General news

We’re heading to PoliNations – and other work for September

Posted on by Birmingham Botanical Gardens

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games might be over, but two of our gardeners will participate in the Birmingham 2022 Festival this month.

PoliNations, in Victoria Square, in the heart of the city centre, has been commissioned as part of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK and promises to be a spectacular space with giant architectural trees, a wonderland of planting and lots of free events.

In May, more than 1,000 people from 60 diverse community groups across the city were given seeds to grow calendula, commonly known as marigolds. Since then the growers have been carefully cultivating them and hundreds will be planted in the PoliNations pop-up garden.

Our horticulturist, Chris, and head gardener, Wayne, will be at the PoliNations garden between September 2 and 18, planting and giving guided tours of this fabulous space in the city centre.

It looks fantastic, so if you are planning to head over to the garden, say hello.

Back at the Gardens, we will give the main and west lawn a much-needed pampering after an incredibly hot and dry summer and lots of feet trampling over them.

We bring in specialist contractors who will use machinery to aerate the lawns – they do this by drilling holes into the lawn to alleviate compaction – and then they will scarify the lawn by scratching out “thatch”, which is a build-up of dead grass, twigs and moss. This will be followed by topdressing with lawn sand and fertiliser, which feeds the lawn and aids new growth.

All this work will help the lawn to look greener once the autumn rains come along. If your lawn is looking a little worse for wear, we’d recommend you do the same – you can aerate using a manual spike aerator or a core aerator, but a good old garden fork works just as well. Get rid of the thatch using a rake – as well as helping your lawn; it’ll be a great workout, too.

In late September, we will be removing the summer bedding on the Loudon Terrace, the car park and around the Peter Sowerby Bandstand, ready for replanting with polyanthus, which will give us plenty of bright and colourful displays from autumn until the spring.

September is dahlia season and the Loudon Terrace will also be planted up with these magnificent flowers – we know our visitors love to see these wonderfully blousy blooms and we have some impressive varieties that are as big as one’s head!

Make sure you make time to head to the grass garden, too, which is now approaching its best with maximum jungly growth and late summer colour.

If you’re quick, you’ll also have an opportunity to see the gorgeous butterflies in the Butterfly House. Doors close after the first weekend of the month and won’t open until May next year.

Did you know the Gardens is an independent educational charity that receives no regular public funding? Instead, our income comes from generous public donations, grants as well as conferences, weddings and other events. We welcome all our wonderful visitors – and you know you by coming to visit, you are also helping to preserve this fantastic Grade II listed space.

We also love to see your photos and videos. If you visit us, please keep posting them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and let us know what you enjoyed on your visit here. We look forward to seeing you all this month.

Top 5 things to do with your family in Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Posted on by Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Contents 

Whether it’s a day soaking up the sunshine on the Main Lawn or a crisp winter’s afternoon spent cosied up inside our Pavilion, you can rest assured that there is a bounty of things to do with your family in Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

From outdoor theatre and guided tours to immersing yourself in the enchanting splendour of the glasshouses, you and your loved ones will never be bored.

And to make the process of planning your days out just a little bit easier, we have compiled a list of the top 5 things to do with your family below. 

 

Glasshouses 

Boasting over 1,000 different types of plant species, the glasshouses are the Gardens’ showstoppers. 

There are six for you to choose from, each one complete with intriguing sights and beguiling treasures. 

 

Tropical House 

Defined by a hot and humid atmosphere, the Tropical House is a magical entanglement of climbers, herbs, plants native to the Amazonian rainforest, water plants, exquisite trees, multicoloured leaves and flowers which look like rose-pink chandeliers. 

Opened in 1851, the Tropical House was the first glass house to be constructed and has attracted thousands of visitors over the past 170 years. 

Family in the Tropical House near the koi pool

Rich in vibrancy and viridescence, the glasshouse is a jungle paradise at the centre of which lies a dazzling pool, full of beautiful koi carp. 

This is a crowd-pleaser you don’t want to miss. 

 

Subtropical House 

Formerly known as the Palm House, the Subtropical House was finished in 1871 and has captivated guests since its conception. 

