Belfast Botanic Gardens

I have been spending some time recently in Northern Ireland, and was enchanted to find the Belfast Botanic Gardens are right on my doorstep here.. just waiting to be explored.

The gardens started in 1828, when the “Belfast Botanic and Horticultural Society” was formed and a 14 acre site purchased. The Palm House was built in 1839 by ironmaster Richard Turner of Dublin, who went on to build the Palm House at Kew a few years later! If this one was a practice run, it is still really impressive.

It is not large, but cleverly designed to incorporate a Cool Wing, a central Dome which is sub-tropical, and a Tropical wing, so it can house a wide range of plants. Sadly it was closed for repairs on the day of my visit, courtesy of the recent winter storms.

There is another glasshouse on the site, the Tropical Ravine House, which is just amazing. It was built by “the Head Gardener and his staff” (Jason & the Garden volunteers – there’s an idea!) and was finished in 1889. Uniquely constructed into a hillside, so the visitor walks around a balcony and looks down into a moist glen filled with tropical planting.

It was renovated in 2019 with help from the Friends of Belfast Botanic Gardens, who clearly play a large part in supporting and maintaining these gardens. They have also created a fascinating new Global Medicine Garden just to the side of the glasshouse. https://fobbg.co.uk/

There is a Glade, with natural undulations and a stream running through the middle. Trees are a major feature of the gardens, there are some unusual lovely old specimens (Dawn Redwood!). The Friends website has very good information about each of them, they are well cared for. https://fobbg.co.uk/welcome/plant-collections/trees/

A rose garden was established in 1932 and is huge, with concentric beds and a brick pergola for the climbers. It is totally the wrong time of year to visit this of course, so I will have to come back in June. The other area that looks quite bleak at this time of year is the herbaceous long border, but that is because they are being renovated. I expect the Charlton House Garden Volunteers are well able to sympathise with the work ahead for their Northern Irish counterparts!

I had a very interesting visit. I don’t think we will be organising a coach trip to this one any time soon, but Belfast isn’t as far away as you might think – London City airport to Belfast City is an hour and 15 minutes!

Kathy A