The subject of this year's Kunming International Expo is "man and nature walking hand in hand into the 21st century. When the UK was asked to take part, it seemed natural to build a garden. Now the British Garden will be a central part when Expo opens on May 1.” David Patterson, the Curator of the Department of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, is leading the team notes putting the finishing touches to the garden. The Royal Botanic Gardens were chosen for a very good reason. They have the largest collection of Chinese plants in the world outside China. “Ever since people in Britain started gardening for pleasure they have used Chinese plants.” Patterson told English corner “These are probably Chinese flowers in nearly every garden in Britain. This is a good chance to give something back.” The garden has been carefully designed to mix traditional British skills with the local Chinese environment. David Patterson describes the garden as “formal but gentle”. It contains a raised flower bed, a summer house and a lot of local trees. The garden is contained behind a wall of local, yellow stone. It is intended to be a place of serious thinking and quiet enjoyment. "You could say that we've painted a picture," said Davis Patterson. "And we have designed the garden to continue for a long time, so that the people of Kunming will be able to enjoy it long after the Expo is over."