Introduction
Today, I was able to visit Glasgow Botanic Gardens which are located in the heart of the city’s West End. The location is close to the River Kelvin. Here is a variety of plant collections, woodland copses and riverside walks as well as the famous Kibble Palace.
History of Glasgow Botanic Gardens
The gardens have their origin in 1817 when Thomas Hopkirk set up a new botanic garden for Glasgow. Hopkirk’s vision was for the botanic garden to serve as an educational and scientific garden. There was to be a strong link with Glasgow University. It was intended that botany and medical teaching were to be enhanced by the new garden and it’s plant displays. Hopkirk raised sufficient funds to purchase a suitable site in the Sandyford district. On May 20th 1817 the Royal Botanic Institution of Glasgow was formally approved. This body laid out and developed the Botanic Gardens over the ensuing years.
Information on Glasgow Botanic Gardens
The site has much to offer visitor and student alike. In particular plants can be studied in conjunction with the ways that they grow and how they affect our planet. Plants are critical to continuation of Life on Earth. We cannot survive without plants and botanic gardens have a leading role to play in our future. Protecting, and valuing plants and their habitats across the globe is vital. The destruction of plant habitats on a large scale had led to climate change. By exploring the plants at the gardens can gain an appreciation of the vast diversity of plant life. However, such study can only provide a snapshot of the massive extent of life on our planet.
Kibble Palace is a magnificent glasshouse designed by John Kibble and houses the national collection of tree ferns. Plants from tropical rainforests grow in the palm house.
The garden is home to over 9000 different plants with the greatest number growing in the temperate and tropical glasshouses. Outdoors there is a growing representation of hardy trees which are well worth exploring. Supplementing the glasshouses are over 20 hectares of landscaped grounds to explore much it along the beautiful River Kelvin.
Below is a portfolio of images taken from inside the glasshouses.
More information for the visitor.
The publication, Visitors’ Guide to Scotland includes sections on Scotland’s gardens. This book is heavily illustrated and contains a wealth of information on Scotland and it’s history. The ISBN is 978-1-9161332-0-4. Also available via Kindle.