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 Museum of Bermuda Art. Numerous picnic tables and benches are to be found throughout the grounds. The gardens host Bermuda’s Annual Exhibition, held every April.
The Visitors’ Centre is no longer open but there are tours of the Gardens by volunteers leaving from the parking lot by the Visitors’ Centre at 10:30 am on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, but not on Public Holidays or when the weather does not allow or the grounds are closed for special events.,
I could not believe how many weeds and grass have invaded the gardens. Looks like no one cares about the place. What happened ? May 2015.
The Department of Parks have re-opened the Botanical Gardens following a successful operation to clean up the debris left after Hurricane Gonzalo.
The Royal Gazette reports that areas of the park have now re-opened thanks to the efforts of the Department of Parks.
Hurricane Gonzalo hit the island on October 17 2014 causing extensive damage to both the Bermuda Botanical Gardens and the Arboretum. It is anticipated that they will be closed to the public for 3 months while fallen trees and debris are cleaned up.
My name is Kiazha and I’m 13. I go to Whitney Institute. Botanical Gardens is a good place to have a nice picnic with your family & friends. I go there to ride my bike and take long walks. The flowers there are gorgeous and sometimes I help he gardeners plant them.
My name is Ben. I am 13 and go to Somersfield Academy. I go to the Botanical Gardens to go for a run. It is a wonderful place and I love it.
After many years of neglect the botanical gardens were showing a slight sign of improvement when we visited this year. 30 years ago they were beautiful. It is sad to see them in their present state. Still very few trees and plants marked. When we visited there was even a dead rat on the floor of the cactus house – and when this was pointed out to the staff they seemed indifferent to it. The gardens were a great place for tourists to visit – now though very disappointing. Get your act together Bermuda. You have so much going for you – beautiful island and beautiful people. Such a pity this public space is so disappointing.