Director's Tour of the Garden
Join Prof Beverley Glover as she introduces the history of the Garden, describes it's function and how it is used for research and teaching.
The Garden is divided into two halves and the western half was developed from Henslow's vision. The design represents the ‘Gardenesque’ style of the time, combining both specimen plants and composed landscapes with great horticultural expertise.
You can explore the Trees of the Botanic Garden in a separate story or via our online trail: https://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/education-learning/trails/trees-trail/
You can explore more about the history of the Garden by watching the Brief History of the Cambridge University Botanic Garden story.
Metasequoia glyptostroboides (2018-11-08) by Howard Rice Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Dawn Redwood turning red in autumn
Beverley's favourite trees can be found in the south western corner of the lake
Jenyns was the original choice for the naturalist on the second voyage of HMS Beagle but turned down the offer due to ill health and parish duties.
His diary entry for 1831 records:
"This year I had the offer of accompanying Capt. Fitzroy, as Naturalist, in the Beagle, on his voyage to survey the coasts of S. America, afterwards going round the globe:- declined the appointment wc was afterwards given to Charles Darwin Esq. of Xts' College Cambridge".
— Leonard Jenyns
The Rising Path (2018-09-21) by Richard Chivers Cambridge University Botanic Garden
The Rising Path
A birds-eye view of the Systematic Beds and their intricate layout can be gained from the neighbouring Rising Path. Constructed in 2018, this feature includes interpretation explaining how plants adapted to life on land, and how they evolved into the
species known today.
You can learn more about plant evolution on our Plant Evolution Trail: https://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/education-learning/trails/plant-evolution/
Our Living Collection of cultivated plants comprise some 14,000 individual accessions and over 8,000 taxa, distributed across our 16 hectare landscape. The Living Collection Portal is intended to support the search requirements of professional researchers, educators, conservationists, horticulturalists. https://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/collections/collectionsportal/
Although plants have adapted to certain habitats, the climate is changing. How plants respond will depend on their adaptations and their ecology. You can learn more on our Plants and Climate Change Trail:
https://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/education-learning/trails/climatechange/
We hope you enjoyed the tour. You can find out more on our website or purchase a copy of the Director’s Choice guidebook, where CUBG’s Director, Professor Beverley Glover, introduces some of the highlights in the Garden’s collection, sets the scene for the Garden’s foundation and history and showcases some of our modern landscapes and horticultural set pieces: https://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/the-garden/about-the-garden/