Home to a collection of natural giants like the magnificent bird-of-paradise plant, this glass house is worth your time for the diversity and quirks of its numerous inhabitants. 

One such individual is the unique Japanese climbing fern which scales up to the 8-foot-high roof and is the only species of its kind on the entire planet. 

Adult carrying baby walks through the Subtropical House

Joining this lone wanderer are ancient conifers from the Cretaceous period, a mesmerising collection of orchids and educational plants such as pineapple, cinnamon and tea. 

And for members of the family who adore insect-gulping, carnivorous plants, the Subtropical House is the place to be with its vast array of gory guzzlers whose names read like a menu from Roald Dahl – bladderworts, sundews, butterworts and pitch plants to name a few. 

Mediterranean House 

Taking inspiration from Victorian conservatories and orangeries, the Mediterranean House is a sweeping display of raised beds, fruiting plants and ornamental specimens. 

It is a house fragrant with the scent of limes, satsumas, oranges, lemons and pomegranate, offering those who enter this domain a slice of Mediterranean heaven. 

Inside the Mediterranean House

Wild species hailing from parts of South Africa and Australia are also residents here – their beautiful blooms and foliage equally deserving of your attention. 

 

Arid House 

Abundant in a spectacular selection of succulents, the Arid House was designed for plants which favour dry conditions with infrequent rainfall.

Imitating a desert climate, the Arid House is home to a hive of cacti, from high-growing giants to the prickly little guys you might have in your home. 

Multiple cacti in the Arid House

Living rock from South Africa, bottlebrush and mimosa from Australia and agaves from South America are other members of this House, keeping the cacti company alongside a range of carrion flowers and century plants. 

 

Alpine House 

Why climb a mountain range to see an unusual group of plants when you could spend a couple of hours wandering through the Garden’s uber cool Alpine House. 

Fascinating, crisp and well-ventilated, this glasshouse provides a sanctuary for specimens which thrive in hilly or mountainous environments that sit above the tree line – an ideal hotpot for the Gardens’ award-winning National Cyclamen collection. 

Close-up of rocks and shrubs near the Alpine House

Whether you’re a large-plant enthusiast or appreciate the delicate shrubs, this refreshing glasshouse has a species for every onlooker. 

Butterfly House 

Whilst only open for a fleeting period of time (May until September), the Butterfly House is one of the Gardens’ best features. 

Decorating the space with a flutter of fascinating colours, butterfly species which decadently flap about this tropical abode come from several corners of the planet, including the Philippines, Central America and parts of Africa. 

This is a joyous visit for people of all ages who can marvel at the development of pupae into butterflies or watch them feed from fermented fruit. 

Close-up of green butterfly on a leaf

For those of you who are intrigued to visit this winged-haven, try challenging yourself or family members to count as many camouflaged butterflies as you can! 

 

Japanese Garden and National Bonsai Collection

Tucked away in a serene corner is the Japanese Garden, a relaxing space where thoughts are calmed and families can relax. 

It is the unofficial secret garden of Birmingham where plants, features and structures have been carefully considered to reinforce the space’s tranquillity.

If this is your cup of sencha then you’ll also love the National Bonsai Collection – a group of 25 bonsai trees which have been loaned to the Gardens by the Friends of the National Bonsai Collection. 

Japanese Garden

Presented in a secluded courtyard, the bonsais are a medley of masterpieces, the beauty of which illustrates the degree of care required to nurture them. 

If you’re after a quieter afternoon musing over something artistic, then the Japanese Garden and bonsai collection is the trip for you. 

 

Garden walks 

Living in the UK’s second largest city can make it difficult to escape the urban hullabaloo which is why the natural pocket of the Gardens is perfect for a city-based family. 

Spread across 15 acres, this landscaped Victorian Park is the ideal place to stretch your legs with a variety of walks that cut through the different areas of the Gardens. 

If you fancy a meander through a meadow of spring blooms then the Woodland Walk will not disappoint, reflecting the season’s evolution with its changing bed of snowdrops, primroses, bluebells, crocuses and scillas. 

