We are looking for new Trustees to help support the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

Since we opened in 1832 we have relied solely on the support of visitors and donors. Such support goes towards maintaining our Victorian glasshouses, our 15-acres of wonderful gardens and into developing exciting new projects. It also means we can continue to be a valuable resource of horticultural knowledge and pass this legacy down the generations.

As a Trustee, you would play a vital role in shaping the future and the direction of the Gardens, which are a much-loved part of Birmingham’s landscape and heritage.  We are looking for enthusiastic, inspiring, passionate and experienced candidates with a wide range to skills and who are happy to help deliver the core ethos of our charity. The successful candidate will assist in the responsibility and oversight on running our Charity.

 

Click here to see our trustee vacancies.

 

Please note, our Trustee role is an unpaid, voluntary role.

If you are interested in applying for one of these roles, please contact:

james@birminghambotanicalgardens.org.uk

We might still be in winter, but there are welcome signs that spring is just around the corner. The lighter days are slowly stretching out and we’re enjoying the first daffodils – Narcissus ‘Tamara’, an early flowering cultivar with large yellow trumpets – that are in flower in the aviary winter bed. 

You can spot more flowers than you’d think this time of year in the Gardens. The winter border is vibrant with the red, yellow and black stems of Cornus (dogwood); the scented, citrus peel like Hamamelis (witch hazel); and the scented creamy flowers of Sarcococca.

 

As you enjoy your daily exercise in the grounds, you’ll be able to spot hundreds of Galanthus (snowdrops / milkflowers) in the woodland walk and see scores of crocuses by the aviary and on the west lawns. 

 

Eranthis (winter aconites), with their bright yellow, buttercup-like flowers, adorn the azalea bank, while the cerise pink flowers of the Cyclamen coum are speckling the alpine meadow in the Alan King Alpine Garden.

 

However, THE star plant this month is the highly fragrant Daphne ‘Jacqueline Postill’, which you can see at the top of the rock garden. This delicate plant has lovely hot cross bun scented pink and white flowers.

 

The gardeners will continue to keep the gardens tidy and safe for visitors during this latest lockdown. We’ve been tidying borders ready for the spring by raking off autumn leaves and cutting back dead stems on herbaceous plants. The herbaceous border, opposite the playground, has also been cut back and weeded.

 

We’ve also been busy putting rock salt down on the paths in the icy and snowy weather and using leaf blowers to remove debris.

 

One of the main tasks for this month is to cut back some of the untidy flower heads in the grass garden. These have provided a fantastic show since last summer and have looked great in the recent frosty weather, but the time’s right to cut them back, ready for this year’s magnificent displays.

 

It’s been wonderful to see visitors enjoying the Gardens in these winter months and we hope you’ll continue to support us. Taking regular exercise outdoors has never been so crucial to our mental health – and not only are you able to enjoy the fresh air and beautiful grounds, but you’re also supporting a local charity.

 

Tickets can be booked to visit the Gardens here.

Following the news of a new national lockdown, Birmingham Botanical Gardens is pleased to confirm that the gardens can remain open to the public, in accordance with Government advice.

Takeaway drinks and snacks will be available from the cafe via a side hatch and the garden centre will also be open. The glasshouses, however, remain closed to visitors.

James Wheeler, chief executive, said he was pleased the 15 acres of grounds will remain open to members and the public, enabling locally based visitors to make the most of their daily exercise at an accessible outdoor attraction that provides ample opportunity for socially distanced activity.

“Having access to tranquil, open spaces is proven to be beneficial to people’s wellbeing and mental health, so as we enter yet another difficult national lockdown period, it has never been more important for people to access the Gardens to relax and to exercise,” he said.

“As an outdoor attraction, we provide much-needed respite for local visitors wanting to escape their busy lives and have welcomed tens of thousands of people over the past few months after we were allowed to reopen in June.”

The Gardens are open 10am – 5pm daily and although pre-booking is not a condition of entry, it is recommended you book in advance to guarantee admission on the day and time of your choice. 

We may have been busy at the beginning of the month with keeping the paths clear of snow and ice, but there are already signs that spring is around the corner.

We spotted our first crocus flower bud on January 4 on the Aviary Lawn – it is early in the season, of course, but still a welcome sight. We’ll be looking out for the winter aconites, early daffodils and snowdrops, which are promising to peep through soon, too.

In the meantime, we’ve been appreciating the wonderfully scented winter shrubs, such as Hamamelis (witch hazel), Daphne and Sarcococca (Christmas box). These will continue to flower throughout January – if you are able to visit us this month, head to the Wilson Border, The Aviary Winter Bed and the Winter Border, where you’ll be able to delight in the fragrance.

We gardeners are also looking forward to the return of the song thrush and woodpeckers this month – both birds mark their territories before the arrival of spring. It’s lovely to sit and listen to the distinctive song thrush call and the woodpeckers’ “drumming” – and if you are lucky, you may also spot the shy redwings, which spend the winter in the UK before flying off to Scandinavia, that will be stripping off the hollies in the Woodland Walk.

Although January can be fairly quiet in the gardening calendar, we can always find something that needs to be done in the grounds. If the ground isn’t frozen, we’ll start to aerate the grass and we can dig over the beds and borders in readiness for our homemade compost, which will improve the structure of the soil.

This is also the time of year to check tree ties – it’s important to make sure there is enough room for this year’s growth. If any trees are doing well and you think you can remove the stakes, do so because leaving them on for too long can prevent their growth and development. It’s also worth noting that if trees rely too long on stakes, they don’t develop a basal flare, which helps them to sway in the wind.

