Winterbourne Botanic Garden Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Winterbourne Botanic Garden

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Type	Botanic garden
Location	Edgbaston, Birmingham, England
Area	7 acres (2.8 ha)
Created	1903
Owned by	University of Birmingham
Open	All year round, accessible to the public with a fee
Status	Open

Winterbourne Botanic Garden is a special garden and house in Birmingham, England. It belongs to the University of Birmingham. This amazing place is next to Edgbaston Pool, which is a protected natural area.

The garden covers about 7 acres (2.8 hectares). It is a rare example of a fancy suburban garden from the early 1900s. Its design was inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement. Both the garden and Winterbourne House are owned by the University of Birmingham. They are open to everyone as a fun place to visit and learn. The site is also used for university meetings.

At Winterbourne, you can find interactive exhibits. There is also a nice tearoom with outdoor seating. You can buy gifts, plants, and used books. A gallery shows different art exhibitions. Winterbourne is open every day for a small fee. University students and staff can enter for free. It is also part of the Historic Houses Association and the Royal Horticultural Society.

History of Winterbourne Garden and House
Amazing Garden Features
Exploring Winterbourne House
See also

History of Winterbourne Garden and House

Winterbourne House and Garden were first built in 1903. They were designed as a family home for John and Margaret Nettlefold. John Nettlefold asked a local architect, Joseph Lancaster Ball, to design the house. It was finished in 1904. The house was made of brick and tile. It has a unique, wavy roof. Margaret Nettlefold designed the garden herself. Her ideas were influenced by the famous garden designer Gertrude Jekyll. You can see this in the garden's colourful flower beds.

A view of the front of Winterbourne House.

The Nettlefold family lived here with their children. In 1919, Margaret Nettlefold sold Winterbourne. The Wheelock family bought it next. They had nine children. The Wheelocks lived there until 1925. Then, John Nicolson, a successful local businessman, bought the property.

John Nicolson loved gardening. He made many improvements to the garden. He made the rock garden bigger and added an alpine area. Nicolson lived at Winterbourne until he passed away in 1944. He left the house and garden to the University of Birmingham. They have been part of the University ever since.

Since 1944, the University of Birmingham has used the building in different ways. In 2010, the house was restored. It now looks like a family home again. It even has William Morris wallpapers. The garden had already been restored. Today, the house and garden are popular visitor attractions. The garden is also a protected historic site.

From 2008 to 2011, a part of the garden was used by the BBC TV show, Gardener's World. The show featured Toby Buckland filming there.

Amazing Garden Features

The garden at Winterbourne has many plants from all over the world. Some special parts include a collection of Anthemis flowers. There is also an orchid house, full of beautiful orchids. You can explore an alpine garden with mountain plants. An arid house shows plants that live in dry places. There are also "geographic beds" with plants from different regions. Don't miss the cool hazel (Corylus) tunnel!

Other interesting features are a restored wooden walkway called a pergola. There is also a sunken rock garden. A unique glasshouse leans to one side. In 2011, a special row of lime trees was planted. This "pleached" lime walk was part of the original garden design.

Exploring Winterbourne House

The house was designed to let in lots of light. It has big windows and white painted walls. Many rooms face south to catch the sun. The house has furniture from the late Victorian period to the 1920s. You can see restored rooms like the drawing room and study. There are also bedrooms and a nursery. The visitor tearoom is in the spot where the original dining room used to be.