People travelling down a path in the in the Gardens

Another spring walk for flower enthusiasts is the Rhododendron Walk, a route that is most spectacular in May when the name-sake plants come into blossom, projecting a firework of pink, crimson and ruby shades. 

Whether you’re out for a saunter or care for a longer stroll, you can find the perfect in the Garden’s seasonal walks. 

 

 

Pavilion tea room 

Cosy, comforting and inviting, the Pavilion tea room is the Gardens’ heart, filled with chatter, food and happy people, a great place to rest after a long afternoon in the fresh air. 

It has been a hub of life since 1909 when it first materialised as a wooden tea room next to what is now called the Subtropical House. 

Close-up of cake in the tea room

Designed by Ken Fairbairn, the Pavilion has been through several makeovers throughout the 20th century and has come a long way since the early provision of refreshment tents at the Gardens. 

Situated on the Loudon Terrace, the Pavilion is a warm bubble within which families can enjoy a delicious nibble and hot drink as they admire the outdoor views. 

 

Events 

Events at the Gardens are legendary, able to cater for anyone from the tiniest tots to their great-grandparents. 

Live music, watercolour workshops, interactive family sessions, guided tours, outdoor cinema screenings, photography classes, yoga classes, theatre – we do it all and more. 

Outdoor cinema event

Providing attendees with a few hours of fun and respite from their everyday activities, the Gardens’ events will leave you with memories to cherish. 

To ensure you and your family don’t miss out, keep an eye on the extensive list of upcoming events which will help you to plan ahead of your days out. 

Birmingham Botanical Gardens creates Commonwealth trail for the Commonwealth Games

Posted on by Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Birmingham Botanical Gardens has created a special Commonwealth trail for visitors as part of the Birmingham 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games celebrations.

The grade II* listed Gardens in Edgbaston has two trails: one with 54 national flowering and shrub plants and another with 54 national crops of the Commonwealth.

“We are growing as many of the 54 national flowers and national crops of the participating countries and territories as possible and will include interpretation labels next to each of the plants,” said head gardener Wayne Williams.

Grown inside the display glasshouses and relevant garden areas, the plants will be situated in spaces that accommodate their specific growing needs.

From Mozambique chilli plants to Tuvalu’s peachy plumeria flowers, there is a wealth of beautiful plants to view. The collection will include familiar specimens such as watermelons from Sierra Leone and Samoan ginger roots and more unusual plants such as the pigeon pea flower from The Bahamas.

“The Birmingham Botanical Gardens are excited to welcome visitors from all over the world, and we’re looking forward to seeing them find as many Commonwealth plants as possible,” said Wayne.

“We hope our visitors will find it educational. It will certainly give them the opportunity to enjoy plenty of exercise across our 15-acre site while taking in the beautiful scenery at our 190-year-old heritage green space.”

As a charity, the Gardens, which is home to four Victorian glasshouses, receives no regular public funding. Instead, it relies on the generosity of public donations, grants and the income it can generate through conferences, weddings and other events.

Set within a Conservation Area, it is a 15-acre oasis just one mile from the city centre and has more than 7,000 formally documented plants, with the largest and most diverse botanic collection in central England.

It also provides a unique educational resource and welcomes visits from nurseries up to colleges and uniformed groups and adult learners.

6 intriguing facts about cacti

Posted on by Birmingham Botanical Gardens
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Beneath their notoriously prickly exterior, cacti are an archaic collective of plants which we have enjoyed the presence of at the Gardens for nearly 50 years. 

Following their plant-collecting trip to Mexico and South America in 1958, Professor J.G. Hawkes and Dr Richard Lester returned with a selection of cacti plants and seeds which they introduced to the Gardens. 

In her book, An oasis of delight: The History of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Phillada Ballard revealed that a new display area for cacti and succulents was then fashioned in 1963, complete with a painted backdrop of a desert landscape that was inspired by the interior design of the Sherman Hoyt Cactus House at Kew Gardens.

