| A botanical garden is a place in which plants | | | | |
| are grown and displayed primarily for | | | | By visiting botanical gardens or arboretums, |
| scientific and educational purposes. A | | | | city dwellers can discover a part of the |
| botanical garden consists chiefly of a | | | | natural world to which they ordinarily have |
| collection of living plants, grown | | | | no access, escape from the pressure of dense |
| out-of-doors or under glass in greenhouses | | | | urban population, and perhaps even develop |
| and conservatories. It usually includes, in | | | | new interests and hobbies having to do with |
| addition, a collection of dried plants, or | | | | the natural environment. In these special |
| herbarium, and such facilities as lecture | | | | parks, plants from all over the world are |
| rooms, laboratories, libraries, museums, and | | | | scientifically cultivated, studied, and |
| experimental or research plantings. Concrete | | | | artistically displayed for the pleasure and |
| fountains and wall water fountains are often | | | | enlightenment of the public. Arboretums |
| included in the display of botanical gardens. | | | | specialize in raising trees and shrubs (woody |
| | | | plants) in their natural surroundings. They |
| The plants in a botanical garden may be | | | | may exist independently or as part of a |
| arranged according to one or more | | | | larger botanical garden. |
| subdivisions of botanical science. The | | | | |
| arrangements may be systematic (by plant | | | | Unlike ordinary parks, botanical gardens and |
| classification), ecological (by relation to | | | | arboretums are laid out with more than just |
| environment), or geographic (by region of | | | | the beauty of the landscape in mind. They |
| origin). The larger botanical gardens often | | | | will offer sculpture and cast stone water |
| include special groupings, such as rock | | | | features. Although trees and shrubs may be |
| gardens, water gardens, wildflower gardens, | | | | interspersed throughout the area to enhance |
| and collections of horticultural groups | | | | the pleasant surroundings, plants are usually |
| produced by plant breeding, such as roses, | | | | grouped according to their scientific |
| tulips, or rhododendrons. A plantation | | | | relationships. Often there are small, special |
| restricted to exhibits of woody plants is | | | | gardens, such as rose gardens, rock gardens, |
| called an arboretum. Most botanical gardens | | | | wildflower gardens, or Japanese landscape |
| will incorporate water features such as water | | | | gardens contained within the larger botanical |
| wall fountains. For more information on wall | | | | gardens. Many have sections devoted to plants |
| water fountains visit | | | | of particular geographic origins, such as a |
| | | | tropical plant section, or an aquatic plant |
| History of Botanical Gardens | | | | section. Usually, plants are labeled |
| | | | according to common name, scientific name, |
| One of the earliest botanical gardens for the | | | | and region of origin. For more ideas on great |
| study of plants was established in ancient | | | | cast stone water features visit |
| Athens about 340 B.C. by Aristotle and run by | | | | |
| his pupil Theophrastus. The oldest public | | | | A garden may contain a few hundred or as many |
| botanical gardens in the world are those | | | | as 20,000 different species and varieties of |
| established at Pisa, Italy, in 1543; at | | | | plants, depending upon the amount of land, |
| Padua, Italy, in 1545; at Paris in 1635; and | | | | money, and professional help available. In |
| at Berlin in 1679. In the 16th and 17th | | | | size, botanical gardens range from about 2 1 |
| centuries, herbalists cultivated medicinal | | | | 2 acres (1 hectare) to over 220 acres (90 |
| herbs in private gardens. In 1673, the | | | | hectares). There may be a greenhouse, or more |
| Society of Apothecaries planted the Chelsea | | | | than one greenhouse, in a botanical garden. |
| Physic Garden in London to provide materials | | | | The greenhouse is used both for displaying |
| for research and medicine. The American | | | | plants and, where winters are cold, for |
| botanist John Bartram near Philadelphia | | | | growing plants that would not otherwise |
| established the first experimental botanical | | | | survive the seasonal change. In temperate |
| garden in the U.S. in 1728. | | | | climates, certain tropical plants must be |
| | | | grown in greenhouses-for example, tropical |
| Where Botanical Gardens Are Found | | | | orchids and ferns, pineapples, Spanish moss, |
| | | | cacti, African violets, and begonias. |
| Almost every major city has a botanical | | | | Seedling plants that are to be set outdoors |
| garden. The Royal Botanic Gardens, better | | | | as soon as the weather is warm enough for |
| known as Kew Gardens, near London, founded in | | | | them may be started in greenhouses or in |
| 1759, is the largest in the world. | | | | hotbeds, which are beds of earth that are |
| Experiments and research done there have led | | | | heated and covered with glass. Learn more |
| to the transplanting of commercially | | | | about featured botanical garden plants at |
| productive crops, such as rubber, from their | | | | |
| native habitats to other parts of the world. | | | | Many kinds of plants need certain climatic |
| | | | conditions at certain seasons, and a |
| More than 300 botanical gardens are in the | | | | botanical garden may need special storage |
| U.S. Among the most important are the | | | | areas for them. Some young plants, for |
| Missouri Botanic Gardens in Saint Louis | | | | instance, may need a winter growing period |
| (1859); the New York Botanical Garden in | | | | but cannot survive freezing temperatures. |
| Bronx Park (1895) and the Brooklyn Botanic | | | | They must be stored in cold frames, which are |
| Garden, both in New York City. The Arnold | | | | unheated, boxlike structures covered with |
| Arboretum, established in 1872, is located at | | | | glass. Houses built of lathing may be needed |
| Harvard University. | | | | to store some plants temporarily in semi |
| | | | shade and to grow certain plants that cannot |
| Benefits of Visiting a Botanical Garden | | | | stand the hot summer sun. |