Oxford Fiori Fiorista

The Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum is a taste of both UK history and the most fabulous flowers and plants you could ever hope to see, especially right in the middle of the city of Oxford. This world class facility was originally founded in the year 1621, and was eventually acquired by Oxford University in the year 1947. Both the Arboretum and Garden are maintained as an educational and conservational resource providing great motivation and inspiration for young botanists and old alike.

The Lower Garden

Within the 130 acres of landscaped grounds, there are some of the UK’s finest conifer collections. In the Lower Garden there are almost 6,000 kinds of different plants growing all year round. In the Rock Garden area there are even several Mediterranean plant species. There is even a Gin Border that is made up of plants that are used commonly in the production of, you guessed it, gin. (Who knew?)

The Walled Garden

This is the oldest section of the botanical garden. The strictly formal flower beds are being reorganized so they will soon reflect exact genetic relationships, based on the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG) classification system. In the Walled Garden there are also Medicinal Plant Beds, Geographic Beds, and the not to be missed Woodland Walk and Literary Trail.

There is huge biodiversity here at the Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum where you can see flowering plants along with the historic features of the Danby Gate monument and the walls from the 17th century.