Birmingham Botanical Gardens

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It has been a beautiful sunny and warm day today so we have visited the expansive Birmingham Botanical Gardens using the Gardeners' World Magazine #GW2for1 offer that arrived in the post this morning.  This meant we gained entry for less than £3.50 each - such a bargain!

We had never visited during daylight hours, the last time being for the Chinese Lantern Festival which was fun.
Beautiful Chinese Lanterns floating on a pond
First impressions mean so much and we received a friendly welcome at the reception desk additionally the staff in the coffee house and the gift shop were attentive and polite too.

We have taken lots of photos far too many to publish but here is a selection of our favourites, some beautiful plants and planting combinations to be found in the well maintained and diverse grounds. 




Unsurprisingly from previous experience, we were drawn to this darker woodland area with its Ginkgo biloba tree underplanted with Ligularia and other bog garden plants.  We have a potted variegated Ginko Tree that is crying out to be planted in the ground so maybe this is a solution for us and follows a similar theme at the very back of the garden.

Interesting sculptures are to be found around the gardens.

This barrier made of Gabions filled with rocks is a great idea and draws from their traditional use, its a fab contrast to the soft grasses in the foreground.  I would love to have some smaller ones in our garden perhaps filled with logs and twigs of different sizes with a dual purpose of attracting insects but also to act as an informal seating area or just placed into a mixed border as a type of sculpture for added interest.

Great views!

An ocean of Tulips

I feel that membership is on the cards - we can't wait to go back.  I think its safe to say we have found our new favourite place to visit and its somewhere that we can take the whole family.

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