The Birmingham Botanical Garden is extremely recommended by Activ Birmingham as a place to pay a visit to under its heading of Fantastic Days Out.

These delightful gardens and glasshouses are located in Westbourne Road, Edgbaston, and Birmingham. The gardens cover some 15 acres of interest and enjoyment, and were designed by one of the leading garden planners of the day, J.C. Loudon. Loudon was also a respected horticultural journalist and publisher. The gardens 1st opened to the paying public in 1832.

Nowadays, visitors will find peace, splendour and tranquillity, plus excellent facilities which includes a shop, gallery, library, museum, a most crucial tea room and a study centre. The gardens also present educational facilities, courses and workshops. The Botanical Gardens promote numerous events from outside organisations in the course of the year.
 
The Gardens, with its exclusive facilities and surroundings, also cater for banqueting, conference, weddings (either civil ceremony and/or receptions) with its tailor produced menus and extensive dishes.  It also offers excellent dinner dance amenities and is also an exceptional venue for cocktail parties, lunches and dinners. Over the years the Birmingham Botanical Gardens has achieved a reputation of excellence for supplying clients with both quality and flexibility.

The gardens themselves give glasshouses rich with intriguing plants associated with Tropical, Subtropical, Mediterranean and Arid climates.

Glasshouses:

The Arid Home – This glasshouse is residence to plants from low and irregulars rainfall areas, plus plants from dry areas such as those discovered on cliffs and branches of trees. The house is allowed to follow ambient temperatures however, low level heating is used throughout periods of frost. Plants are watered up to 3 times a week throughout spring and summer periods, but completely withheld between October and March.
As nicely as cacti, this house contains a collection of living stones, carrion flowers and century plants. Plants of economic significance, such as sisal can also be discovered here.

The Mediterranean Home – This house provides an atmosphere similar to that of a Victorian conservatory. This kind of glasshouse was a feature of houses owned by wealthy families in the 19th and early 20th centuries.                                                   
The central beds are planted with a number of citrus varieties. There are also Mediterranean shrubs such as the dwarf pomegranate, locust bean, etc. To add colour there are also varying varieties of fuchsia, geraniums, coleus with their variation of leaf colouring and different seasonal plants which includes chrysanthemums and bulbs.

The Subtropical Home – This is the largest of the glasshouses, rising to 8 metres at its peak this being a height that is suitable to accommodate sizeable trees, palms, tree ferns, a Norfolk Island pine and a giant bird of paradise plant.
The temperature and humidity of this glasshouse are somewhat lower than those of the Tropical Home and by maintaining a minimum temperature of 10C it tends to represent the climate of subtropical regions.

The Tropical Home – If you wear glasses beware on entry as they speedily steam up, as do camera lenses. This house is planted with the most diverse variety of plants in a fairly small space when compared to the plants in other parts of the gardens.
The hot and humid conditions discovered here are extremely similar to the conditions found in the lowland equatorial regions of the tropics and the a variety of species present, represent the great variation of life form which are characteristic of such habitats such as trees, climbers, epiphytes, ferns, shade loving herbs and water plants.

The Gardens:

Loudon Terrace – The terrace is named in memory of J.C. Loudon who planned these gardens in 1830. It is an region to stroll, relax, chat or basically bask in the sun, need to the English weather permit.

Principal Lawn and Bandstand – The major lawn is an amphitheatre that acts as a sun trap, with the higher ground behind cutting of the cold northerly winds. The lawn, when weather conditions permit, is a popular spot for picnics and the focal point of the gardens, inviting visitors to leave the terrace and explore some of the much more remote areas of the gardens.

The Cottage and Garden – The red bricked cottage provides a mixture of architectural styles and its gardens a natural setting for a collection of plants reminiscent, from the visitor’s imagination, of the cottage gardens of time past.

The gardens also contain and feature the following:-   
Growing Schools Garden – Created by TV’s Chris Beardshaw, this garden is an example of how teaching and understanding can take place beyond the classroom.

Pinetum – A conifer grove with larch, pines, redwoods, cedars, Douglas fir and a maidenhair tree.

Alpine Yard – Demonstrating the quite a few ways alpines can be displayed.

Historic Gardens – Examples of Roman, Medieval and Tudor gardens.

British Wetlands – A landscaped reproduction of native wetland habitat.

Herbaceous Borders – A should for most gardens.

Herb Garden – Containing ornamental, culinary and medicinal varieties.

Acer Collection – A small arboretum of maples.

Winter Garden &amp Fountain – Early flowering plants and shrubs to bring colour to an otherwise lack lustre winter garden.

Rock Garden &amp Pool – A mountain landscape in miniature.

Children’s Playground – A standard playground an adventure trail.

Wild life Glade – A small plot managed to reproduce a flower meadow.

Azalea Valley – Borders of Azaleas.

Rhododendron Walk – A shady walk by way of new and old varieties.

Wilson Border – Devoted to plants from China.

Fern Garden &amp Woodland Walk – Recently replanted with varieties employed when the gardens were first opened.

Grass Garden – A selection of plants from the grass loved ones.

Japanese Garden – Built by members of the Japanese Garden Society.

National Bonsai Collection – A fine display of hardy varieties.

Lawn Aviary – Property to a variety of birds.

The gardens and greenhouses are expertly maintained to a quite high standard and as can be seen, the variation in garden varieties is really phenomenal. For a excellent day out the Birmingham Botanical Gardens are a should for all enthusiasts and lovers of quality gardens.