Cool gardens: Bask in the eternal summer of the glasshouses
A gem for gardeners to visit in the Midlands is the Birmingham Botanical Gardens Subtropical House. See my posts on the early autumn borders, the tropical house, and the Mediterranean House.
The extensive glasshouses were my favourites – perfect inspiration for summer. The four glasshouses – Tropical, Subtropical, Mediterranean and Arid are arranged in climatic zones. They’re packed full of plants that are interesting to the non-gardener.
Educating on the benefits of plants
There’s an emphasis on education and pointing out the importance of plants from each region to us. In this house, you can see pineapple, tea, cinnamon, rice, peanut and sugar cane.
The Subtropical House leads on from the Tropical House, and it’s a breath of fresh air, despite being so warm – the humidity is much lower. Formerly the Palm House, it’s the largest glasshouse, built in 1871 for £1,634. There are four special collections of plants here:
Birmingham Botanical Gardens Subtropical House – Fern collection
These live on the shadier north side, including the epiphytic stag’s horn fern (Platycerium bifurcatum), the Japanese climbing fern (Lygodium japonicum) and Dicksonia x lathamii, a tree fern raised by a curator in the 1870s and the only plant of its kind in the world.
Cycad collection
These ancient conifers, fern-like in appearance, were the dominant vegetation 100 million years ago, but are now limited in distribution and habitat.
Birmingham Botanical Gardens Subtropical House – Carnivorous plants
A display of carnivorous plants from temperate climates includes sundews, butterworts, pitcher plants, Venus flytraps and bladderworts, all of which trap and digest small insects.
Orchid collection
The largest family of plants, with more than 17,000 natural species. Both epiphytic types, which live on trees in tropical woodlands and soil-growing types are on show.
Birmingham Botanical Gardens Subtropical House – Opening hours
- The gardens are at Westbourne Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 3TR, open every day, except Christmas Day and Boxing Day, from 10am.
- From October to March: Doors close at 5pm (at dusk if earlier).
- Christmas Eve: doors close at 3pm.
- April to September: Doors close at 6pm on weekdays and 7pm on weekends (at dusk if earlier).
For more information and special events, visit www.birminghambotanicalgardens.org.uk.