Since then, we have also kept up a tradition of temporarily rehoming our cacti in a semi-circular bed on the Loudon Terrace, allowing them to thrive in the warmer weather. 

Funky, feisty and fruitful, cacti are intriguing plants that leave more than a pinprick when you learn these interesting facts about them. 

6 intriguing facts about cacti

 

Cacti are as old as dinosaurs

Although the exact date of when cacti sprouted will probably never be known, it is estimated that they emerged during the Cretaceous period, up to 110 million years ago. 

In Park S. Nobel’s text, Cacti: Biology and Uses, it is indicated that cacti evolved shortly after the supercontinent Gondwana segmented into smaller continents which included the cacti homeland of South America. 

In a similar vein, the exact plants that cacti evolved from remain a mystery although some have speculated scrubby trees or the Portulaca and Talinum plant families. 

Cactus is a Greek word

The word cactus is commonly believed to have derived from the Greek word κάκτος or káktos, a term used by the philosopher Theophrastus to describe a prickly plant. 

According to D. Gledhill’s The Names of Plants, this plant is an unknown specimen from the Old World. 

However, other sources have suggested that the spiky character in question could have been an artichoke or cardoon – aka the artichoke thistle. 

6 intriguing facts about cacti
Cacti feature in Mexico’s flag 

During the Aztec Empire, the Mexica people believed in a prophecy given by their sun and war god, Huitzilopochtli that told them to settle where they saw an eagle eating a serpent atop a cactus.

According to The Oxford History of Mexico, the Mexica eventually settled on a rattle-snake infested island that is speculated to have been named “place next to the prickly pear cactus” which has been roughly translated as Mexico-Tenochtitlan. 

This legend trickled through history and is now embodied in the Mexican flag which displays an eagle devouring a snake over a nopal (prickly pear) cactus. 

Tallest recorded cacti

Cacti have been recorded to grow to a knee-buckling height of 23.8m – that’s the same as five and a half double decker buses stacked on top of each other. 

Pachycereus pringlei, aka the Mexican cardon, took the top spot for the loftiest cacti in 1986 after it blew over during a storm. 

A genus of the perennial cacti, columnar, Pachycereus has approximately 20 subspecies all of which possess a large thermal inertia and are tall and tree-like in stature, revealed Michael A. Mares in his text, Encyclopaedia of Deserts. 

6 intriguing facts about cacti

Cacti photosynthesise in reverse 

Due to their inhabitancy of dry, arid environments, cacti have cleverly adapted a way of producing food which limits the amount of water they lose in the process.

Unlike other plants which absorb carbon dioxide through their pores during the day and use light energy to convert it into food, cacti collect CO2 at night when the temperature is lower to minimise water loss. 

Yetmal et al. state that this type of photosynthesis is known as CAM (crassulacean acid metabolism) where plants use a specific enzyme called phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) to hold CO2 atoms into storable malic acid. 

Once the daylight returns, cacti use the light energy to convert their stored CO2 into food. 

Cacti have a medicinal use

For centuries, the fruit, cladodes and flowers of cacti have been used to heal wounds and cure diseases.

Used in traditional medicines, cacti have been linked to treatments for ulcers, glaucoma, liver diseases, wounds, fatigue and dyspnoea. 

More recent research of the prickly pear fruit from nopal cacti has shown this could be due to the presence of antioxidant properties, minerals, vitamins and fibre found in the plant. 

Explore our cacti collection 

If you fancy taking a closer look at these spiky specimens, a selection of our cacti plants are still available to view on the Terrace. 

Book your ticket to the Gardens today to witness their splendour before summer is over. 

Gardens bloom with Commonwealth Games plant display

Posted on by Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Four years have passed since the Commonwealth Games took place amid the sun-soaked setting of Australia’s metropolitan Gold Coast.

Now, with 21 days until the 92-year-old Games kick off again in the bustling heart of Birmingham, the Gardens’ team is excited for visitors to watch the official Queen’s Baton Relay as it travels through The Birmingham Botanical Gardens on 27th July.

