We call this place Oxford’s jungle and it’s easy to see why! Head straight to The Glasshouses on arrival and they’ll transport you around the world: Carnivorous, Water Lily, Cloud Forest, Plants from High Places, Rainforest and Arid all offer not only different plants but different atmospheres too. Our favourite is the rainforest, which feels like a wall of heat as you enter, similar to when you get off a plane on holiday and the humidity hits you. We love this place and are annual pass holders so are here ALL the time.
The plants inside the glasshouses are like nothing we have seen before in real life, but we recognise quite a few from our nature books and love having a read of the many information boards dotted around. These experiences provoke so much thought and action in young children and the exploration of the natural world creates lasting positive relationships with it. So mind opening.
As well as The Glasshouses there is also The Walled Garden and The Lower Garden; do have s stroll along the paths and admire the borders and collections. There are lots of delights for children to spot too, from seasonal flowers (snowdrops in February and bluebells in May) to fish in ponds, plus the Cheshire Cat grinning down from a tree and Lyra’s bench from ‘His Dark Materials’ book by Philp Pullman (one for the grown ups!)
Bring a picnic and treat yourself to a coffee and G&Ds ice cream from the Jericho Coffee Traders van. There’s something rather delightful about sitting on a picnic blanket on a sunny day.
The Botanic Gardens are on the Gardener’s World 2-for-1 list and with under 16’s going free, it makes it a very reasonable day out.
