The botanic garden, hidden behind the Institute, has an atmosphere of green profusion. It is approached though a small conservatory which shelters tender plants in winter, and houses a collection of carnivorous plants. The latter double their grisly fascination – and beauty - when viewed though a microscope.
Densely planted, themed borders are formally laid out and separated by a grid of paved paths. The space is compact (24m x 16m), but the garden contains over 500 labelled species.
home | what's on | history | garden | herbarium | library | volunteer | join us | email us | contact us | find us
Gerard’s Border
A selection of plants recorded by John Gerard of Holborn in his ‘Herball’
of 1596. Herbalists were the GPs of the day, prescribing these plants for
a number of Tudor ailments, recommending the ingestion of the root of Angelica
archangelica, ‘a singular remedie against poison, the plague and all
infections taken by evill and corrupt aire’.
Southern hemisphere area
Plants from Australasia and South Africa, including Muehlenbeckia astonii.
an endangered coastal shrub from New Zealand and Eucomis comosa (Pineapple
flower) from the eastern Cape.
British natives, ferns, scented plants, drought tolerant plants, monocots and unusual vegetables are also represented.
Unusual trees create an ideal environment for shade loving plants.
Sophora tetraptera (Kowhai) from New Zealand with yellow pea flowers, delicate
foliage and bead-like seed pods thrives and Azara serrata, an evergreen from
Chile, fills the April garden with vanilla perfume from its fluffy yellow
flowers.
At the heart of the garden is the pond supporting native wetland plants and providing a home for frogs and newts. Sky blue Myosotis scorpioides (Water forget-me-not) flowers throughout the summer.