We’ve plenty to do in the potting shed and we’ll also be checking the inventories and pruning some species in the glasshouses to encourage spring flowering and to let in as much light as possible. Although our glasshouses are not yet able to welcome visitors, we hope you are able to come to the Gardens to take in the fresh air and have a bracing walk around the grounds – appreciating nature has never been so crucial to our wellbeing.

 

What the Gardeners have been up to in January:

• The gardeners have been kept busy with the recent ice and snow. We have done our best to keep the paths clear on a daily basis.
• We have really appreciated the wonderfully scented winter shrubs, such as Hamamelis (witch hazel), Daphne and Sarcococca (Christmas box). They will continue to flower throughout January. These can be found in the Wilson Border, The Aviary Winter Bed and the Winter Border.
• The snowdrops are just starting to poke through the soil in the Woodland Walk and we even noticed the first Crocus flower bud on 4^th January on the Aviary lawn!
• It is usually in January that we hear the song thrush singing and the woodpeckers “drumming”. Both marking their territories before the spring. If you are lucky, you will see the shy redwings from Scandinavia stripping the red berries off the hollies in the Woodland Walk.

The last few days have gone cold – there’s no doubt winter is here, so for the hardy gardening team, it means adding a couple of layers when we are out and about, working.

We’re getting into the festive spirit as much as we can and have put up Christmas trees outside, in the front entrance and in the gallery, as well as other decorations and lights. We hope you enjoy them when you visit the gardens this month and that they bring a smile to your face.

 

 

If you’re still looking for last-minute gifts, our garden centre has a range of plants and goodies (including our popular calendar) that anyone would love.

 

 

You don’t have to visit the gardens to access the garden centre; just head through the main foyer. Of course, you can always treat your loved ones to membership of the gardens, too.

Although the glasshouses are closed to the public at the moment, the gardening team work in there daily to make sure our extensive plant collection remains in good condition, ready for when visitors can admire the myriad specimens.

 

You may be surprised to know that we’re still collecting the last of the autumn leaves – it’s a big job and one that takes several weeks to complete. It’s good exercise for us and, of course, we love the rich leaf mould that it will make in a year or so’s time. It’s like ambrosia for the borders.

 

We’ll also be taking delivery of lots of rock salt this month, just in case we have snow or ice in the next few weeks.  It means you can visit us even on the coldest days, knowing that the paths will be clear.

 

 

The gardens look spectacular 12 months of the year, but we know that photographers love the cold months when they can snap those atmospheric icy shots! If you’ve taken any photos you’re proud of, don’t forget to upload them on to social media and tag us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (@bhambotanicalgardens) so we can see them.

 

All the gardening team would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a much happier 2021! We’re looking forward to seeing you all soon.

As you will know, England is under new restrictions as of today, but we are delighted to let you know that the Gardens will be staying open for the duration of the lockdown.

We will be operating as a garden only – no glasshouses will be accessible in the month-long period – on reduced hours of 10am-3.30pm. Last entrance will be 3pm and you must book your visitor slot in advance online as you have been for the past few months.

Click here for more information on how to book your tickets.

Click here to read our FAQs.

To enable us to work safely, we will move the reception area to the hospitality entrance and visitors will have to exit via the green gates on the car park.

The glasshouses will remain closed for the duration, as will the cafe is open for takeaway only. The toilets on the Terrace will be available.

Our Garden Centre will stay open, which will be accessed from the car park only.

Don’t forget that you can visit the shop without entering the Gardens if you want to pick up gifts.

Please bear with us over the next four weeks: because we are relocating the reception area, there will, inevitably, be delays on answering calls or emails. But we will, of course, answer any queries as soon as we can.

Please also note that we will not be offering reductions on membership.

To see what’s happening in the Gardens, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

There’s no escaping the fact that winter is on its way – the clocks have gone back; Bonfire Night is almost here and we’ll soon be looking forward to Christmas (albeit somewhat differently this year).

The beauty of gardening is that there is always something to busy the mind with – it’s good for the soul and it definitely helps to calm the mind for a few hours. Even with the shorter days, you can still enjoy some time in your outdoor space, whether that’s tidying up the borders, sweeping up leaves or trimming shrubs.

November is the time to remove the Cannas and Salvias from the grass garden – a sure sign that the warm days have gone for now.

We’ll also be lifting the dahlias. We have hundreds of these beautiful summer and autumn flowers on the Terrace and we’ll be taking them to the dry store in the nursery for the winter, to ensure they are in good shape for next year’s display.

Dahlia tubers can survive mild winters in the ground and if they are in sheltered spots, they can be protected with a thick mulch. Nevertheless, lifting them, removing as much soil as possible, removing the flowering stems about 5cm (2in) from the base and storing them upside down in a cool place, such as a shed or garage, for a few weeks to dry out is a good idea. They can be replanted in May, ready for another lovely, colourful show of blooms.

In place of the dahlias, we’ll plant polyanthus, daffodils and tulips for a welcome burst of spring colour on the Terrace.

Do you love the colour of the autumn leaves?

They’ve been particularly spectacular this autumn – both on the trees and when they fall to the ground to create a golden carpet. Of course, we don’t let the leaves rot on the ground for long, as it will ruin the grass. Instead, we collect them up, bag them and wait for a couple of years them until they transform into rich, crumbly leaf mould. We’ve been doing this for a few weeks now – it’s hard work, but definitely worth the effort.

If you want to make your own leaf mould this year, simply: collect all of your leaves, bag them up or put them in a wire mesh container and leave them. If you have lots of thick leaves, such as horse chestnut and sycamore, it is best to put the lawnmower over them first as it helps to break down the structure. If you can, turn the leaves every so often to aid the breaking down process.

If you have many evergreen leaves, such as holly, shred them and put them on your compost as they will break down faster.