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