Birmingham Botanical Gardens to host new Christmas trail

A new festive trail at The Birmingham Botanical Gardens will be transforming the gardens into an illuminated wonderland this winter.

The trail will be open from 29th November until 1st January 2018 and will be suitable for all ages.

Group visits to the Botanical Gardens can be arranged and special discounted rates are available.

What can groups expect on the illuminated trail? 

The jewel-coloured trail will lead visitors through the gardens, highlighting the Victorian history and heritage trees, all with a festive theme.

The trail will weave across the landscape, telling stories along the way and encouraging visitors to interact with the seasonal displays. 

Installations that visitors will experience include illuminated scenes bringing to life The Twelve Days of Christmas; a tunnel of lights; a mistletoe moment; and a scented fire garden.

Visitors will also see a Singing Tree; a coppice tree which has five trunks. Using technology, the single coppice will appear to sing as visitors wander past. Inspiration will also be drawn from other festive pieces including Silent Night, O Holy Night and The Holly and the Ivy.

More about Christmas at the gardens 

The Botanical Gardens, with four glasshouses, a Victorian park and bandstand, has provided horticultural inspiration for the creative designer, Zoe Bottrell, who is responsible for the creative concepts enjoyed at the popular Christmas at Kew.

Bottrell plans to have every rib of the beautiful aviary aglow with programmable lights, whilst the entire lawn will be washed with fire-like illumination. This installation alone will feature more than 60,000 individual lights. 

She says: “The Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Edgbaston, are an enticing canvas to create a Christmas story, featuring a beautiful aviary, to provide inspiration and illumination opportunities.”

For more information, visit www.birminghamchristmasgarden.co.uk.