Steeped in a rich history, the Commonwealth Games carries a great significance of unity and it is a privilege to be a part of the city hosting the event.

Commencing in 1930, the Games were first proposed by clergyman, John Astley Cooper in 1891 who suggested the creation of a “Pan-Britannic-Pan-Anglican Contest and Festival” to be held every fours years in a sporting unification of the British Empire.

First hosted in Hamilton, Canada, the debut Games proved a success for England who took home a total of 61 medals.

Over the years the sporting occasion has witnessed astonishing achievements, most notably of all perhaps when Roger Bannister and John Landy broke the four-minute mile record at the 1954 Vancouver Games.

Since its modest beginnings, the event has grown enormously in both popularity and participation with a staggering 6,600 sports men and women competing today, from across 72 nations and territories.

In honour of Birmingham’s hosting of the Games this year, the Gardens’ team conjured up the brilliant idea of representing the Commonwealth Countries within our plant collection.

Gardens bloom with Commonwealth Games plant display

“We are growing as many of the 54 national flowers and national crops of the participating countries and territories as possible and will include interpretation labels next to each of the plants”, head gardener, Wayne Williams revealed.

Grown inside the display glasshouses and relevant garden areas, the plants will be situated in spaces which accommodate their specific growing needs.

From Mozambique chilli plants to Tuvalu’s peachy plumeria flowers, there is a wealth of beautifully intriguing plants in store for visitors to view.

Located in an array of places across the 6 hectare expanse of the Gardens, the collection will include familiar faces such as watermelons from Sierra Leone and Samoan ginger roots appearing alongside more unusual specimens like the pigeon pea flower from The Bahamas.

Gardens bloom with Commonwealth Games plant display

“The Birmingham Botanical Gardens are excited to welcome visitors from all over the world and look forward to seeing them find as many Commonwealth plants as possible. We hope that all our visitors will find it educating, will have plenty of exercise across our 15 acre site and enjoy beautiful scenery at our 190-year-old heritage green space”.

“India’s gift to humanity”: the origins and benefits of yoga

Posted on by Birmingham Botanical Gardens

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“India’s gift to humanity”: the origins and benefits of yoga

Today marks the eighth International Yoga Day, an annual date set up by the United Nations in recognition of the practice’s global appeal. 

Celebrating the worldwide event in the Indian city of Mysuru, the nation’s prime minister, Narendra Damodardas Modi described yoga as “India’s gift to humanity” and a “holistic approach to health and well-being, balancing mind, body and soul.” 

Practised by an astonishing 300 million people globally, yoga is an exercise through which one can stabilise the mind and achieve eternal peace thereafter, said Dr Manmath Gharote in BBC Radio 4’s 2016 programme The Secret History of Yoga. 

Throughout July, the Gardens will continue providing yoga sessions for participants of all abilities, from beginners to yogi enthusiasts. 

These classes are well worth your time; yoga is a fascinating practice to immerse yourself in, steeped in a rich history and accompanied by ample health and wellbeing benefits. 

Intrigued to know more? Scroll down for the origins and benefits of yoga. 

Origins of yoga

Evidence of yoga existing or being practised is sparse and pretty much non-existent before 500 BCE.

In their publication, Roots of Yoga, senior lecturer James Mallinson and senior research fellow Mark Singleton, stress the lack of documentation in ancient South Asian texts or archaeological sources which denote the “systematic, psychophysical techniques of the type which the word ‘yoga’ subsequently came to denote.” 

Instead, Mallinson and Singleton state that one of the first mentions of yoga is as a “visionary meditation” within the ancient Indian Sanskrit text, Rigveda. 

Born from the archaic religion, Vedism, Rigveda contains a literary piece called The Kesin hymn of the Rigveda which is considered to include the first reference of yogis.

“India’s gift to humanity”: the origins and benefits of yoga

The hymn focuses on an ascetic wanderer (hermit) named Muni who, according to religious scholar and philosopher Karel Werner, can be viewed as an accomplished yogi of Vedic times through his extraordinary powers and deep spiritual experience. 

