Happy 400th Birthday, Oxford Botanic Gardens!

Fig 1. Entrance Gate

2021 marks 400 years since the founding of the Oxford Physic – later Botanic – Garden. It was funded by Henry Danvers, 1st Earl of Danby for "the glorification of the works of God and for the furtherance of learning." The main emphasis was on research into the medical properties of plants. In addition, the vexed question of how to classify plants was another area that early directors of the garden explored. Jacob Bobart the Younger, the second director was responsible in 1699 for publishing the final sections of Robert Morison’s Historia Plantarum Universalis Oxoniensis in which Morison used the structure of a plant's fruits for classification. Morison was the first professor of Botany at Oxford – a post also funded by the Earl of Danby. Danby is commemorated in the magnificent entrance gate, designed by Nicholas Stone, which bears his name (Figure 1).

Fig 2: Yew tree

Seeds were freely exchanged between the botanical elite both at home and from abroad. It is well known that Bobart was in touch with such notable botanists as John Ray, the Duchess of Beaufort and Hans Sloane, but perhaps less well known was his introduction of a hybrid ragwort from the mid altitude slopes of Mount Etna. This later escaped and spread across Britain vis the clinker beds of the railways. It further mutated and became a separate species – the Oxford ragwort Senecio squalidus.

The land on which the original Botanic Garden was sited abuts the River Cherwell and needed four thousand cartloads of "mucke and dunge" to raise its level above the flood plain. There is an interesting survivor in the Walled Garden from the early years – an English Yew Taxus Baccata planted in 1645 (Figure 2). The Walled Garden also includes the Botanical Family beds and the Medicinal beds growing plants which can either be directly used or modified as a drug. There is also a programme which hopes to discover new drugs from these plants.

Today the garden is 1.8 ha (4 1⁄2 acres) having been expanded in 1945 with the herbaceous border laid out in 1946 (Figure 3).

Fig 3: The herbaceous border

Fig 4: Tropical Lily House

The expanded area was originally part of Christchurch meadow and had been used as part of the ‘dig for victory’ campaign in WWII. Modern garden designers have also made their mark – this area was developed by Kim Wilkie. Also Professor James Hitchmough of the Sheffield School planted the Autumn, Glasshouse and Merton borders with plants selected for their ability to withstand drought conditions and are mostly grown from seed to allow dense planting.

There are 6 glasshouses – the biggest being the Palm House - and a Conservatory with seasonally changing displays so even on a wet day there are areas in which to linger. The Tropical Lily House was a particular favourite (Figure 4).

I am sure there will be celebrations at the Botanic Garden all through 2021 so let us hope it will soon be possible to travel there to witness them!

 All photographs: Author’s own.