Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Glasshouses

Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Glasshouses: The Birmingham Botanical Gardens were opened in 1832. They were designed by J. C. Loudon, a leading garden planner, horticultural journalist and publisher. Today the gardens offer a superb opportunity for recreation and relaxation close to the centre of Birmingham.

The Main Lawn is an amphitheatre that acts as a sun trap, with higher ground behind cutting off the cold northerly winds. The Lawn is therefore a popular spot for picnics in fine weather and is, indeed, the hub of the Gardens, inviting the visitor to leave the formal Terrace and explore the more remote regions beyond.

Childrens' Discovery Garden

This area has been designed for younger visitors to provide for interactive and enjoyable 'hands on' learning. Three- to six-year-olds can have fun while learning about the environment and how plants work. The Garden is designed in the shape of a flower. The entrance, via a willow tunnel, takes visitors up the stem path to the flower. Here, each petal contains interactive exhibits where children can get a real 'feel' for the natural world.

Tropical House

This house has the most varied collection of diverse plants in a small space compared to other parts of the Gardens. The hot humid atmosphere most nearly simulates the conditions of the lowland equatorial regions of the tropics and the species grown represent the great variation of life forms which are characteristic of these habitats; trees, climbers, epiphytes, ferns, shade loving herbs and water plants.

Mediterranean House

This house preserves something of the atmosphere of a Victorian conservatory or Orangery. This early type of glasshouse was a popular feature of the houses of prosperous families in the last century. The central beds are planted with a wide range of citrus varieties.

This house also contains other Mediterranean shrubs such as a dwarf pomegranate, Punica granatum var nana; locust-bean, Ceratonia siliqua, the fruit of which fed John the Baptist in his sojourn in the desert and which has recently come to prominence as 'Carob' - a substitute for chocolate. Citrus trees all look much alike, so to add colour and variety there is a seasonal display of glasshouse ornamentals. Among the most admired are the many varieties of fuchsia, and coleus, for the multicoloured foliage, but many others appear through the seasons, from bulbs in winter to chrysanths in the autumn. .

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