1880s.

But with the original gallery housing the collection showing its age, and the art under threat from damp and mould, staff at Kew set about restoring the building and the 833 paintings inside.

The restoration process is now complete, and the gallery has been re-opened by BBC Radio 4 presenter and the corporation's former chief news correspondent, Kate Adie. As she explains here, she has been a fan of Marianne North's work for many years.

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Image information supplied by Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Music courtesy KPM Music and Reliable Source Music.

Slideshow production by Paul Kerley. Publication date 4 April 2011.

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Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

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