Although perhaps rooted in religious scripture and belief, yoga itself is not a religion and rather a way of life. 

According to Daniel Simpson in his text, The Truth of Yoga, the word yoga derives from the Sanskrit word ‘yuj’, a root word which means the joining of things together. 

Early outsider sightings of yoga include the army of Alexander the Great during his invasion of India around the time of 327 BCE. 

Simpson wrote that Alexander’s soldiers witnessed fifteen or so men standing, sitting or lying in different postures which have been interpreted as yoga. 

Well over two thousand years later, this ancient practice has become an international phenomenon with millions of devotees in many tens of nations. 

But why has this Indian practice become so popular? 

Benefits of yoga 

Yoga is a practice which endeavours to connect and harmonise the mind, body and soul and therefore unsurprisingly brings a multitude of health and wellbeing benefits with it. 

In one study, Cramer et al. found that both complex and breath-based yoga proved effective methods for bettering exercise capacity and improved shortness of breath (dyspnea). 

Without further ado, take a look at some of the other rewards you can obtain from those asanas (yoga postures). 

Reduces stress, anxiety and depression

Whether it’s via the production of internal peace or the sense of community and socialisation provided in classes, yoga can be a great way to keep symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression at bay. 

In a critical analysis of yoga interventions undertaken to reduce symptoms of depression, Bridges et al. found that the practice was effective in decreasing depressive symptoms in:

  • pregnant women. 
  • among patients experiencing lower back pain.
  • among patients with atrial fibrillation.
  • among persons with post-stroke hemiparesis. 
  • people suffering from addictions. 

To ease yourself into yoga, try a few mindfulness or breathing exercises before jumping into  a downward dog and expecting great results straight away. 

“India’s gift to humanity”: the origins and benefits of yoga

Improves muscular strength

If you desire a strength-training regime that you can do anywhere, at any time and does not require the same degree of motivation as four intense gym sessions a week, then yoga is definitely for you. 

Helping to reinforce and build up muscle mass and core strength, yoga postures are great for targeting a range of muscle groups from your neck and shoulders right down to your calves, ankles and feet. 

Improving your muscular strength is so much easier when you only require one piece of equipment too!

“India’s gift to humanity”: the origins and benefits of yoga

Improves cardiovascular fitness

Whilst on the subject of fitness, it is good to mention that yoga is excellent for getting your blood pumping and keeping your heart ship shape. 

In a study by Telles et al., 94.5 percent of 2,963 participants reported feeling the benefits from yoga practice with approximately 30 percent remarking upon their improved physical fitness. 

The same proportion of participants also recalled having improved cognitive function and a more positive mental state following the exercise, demonstrating the power of this practice. 

“India’s gift to humanity”: the origins and benefits of yoga

Maintaining a healthy body

Trying to maintain a healthy weight that is right for your body shape can be tricky particularly with a barrage of diet fads and exercise regimes appearing on your social media feeds or online searches. 

With many variations and techniques, yoga is an exercise which is accessible for everyone and will help people of all fitness levels, ages and weights to achieve their goals safely and healthily. 

Harvard Health revealed research that suggested people could reduce the weight they may put on during middle adulthood by practising yoga for 30 minutes, once a week for four years. How about that!

The added beauty of yoga is that the positive effects it has upon mental health can generate a better attitude towards healthy eating and body image so individuals do not feel they have failed or are unable to achieve what society deems to be the perfect body. 

“India’s gift to humanity”: the origins and benefits of yoga

Improves mindfulness

Having a calm awareness and connection to your surroundings and yourself is so much easier said than done. 

Yet yoga is a great opportunity to develop this type of mindset and will improve the more times you undertake the practice. 

Yoga at the gardens 

If you would like to try out some yoga or work on the skills you already have in the tranquil setting of our gardens please click here to find out more and how to book upcoming sessions.  

“India’s gift to humanity”: the origins and benefits of yoga

The Birmingham Botanical Gardens shortlisted for city’s best breathing spaces a second time

Posted on by Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Birmingham citizens have voted Birmingham Botanical Gardens as one of the city’s favourite breathing spaces for the second year in a row.

