Bermuda Botanical Gardens
Originally opened in 1898 the Bermuda Botanical Gardens feature 36 acres of trees, flowers and shrubs. All are clearly labelled making it the place to come if you want to identify the fantastic flora you have seen on your Bermuda vacation. John Lennon visited the gardens in 1980 and named his subsequent album ‘Double Fantasy’ after a flower he spotted here.
There’s a palm garden featuring native palmetto trees, a flowering hibiscus garden, a rose garden, a frangipani collection, banyan trees and an enormous ficus tree. The Garden for the Sightless is a sensory garden designed primarily for the benefit of the blind. All the signs are in Braille and the garden abounds with fragrant flowers and aromatic herbs. There are several greenhouses filled with collections of cacti and orchids and the gardens also has an aviary.
The Visitors’ Centre, open from 09:30 – 15:30 (Mon – Fri), shows a short video about the gardens and provides complimentary brochures. A free, guided 90 minute tour departs from the centre on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10:30.
The Bermuda Botanical Gardens are also home to the Camden, the official residence of Bermuda’s Premier, and the Masterworks Foundation Gallery. Numerous picnic tables and benches are to be found throughout the grounds. The gardens host Bermuda’s Annual Exhibition which is held in April.