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Botanical Gardens

Bernard67Arnold

master brummie
Yesterday I ticked another item on my "Bucket List" and
visited the Botanical gardens something I wanted to for
ages, since I was a kid in fact.After passing the old Fire
Station just accros the road from Steelhouse Lane I was
lost, luckly my daughter had a SatNav in the car!.I turn
my back for forty years and you have turned the city centre upside!down The gardens are well worth a visit but the weather was awlful, the admission charges are
reasonable and something of a minor miracle parking was free, very rare these days!
Quote;It took me 30 years to become an overnight
success, Val Doonican
 
It's years and years since I visited the Botanical Gardens - there used to be a very good restaurant there.

Being a lifelong aeromodeller, the Bot has a particular interest for me, as this year is the 100th anniversary of my club, The Birmingham Model Aircraft Club, whose original flying-field was, believe it or not, the Botanical Gardens. There are photos of stern-looking gents in chamber-pot hats holding their weird creations, and if I can get hold of the originals I'll post a couple. Of course, in those pre-WW1 days model planes were powered invariably with rubber motors and so were silent - hard to imagine anyone in the middle of Edgbaston putting up with the howl of a modern high-speed two-stroke engine.

Big Gee
 
Hi Dave: Thanks for posting the Birmingham Botanical Gardens youtube of the Japanese Bonsai. I sent it to my husband's computer since he has a collection that he developed himself and climbed high in the mountains to bring down specimens. He eventually joined a Bonsai group before I met him.
I visited the Botanical Gardens on my visit last October and spent three hours there in all. I took the train from Four Oaks to Five Ways and then literally wandered down the Hagley Road until I saw the signs pointing to the Gardens. After a long walk I arrived at the gates. I was on my own so I had a wander around the streets adjoining Westbourne Road admiring the
impressive homes before entering the gardens. I also had a walk along the street beside the Plough & Harrow Hotel. Some of the buildings are very old.
The Hot Houses were quite overgrown I thought but were still very interesting to go through. It was a fair good day outside and I had a walk around some of the huge parkland, visited the Aviary and band stand in the grounds. There was an Apple display in one of the buildings with many kinds of apples laid out. They all looked delicious but there were notices to say "Don't Touch".

I was totally in awe of the Japanese Bonsai Collection and Gardens, It is so beautiful and I can understand why the Bonsai trees are "behind bars" The buildings, layout and presentation of this collection is the best I have seen and the trees and gardens were just perfect. I remember at the Birmingham Flower Show in 1972 when I visited at Perry Park, there was an excellent show of Bonsai there which I was impressed by. The gift shop is excellent.I bought a few books and some postcards of the Bonsai Trees.

I had lunch in the cafeteria which has great views of the grounds and also viewed the inside exhibitions in the Convention Rooms. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit there and am very glad I went. Here are a few photos that I took. I have a few more which I will post in another message.
 
Jennyann on this visit I only took one pic of the Bonsai, the one looking like a forest, the bars are for security, they are worth a bob or two, in time will sort out a few more pics, Dave
 
hi jenny...thanks for sharing your memories of the botanical gardens and thanks dave for reminding me that its still there..i havent been for about 15 years and really must go again....

cheers

lyn
 
Dave, Thank you for the reply, I do hope they manage to put them back as it would not be the same without them.
 
Good news to hear that the pool has been cleared out. I am sure the fish will reappear soon. Here are some more photos I took
last October. The Cacti Hot House was fascinating (lst photo) The Entrance to the magnificent Bonsai collection (2nd photo)
Beautiful bougainvillea display (3rd photo) Long shot in one of the main Hot Houses (4th photo) Insect eating plant display (5th photo). I have a few more which I will post soon.

Dave, two of my husbands best Bonsai trees were stolen when we lived in a very secluded place many years ago and had them outside on the balcony. We never found out who took them but they were insured and we used the money from the insurance to buy a new fridge for our first house!
 
I'm going to that (Magical Lantern Festival) tomorrow evening. But it is forecast for heavy rain!
 
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