The hugely popular green attraction was shortlisted for the top spot after the successful 2021 campaign, Taskforce for Lung Health made a comeback this year.

As part of the campaign, Birmingham residents were invited to vote for their favourite place in the city to ‘take a breath’ in an effort to boost awareness of issues surrounding lung health.

Launched in 2021, Taskforce for Lung Health is dedicated to a five-year plan which was established to provide better care for people suffering with lung disease and improve the overall lung health of the nation.

Approximately one in five people in the UK are diagnosed with a lung condition during their lifetime and in Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country alone, it is estimated that almost 51,000 people have been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – a group of lung conditions which causes breathing difficulties.

Sarah Woolnough, interim-chair of the Taskforce for Lung Health, a collaboration of over 40 different charities and organisations aiming to improve the nation’s lung health, said: “We’re calling for Birmingham residents to support our campaign and take a moment to think about their own lung health. Breathing easily is very often something that can be taken for granted until taking a breath becomes a hard thing to do.”

Last year, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, a 15-acre garden in Edgbaston, was named the most popular breathing space in Birmingham with 21 percent of the public vote.

The winner was closely followed by Cannon Hill Park (19 per cent), canal-side at Mailbox (17 per cent), Winterbourne Gardens (10 per cent) and St Paul’s Square (10 per cent).

“We hope that following the survey, people across Birmingham will feel inspired to pause and ‘take a breath’ in the city’s favourite breathing spaces and show their solidarity with the tens of thousands of people in Birmingham who are living with a lung condition. It’s time to make good lung health a priority for us all”, said Ms Woolnough.

To nominate your favourite breathing space simply fill out the survey below. As a thanks for taking part, you’ll also have the chance to be entered into a competition to win a £150 Fitbit Versa 3.

To participate in the Taskforce for Lung Health survey click here

 

One man’s rubbish: 7 household waste items to reuse in your garden

Posted on by Birmingham Botanical Gardens
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Recycling is one of the most effective ways to reduce the pressure we put on our planet. 

We all know this, yet statistics released by DEFRA last month revealed that the UK’s target of recycling at least 50 percent of domestic waste was not met by three of its four nations. 

If we are to drastically reduce the output of global greenhouse gas emissions by the end of the decade, each of us needs to up our recycling game. 

Luckily, there are more ways than one of achieving this that don’t rely entirely on the bin at the end of your drive. 

No matter how big or small, our gardens provide ample opportunities for us to repurpose household waste items. 

From creating compost heaps and cultivating seedlings to bird feeders and decorative features, find out how your rubbish can be transformed into outdoor treasures. 

 

Plastics 

One man’s rubbish: 7 household waste items to reuse in your garden

Evidence of the global plastic invasion can be found everywhere from human blood to freshly fallen snow in the Antarctic.

Every minute, one truckload of plastic enters the ocean and an astonishing 1.8 billion tonnes of carbon emissions are produced annually from the creation, use and disposal of plastic.

Unfortunately, the reality of plastic recycling does not instil hope; less than 10 percent of plastic packaging is actually recycled in the UK.

Instead, a large proportion of our everyday plastics are burnt in incinerators or shipped off to countries with low recycling rates. 

So how can you help to combat this enormous problem? 

The answer – getting creative in your garden. 

Here are just a few ideas to get you started: 

  • Halve your empty milk cartons and water bottles and puncture small drainage holes in the base to create seedling containers.
  • Make bird feeders from plastic water bottles by puncturing small holes in the side and hanging up with string. 
  • Paint your old Tupperware and transform into a decorative bird bath. 
  • Turn large plastic bottles into long-lasting watering cans. 

 

Metal cans 

One man’s rubbish: 7 household waste items to reuse in your garden

Did you know that one in every three cans sold in the UK are drunk away from home? 

That’s an awful lot of metal which could be reused and is likely being discarded into general waste. 

