Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Lying only about a mile and a half from the city centre, Birmingham Botanical Gardens is one of the UK’s most significant historic Botanic Gardens.
The Birmingham Botanical Gardens are on a 15-acre site and were designed in 1829. The gardens are Grade II* listed and are open to the public with an admission fee.
It boasts over 7000 plants and many themed gardens including two Alpine Gardens, the Japanese Garden showcasing the National Bonsai Collection, a Pinetum, Rhododendron Walk, and Roman, Medieval and Tudor gardens.
The site is particularly known for its four Victorian glasshouses - tropical, subtropical, Mediterranean and arid - and also retains many original features and layout from its original design by the landscape gardener and horticulturalist John Claudius Loudon.
The Tropical House was built in 1852 to house the tropical water lily, Victoria amazonica. This was followed by the construction of the Subtropical House in 1871. In 1884, the present-day Terrace glasshouses replaced the original conservatory.
Visitors can also enjoy an Alpine House, Butterfly House, and Aviary.
Between 1833 and 1927, the gardens hosted annual exhibitions of exotic plants, fruits and flowers, which raised local horticultural expertise and disseminated new ideas.
In 1910 a zoological collection was introduced which included bears, monkeys, seals and alligators. Though the zoological collection was later abandoned, the gardens' collection of birds remained a feature.
Photo by Roger Kidd.
Further reading
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