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Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Chris Beardshaw, Eden, National Botanic Gardens of Wales, National Collection of Bonsai, Norman Foster
Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Itching to get out somewhere over the Christmas holidays we trawled through our books and the pile of tourist leaflets I have stashed in a cupboard for some inspiration. Bright ideas were few though as so many places were shut. It seems unless you want to go to the cinema or theatre the only other way to amuse yourself at this time of year is traipse around the shops. I don’t really like shopping … well, unless it’s for books, plants or food. Even worse is the strange frenzy that takes over some people in their desperation to get their hands on the prized sale item they have their eyes on. So, since I wasn’t up for a round of elbow jabbing over a pair of shoes we ended up at the Botanic Gardens in Birmingham.
A soggy day in December isn’t really the best time to visit a garden, especially for the first time, as initial impressions are so important but at this time of year I’m just so desperate to immerse myself in plants again.
The gardens were first opened in 1832 by the Birmingham Botanical and Horticultural Society with the aim of providing a home for the increasing numbers of plants being brought to Britain from around the globe. Combined with this were the ideas of improving the lives of those living in an increasingly industrial and polluted city by providing somewhere green for them to enjoy and encouraging education and the thirst for acquiring knowledge.
The four glasshouses housing tropical, subtropical, Mediterranean and arid loving plants provided shelter for us when the rain inevitably came. I have to admit I find glasshouses a slight disappointment now after visiting the biomes at Eden and the Norman Foster designed glasshouse at the National Botanic Gardens in Wales, which are both so spectacular. Putting this to one side though, there was something beautiful about the Victorian metalwork of the palm house and it was possible to see how, although now a little faded in comparison to modern built glasshouses, these and the exotica inside would have wowed people over a hundred years ago. There were some fascinating plants on display. I loved the prickly pear, the beautiful flowers of Mackaya bella, a plant from Africa, and the delicate white flowers of Begonia suaveolens. And I was intrigued to see tiny white flowers on a money tree. I had no idea it even flowered. I wasn’t quite so keen on the coleus/poinsettia combo though which ran the length of one of the benches in the Mediterranean house. I think the element I love most about botanic gardens is the desire to inform. Little panels were dotted about giving you some fascinating bits of information about the plants on display or the plant hunters that discovered them and brought them to Britain.
National Bonsai Collection
A courtyard adjoining the glasshouses is home to the National Collection of Bonsai in what I can only describe as looking like a tree prison. I understand that these trees are worth a lot of money but it was very weird to see them displayed behind bars like they were captives. I felt like leaving a little placard saying ‘Free the Trees’.
Outside it may have been damp and chilly but there were some beautiful faded flowers and seed heads to see. But most importantly, to lift the spirits, were signs of new life; flowers on the witch hazels, bulbs appearing all over and fat, hairy buds on the magnolias.
Magnolia and its buds ready to open
In the 19th century the gardens weren’t just a home to plants but also included a zoological collection. All that remains of this today is a small collection of birds housed in four domed aviaries. Some may think another placard was needed saying ‘Free the Birds’. I’m uneasy about creatures being kept like this and in an ideal world they wouldn’t need to be but whilst habitat is being destroyed being able to protect species in captivity is important. There’s also a strong argument for the educational value of being able to actually see such creatures so close up. It’s not the greatest photo in the world but we were particularly taken by this little bird with what looked like a toupée. It was reminiscent of a 1970s game show host.
Toupée bird (not its actual scientific name)
The gardens are very much true to their Victorian roots but there were elements with a more modern take such as the prairie planted area and a garden designed by Chris Beardshaw which shows how a garden can be used as a classroom, encouraging a new generation of growers. Bearing in mind the educational remit of botanic gardens I was surprised, and slightly disappointed to discover that there wasn’t a single gardening book for sale in the shop. Now I’m not sure if there was some secret corner of the shop we failed to find that was actually stuffed with them but it certainly didn’t look like it. There were plenty of scented candles and Christmas decorations though.
Botanic gardens, like Birmingham’s, are precious resources and even though there were elements that felt a little dated and could do with a bit of TLC it was a great place to while away a few hours. I’m looking forward to visiting again when the sun is shining and the roses are blooming.
