Simon Pugh-Jones Simon Pugh-Jones has travelled widely across the tropical world and led the Writhlington School Orchid Project in Radstock for 30 years before retiring and setting up his own nursery with his wife, Annie, on Portland.  Many Friends and visitors will have met Simon at the Botanic Garden, notably exhibiting their orchid collection during […]

An unusual chance to enjoy the Botanic Garden on a winter weekend. Wintersweet, Chimonanthus praecox, a welcome sight and smell in the Garden in December. A tour of the garden and glasshouses will run on the following date: Sunday February 25th 11.00am Please note the Garden is open only for the tour, and will not […]

CHANGE OF DATE AND LECTURE Please note the AGM and lecture will take place on Wednesday 20th March, rather than the previously advertised date of Thursday 21st March Wednesday 20 March 2024 Annual General Meeting at 7pm followed by the Lecture at 7.30pm The Annual report for the year ending 31 December 2023 will be […]

The 48th Annual General Meeting will take place on Wednesday 20 March 2024 at 7pm at the Frank Theatre, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL  followed by a lecture by Dr Chris Thorogood at 7.30pm. The Committee will present the financial report for the year ending 31 December 2023 which is available here. Any queries regarding the accounts should […]

Join us for the formal opening of the latest addition to the Botanic Garden, The Guangzhou Garden. This exciting new garden first appeared at the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show in 2021. It was created for Guangzhou Forestry and Parks Municipality, and designed by Peter Chmiel and Chin Chen, from Grant Associates, Bath. The […]

The National Garden Scheme (NGS) open day returns to the Botanic Garden this year where you can see the Garden in all its summer glory. The NGS has been running since 1927 initially to support district nurses; there are now over 3500 gardens across the country open as part of the scheme which last year raised […]

This is an introduction to the identification of some flowering plant families, including their ecology and uses. We will consider their ecosystem services, the effect of development and land-use change, invasive species, rare and legally protected species, and the use of indicator plants in interpreting change. The workshop is one stand-alone day. It will consider […]

Friends’ annual jazz concert with The Blue notes and Hannah Wedlock   Saturday 27 July 2024 We are again delighted to hold our annual jazz concert with the Blue Notes and Hannah Wedlock with additional entertainment from local ukulele band, South Bristol Ukes. All tickets should be purchased in advance. Bring a picnic and drinks […]

Dr Elizabeth Dauncey is a freelance botanical toxicologist, having studied botany at the University of Durham before completing a PhD in plant taxonomy at the University of Reading. Over the past 30 years she has worked for organisations including the National Poisons Information Service at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital NHS Trust in London and […]

The Botanic Garden will be ablaze this autumn with Luke Jerram's Tipping Point, a multi-sensory installation of forest fires using lights, sound, and smoke. Visitors will travel through the Garden and among the fires of the Evolution Dell and Mediterranean displays in this new work by Luke Jerram. Tipping Point draws attention to the alarming […]

Sam completed his Royal Horticultural Society Level 3 qualification at the Botanic Garden. He is currently the youngest head gardener in the National Trust, managing gardens across two properties, Lytes Cary Manor and Tintinhull Garden. His focus is on the development of these two gardens, combining fresh planting design with organic management techniques to improve […]

A botanist by training, Sally is an experienced organic gardener, smallholder and writer. She has long been interested in the way our changing climate is impacting upon our gardens and green spaces. Her articles have appeared in numerous magazines, most recently Amateur Gardening and Bloom. Her latest books include The Resilient Garden and Allotment (2024), […]

The unknown danger: the threat of Asian hornets to western honeybees Asian hornets and the western honeybee (Apis mellifera) separated from one another approximately 100 million years ago and since […]

Speaker details to follow. Winter Lectures will take place on the third Thursday of the month at the Frank Theatre, Wills Physics Laboratory, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL. Lectures are […]

Speaker details to follow. Winter Lectures will take place on the third Thursday of the month at the Frank Theatre, Wills Physics Laboratory, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL. Lectures are […]