The Fernery and Floral Beds at Botanic Gardens

The volunteer group and registered charity the Botanic Gardens Community Association was established in 2012 with the aim of beating the proposed and actual severe cuts to the gardens and attractions within the park.
The Gardens were originally opened as a privately run Pleasure Gardens in 1875 until council takeover and Trust status in 1937 and has been a pleasure to millions of visitors who have enjoyed the many different free attractions since. We have helped to save and manage many of the popular features such as the Victorian Fernery, the Rescue Aviary the Public Toilets and the magnificent Floral displays, and have had great success winning outstanding awards every year on year since 2014 and featuring on the BBC Britain in Bloom Show in 2019. In 2021/22 we raised public donations to enable the refurbishment of the rescue Aviary. We also started a wildflower initiative.
We manage to plant up 5 large display beds with a different theme for Spring and Summer about 40 containers and baskets and maintain our Rose Garden and Herbaceous beds. The unique Fernery is leased to BGCA and is continuously being restored and maintained by our team back to its Victorian Splendour. A recent attraction is transformation of an overgrown secluded area into a Victorian style Stumpery with Specimen Ferns, Heathers, Hellebores and wild flowers to add to existing trees including an ancient Mulberry. We have an Aviary Garden with fundraising Pavers.
The park has many other great attractions and we hold seasonal Events for people of all ages, it is also well worth a visit to the ancient village of Churchtown which spawned the Southport resort and the Victorian Botanic Gardens.
The BGCA Volunteers register over 6000 free working hours per year.
These hours will provide Match Funding for a current Heritage Funding Bid to restore the old Park Infrastructure to its Victorian splendour.
We thank all our supporters, sponsors and the the generous public donations received , it would not be possible without them.

David Cobham.
Chairman
BGCA
Dec 2024.