Take a look at the ways you can maximise the potential of your waste cans below: 

  • Tins which previously stored canned fruits and vegetables are great for turning into outdoor light features. Piercing holes into patterns on the sides of these cans and filling the container with candles or lights makes a cheap and enchanting display. 
  • Paint the outside of your tin cans and transform them into pretty plant pots. 
  • Turn your tins into storage containers for gardening tools. 

 

Glass bottles and jars

One man’s rubbish: 7 household waste items to reuse in your garden

Known as cullet, waste glass is a versatile product which can be recycled over and over again through a melting process. 

Unlike other materials, waste glass is much more economically-friendly to recycle, saving 246 kg of carbon dioxide emissions for every tonne of second-hand glass melted. 

You can help to reduce the carbon footprint of waste glass piling up in your recycling further though by reusing it in your garden. 

Here’s how: 

  • Create an edge around your garden path with upturned glass bottles, pushed halfway into the ground. 
  • Remove labels from your glass jars and fill with fairy lights for outside decor. 
  • Save your glass jars to hold nails, labels and other outdoor equipment. 

 

Cardboard and paper 

One man’s rubbish: 7 household waste items to reuse in your garden

With the rise of online shopping and subsequent shipping increases, the UK churns through 12.5 million tonnes of paper and cardboard a year – one third of which is not fully recycled. 

This third is then taken to a landfill or burnt, both of which have disastrous impacts on the environment.

Minimise the amount of paper and cardboard you throw away with these easy uses:

  • Save egg boxes for sewing and growing seedlings in.  
  • Spare cardboard can be made into signs for labelling young crops or plants. 
  • Rip up or shred paper and add to compost piles. 
  • Use excess cardboard as a substrate to grow mushrooms. 
  • Lie cardboard flat and cover with compost and leaves or wood chips to prepare your garden bed in a process known as sheet mulching. 

 

Clothing

One man’s rubbish: 7 household waste items to reuse in your garden

Despite a light being shone onto the impact fast fashion has upon our environment in recent years, £140 million worth of used clothing still goes into UK landfills each year. 

According to Clothes Aid, this equates to 350,000 tonnes of jeans, shoes, jackets, dresses and more being dumped into the ground. 

Whilst our discarded garments might be out of style, there is still so much potential for them beyond the bottom of your closet or worse, the skip. 

Take a look at how you can transform your wardrobe into useful garden tools: 

  • Rip old t-shirts and shirts into long shreds and plait into ropes which can be used to train young plants as they grow. Shoelaces can also be used for this. 
  • Use old clothing to shield plants in the summer heat and insulate in cold winter temperatures. 
  • Turn old wellies and shoes into plant pots. 
  • Make a scarecrow  

 

Food waste 

One man’s rubbish: 7 household waste items to reuse in your garden

Here are some scary facts you should pay attention to regarding humanity’s food waste, courtesy of food share company Olio: 

  • $1 trillion worth of food is wasted globally every year. 
  • One quarter of fresh water is wasted growing food that is never eaten. 
  • If waste food were a country, it would be the 3rd greatest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. 

Put simply, our whole attitude towards food waste has to change, for the benefit of ourselves, the natural world and the planet as a whole. 

Recycling food by products is one great way to tackle this issue and creating a compost heap in your garden can make all the difference. 

Unprocessed, fruit and vegetable peelings create the best compost and will not attract vermin like meat and other animal byproducts such as dairy, fat trimmings, eggs and fish. 

 

Tyres

One man’s rubbish: 7 household waste items to reuse in your garden

Recent studies have shown that nearly 2,000 more particle pollutants are produced by the wearing down of car tyres than by vehicle exhausts.

The Guardian reported that particles from tyres contain a variety of carcinogens and toxic compounds which are transferred to soil, water and air.

This is worrying considering that there were over 15,000 incidents of tyre fly-tipping in the 2020/2021 year. 

Avoid carelessly chucking away old tyres by trying these simple alternatives:

  • Create a naturally waterproof, hanging bird feeder or bird bath.
  • Build a small compost area or bin. 
  • Make an insect shelter.
  • Create a mini veg patch inside a tyre or surround an existing veg patch with a tyre wall.