For more information about Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
What a perfect thing to do (and I love the toupee bird; it needs rechristening immediately)… I’d no idea this was so good, and it’s not really that far away from me. OK, more than 2 hours, but that classes as close-ish. Must go; thanks!
It’t about an hour and 10 minutes for us, although traffic was bad that day and it took more like 1 hour 50. Still we’ve travelled further in a day for a garden visit.
I don’t know why scientists don’t give creatures more descriptive names. If I was in that position .. oh the fun I’d have. 
Its good to get out in the winter away from our soggy gardens, I think we have been spoilt with Eden and the NBG of Wales, but Birmingham sounds as if you enjoyed it. Poor little bonsai prisoners, a sign of the times we live in unfortunately. I too make a bee line for the gardening book section in any shop that I’m in and feel so depressed when there aren’t any, not that I need any, have far too many already, but they are my passion!
The great thing about places like this is that you can return at a later date and find so many new things to see, it’s always changing. I have to say that I’ve never seen plants behind bars before, and I think you should definitely have made that placard. It’s lovely to see things showing signs of life again, it won’t be long before everything is springing in to growth..
Lovely post, glad you found a dry day to go…
We were going to stroll through Kew Gardens on New Years Eve but it was tipping down!!!!
Hello Wellywoman! What a great review. I really enjoyed reading that! When I visited the Botanical Gardens in Amsterdam I felt a bit let down too, it wasn’t the right time of year to visit I guess, but then when I go somewhere like Harlow Carr in the winter I feel completely amazed. So it is possible, but I certainly don’t know how. It would be cool if you visited the gardens in Birmingham again in the spring or summer to see if they were top notch by then. Like you say though, these places are really valuable even when they do need a little TLC and always good to visit. Strange how they had no gardening books?! Very enjoyable review, thanks for sharing
Thanks Anna, Harlow Carr is amazing and I wish we had somewhere like that near us. It’s the alpine house that I really remember.
I think that even with your misgivings you were lucky to visit somewhere interesting like that at this time of year.
I’m always in two minds about bonsai but generally feel that it’s not for me, and certainly don’t like that way of showing them.
A visit in the summer will, I’m sure, give a very different perspective, and they even then have some gardening books in the shop! xx
We’ll definitely visit again. The Victorians had some great ideas when it came to improving the body, mind and spirit. I wish we thought a bit more like that now rather than being driven by profit margins but I’d better not drift off into a rant.
Your kind of shopping is my kind of shopping WW
The idea of going to the sales leaves me stone cold. Very interested to read about your visit to the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham. As former secretary of our gardening club I still get the occasional mail including mail shots from Birmingham encouraging us to make a group visit, so it’s good to read a first hand experience. I carried some ancient bonsai for a speaker once and was petrified of dropping them.
It’s definitely worth a visit and I’m sure we’ll try and get back there this year. I like bonsai. I know some don’t, but I think they are fascinating. I’d have been nervous too. I’d have probably dropped them though. I get very clumsy when I’m nervous.
bonsai in prison? Stellenbosch has a botanical garden for their university students. The bonsai are in a bamboo walled enclosure, with windows offering tantalising glimpses in. You can look, but can’t touch.
I think I like the sound of bamboo a little more than metal bars. At least it would look more natural, if keeping trees behind bars can be natural.
I think there should be T shirts printed with ‘Free the Trees’ on them – they do look a bit sad locked behind bars.
I’ve not been to BBG for a few years, I think it’s time I revisited.
It was a good way to spend a few hours and I’d love to see it in summer. I like the idea of those t-shirts.
We have had our money plant flowering, but only once and took photos because we could’nt believe it, but the plant got too big so I took cuttings and started again, not sure if it only happens once in it’s lifetime, but they are lovely flowers to look at.
The cuttings we’ve got are still going strong. I tend to thin the plants though ever few years though so they don’t get too big, so I’ll probably never get them to flower.
Love the toupee bird, but I think the combination of a long display of coleus/poinsettia and the emprisoned bonsais would have left me feeling a little odd. Maybe if you go back in Spring?! Just a hint, since I am unlikely ever to go in person…