Global Medicinal Garden Unveiled At Botanic Gardens

A new Global Medicinal Garden has been unveiled in Belfast's Botanic Gardens, by the Lord Mayor, Garden staff and a group of volunteers.

The garden was first proposed in 2019 for an area of the Garden to the south of the Tropical Ravine. The site selected is close to where Daniel Ferguson, Curator of the Gardens from 1836 to 1864, grew medicinal herbs.

Botanic staff provided materials for the new garden and members of Friends of Belfast Botanic Gardens(FoBBG) designed, cultivated and planted it.

The Global Medicinal Garden follows a geographical plan with different areas representing Ireland, Great Britain, Europe, North and South America, Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

From Meadowsweet to Sweet Joe-Pye, the towering Ginkgo to the Australian Blue Gum, the plants represent a comprehensive mix that were used as folk remedies, ancient indigenous cures, plants for herbalism, homeopathy and modern medicine up to current pharmaceutical research.

Lord Mayor, Councillor Kate Nicholl, said: "It's an absolute pleasure to visit this beautiful new garden in Botanic today and hear the story behind its creation. I want to thank Friends of Belfast Botanic Gardens and our own staff at Botanic who have worked together on this special project."

Adrian Walsh, Chairperson of Friends of Belfast Botanic Gardens, said: "FoBBG members are delighted to meet the Lord Mayor today and thank her for her sustained interest in the Gardens and the work of the Botanic staff."

Friends of Belfast Botanic Gardens is a charitable organisation that works to promote Botanic Gardens as a centre for horticultural excellence, botanical education and public amenity. It aims to promote the conservation, maintenance and development of the gardens, buildings and monuments within and to enhance the scientific value of the plant collections. All members are volunteers.