Ventnor Botanic Garden

About

Ventnor Botanic Garden lies at the heart of a remarkable microclimate on the south coast of the Isle of Wight. Surrounded by the chalk downs of the Ventnor Undercliff, the garden boasts an impressive collection of rare and exotic plants and trees. Our unique microclimate, averaging around 5 degrees warmer than the rest of the UK, has enabled us to grow a wide variety of plants considered too tender for much of mainland Britain, plants that are native to countries all over the world, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan and many more. The garden is unrivalled for its collections of sub-tropical plants grown unprotected out of doors, including the National Collection of half-hardy and hardy Puya, comprising over 20 species in 77 accessions. In addition to the outdoor space, we have a large Tropical House where we grow some of the biggest specimens of Giant Amazonian Waterlilies in the world. The leaves of these giant varieties can grow over 8 feet across, and the flowers can grow up to 12 inches wide!

As well as plants and trees, our warmer climate has attracted some of the most amazing wildlife that you would not usually see in this part of the world, including wall lizards, slow worms, and more recently we are starting to see Iberian ants, native to Spain, soaking up the Isle of Wight sun. The tranquillity of the garden also attracts lots of beautiful red squirrels, our 22 acres of plants and trees creates the perfect environment for them to explore. 

Our gardening method creates a synthetic ecosystem which we leave unperturbed, thus attracting the pollinating and beneficial insects, fungi, moths and other organisms that would not be welcome in many pristine gardens and glasshouses. To us, this method offers more potential insight into sustainable plant conservation techniques. We work with nature by selecting plants genetically suited to our microclimate.  

Ventnor Botanic Garden is historically rich as it is the site of an old hospital, The Royal Hospital for Diseases of the Chest, and you can learn more about this in our Heritage Centre along with guided tours of the garden. Tours run on a daily basis through our Victorian tunnel which leads to the sea, here you will learn about the history of the tunnel and take in the amazing sights of the English Channel and Ventnor’s coastline. We also have a Mushroom Fruiting Chamber on site where you can see our very own mushrooms growing, followed by a tour through the underground vaults. In the summer months you can see the only hops grown on the Isle of Wight growing right here in our hop garden, these are used to make our botanic lager, ale and pale ale.

The garden has something to offer for the whole family, including trails and activity packs of numerous topics. For those with an artistic flare, we have an art gallery featuring a number of local artists’ work. For children, we have specialised activity packs, an outdoor play area and an indoor colouring wall for those rainy days. For the real explorers, step off the beaten track and discover the secret paths amongst the garden and see the rare and exotic plants at their best. The whole site is dog friendly so leave no-one behind on this unique adventure.

After all the excitement, stop off at The Plantation Room Café or edulis restaurant to relax and refuel. Here we serve fresh cuisine, both hand-picked from the garden and sourced locally. The Plantation Room Café offers light lunches, drinks and a selection of tasty cakes, with the option of sitting indoors or out on the terrace in the sun, overlooking our sub-tropical paradise of a garden. edulis restaurant, set in the Mediterranean garden, creates a sophisticated dining al fresco feel, completing the Ventnor Botanic Garden experience.

Of course, if you are visiting the Isle of Wight you cannot leave without a souvenir, where better to find one than Puya Boutique Shopping, our gift shop. Here you will find a variety of products made by us and other local Isle of Wight producers. Ranging from chutneys to beers, explore the many products made onsite using our own ingredients grown in the garden.

If that is not enough, the tranquillity of the garden is the perfect environment for wellbeing classes and therapies. We offer a variety of classes six days a week, including Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong and Pilates, plus a number of therapies by appointment. To see a full wellbeing schedule visit https://www.botanic.co.uk/wellbeing/. In addition to this the garden and its facilities are available to hire for weddings, conferences and landmark events, as well as coach parties and school trips. For more information and to see a full list of our events visit our website www.botanic.co.uk/.

Come and see Britain’s hottest garden for yourself!

EDUCATIONAL GROUPS - Ventnor Botanic Garden is a fantastic learning resource for pupils of all ages and abilities. There are a number of educational programmes to cover a range of topics. For more information please visit http://www.botanic.co.uk/pages/schools.htm