The Birmingham Botanical Gardens is of

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...

s located adjacent to Lane Park at the southern foot of Red Mountain in

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County. The population was 200,733 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List ...

. The gardens are home to over 12,000 different types of plants, 25 unique gardens, more than 30 works of original outdoor sculpture, and several miles of walking paths. With more than 350,000 annual visitors, the Birmingham Botanical Gardens qualify as one of Alabama's top free-admittance tourist attractions. The Birmingham Botanical Gardens is also a part of the American Public Gardens Associatio

The gardens include a garden center that has a

library A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...

(the largest public horticulture library in the U.S.),

auditorium An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoriums can be found in entertainment venues, community halls, and t ...

, Linn-Henley Lecture Hall, Blount Education Center, Gerlach Plant Information Center,

Alabama Cooperative Extension System The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) is a primary outreach and engagement organization that provides educational outreach to the citizens of Alabama on behalf of the state's two land grant universities: Alabama A&M University (stat ...

office, Arrington Children's Plant Adventure Zone, and a

restaurant A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and Delivery (commerce), food delivery services. Restaurants ...

History

The Birmingham Botanical Gardens began as an idea prior to 1960. The Birmingham mayor of that time, James W. Morgan, led an effort to establish the gardens on a portion of unused city property east of the

Birmingham Zoo The Birmingham Zoo is a zoo, zoological park that opened in 1955 in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. The Birmingham Zoo is an independent, not for profit, 501(c)(3) organization, and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (A ...

on the side of Red Mountain. The garden officially opened in 1963. The Birmingham Botanical Society, now known as the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, was established in 1964 with a mission of helping the city to support and improve the garden.

Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens

While the City of Birmingham funds the core necessities of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens (BBG), the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens (FBBG) was formed to raise funds for the gardens outside of the day-to-day needs. According to the BBG website, the mission of the FBBG is, “to protect, nurture, and share the Gardens’ countless wonders”. Not only does the FBBG help fundraise for the gardens, they provide outreach and educational programs to help patrons learn about the gardens and its importance to the surrounding community.

Library

Not only does the Birmingham Botanical Garden boast a wide variety of flora, it also hosts a library with over 14,000 books, audiobooks, DVDs, and more. These items include books on gardening for children or adults, horticulture magazines, and even teaching resources with lesson plan materials. The Library also contains an Archives and Rare Book Room that was created in partnership with, “Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, the City of Birmingham, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, plant groups, garden clubs, and societies.”. The archive contains many different manuscripts, photographs, catalogs, and even plant fossils. Another interesting and unique aspect of the BBG library is that it hosts a seed exchange program to foster a time honored tradition that helps connect those in the community. This exchange encourages the community to plant native flora and provides an opportunity for the community to bond through sharing both seeds and information. The exchange requires the patron to donate a package of fresh seeds (non-GMO) or make a $10 donation before choosing a packet to take hom

Gardens and garden features

References

External links