National Botanic Garden of Wales celebrates 25 years
To mark this milestone, a special garden party will be held over the late May bank holiday weekend, on Saturday, May 24, and Sunday, May 25.
The event will feature a programme of live entertainment, family-friendly activities, and a showcase of Welsh music and culture.
In a nod to its opening year, admission prices on Saturday will be rolled back to the year 2000 rates - £6.50 for adults and £3 for children.
The National Botanic Garden of Wales was established as a flagship Millennium project and was one of the first new botanical gardens to be created in the UK in over 200 years.
The garden gained international recognition for the innovative Norman Foster-designed Great Glasshouse, which was the world's largest single-span glasshouse in 2000.
(Image: Anthea Crowe) Among the garden's most notable contributions to science is the Welsh Flora DNA barcoding initiative, which made Wales the first country in the world to DNA barcode all native flowering plants and conifer species.
The resulting open-access database, covering more than 1,473 native plants, continues to support global research and conservation efforts.
In recent years, the garden has undergone an extensive landscape restoration, including a £6 million transformation of the original Regency landscape.
The project restored the lakes and waterfalls and introduced accessible trails, enhancing biodiversity and creating new ways for visitors to connect with nature and heritage.
Looking ahead, the garden is set to develop a living collection of Welsh flora, featuring plant species found only in Wales.
Dr Lucy Sutherland, director for the National Botanic Garden of Wales, said: "As we celebrate a quarter of a century of the National Botanic Garden of Wales, we reflect on a remarkable journey of conservation, education, and connection with the natural world around us.
"The gardens are a truly special place that Wales should be enormously proud of and this milestone is a tribute to the dedication of our staff, volunteers, visitors, and supporters who have helped make the garden a beacon of biodiversity and inspiration for so many.
"We're proud of what we've collectively nurtured together over the last 25 years, and even more excited for what lies ahead.
"Our garden party will be a fantastic opportunity to celebrate our first 25 years and for people to rediscover the garden, reflect on all that we've achieved so far, and look forward to what lies ahead."
Beyond its conservation work, the garden plays a vital role in supporting community wellbeing.
Collaborations with health boards have established therapeutic gardening programmes, offering inclusive spaces where individuals with learning disabilities, neurological conditions, or brain injuries can build confidence and wellbeing through nature-based activities.
Education is also central to the garden's mission, with more than 11,000 schoolchildren engaging with its programmes annually.
Following the May bank holiday celebrations, a full summer programme of events will continue to mark the anniversary, including the garden's flagship BioBlitz Festival in July, as well as a series of exhibitions, workshops, and performances throughout the year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
6 hours ago
- Wales Online
Welsh attraction that was on the verge of being shut down named one of the best in the country
Welsh attraction that was on the verge of being shut down named one of the best in the country Previously on the brink of closure the attraction has now been awarded after receiving a high number of great reviews The venue has hosted many big names including Manic Street Preachers (Image: Caerphilly County Borough Council) A popular attraction has been recognised as a top-rated attraction in Wales in Tripadvisor's Travellers' Choice Awards for 2025. Blackwood Miners' Institute was on the brink of closure after the council proposed to withdraw its funding – a controversial decision that saw hundreds oppose it. Now the institute has been awarded after being among the top 10% of listings around the world on Tripadvisor. The platform uses genuine feedback from authentic, first-hand reviews to decide who wins the awards each year. The Blackwood Miners' Institute was saved from potential closure by the Arts Council of Wales which gave the attraction £210,000 funding. The arts and entertainment venue was first built in 1925 and used as a snooker hall until 1936 when two further levels were added to the building. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here Extra rooms were opened including the stage, auditorium, dancefloor, reading room, library, ladies room, and rehearsal rooms for local societies. Falling into disrepair in the 1980s the institute was refurbished and reopened in February 1992 as a community arts and entertainment venue. A £1.6m investment from Caerphilly council saw the building completely refurbished in 2010. The historic building has hosted many successful performers such as Ken Dodd, Jasper Carrott, and Welsh National Opera. It was also one of the first venues Manic Street Preachers performed at. Hosting many comedy, theatre, and music acts the Blackwood Miners' Institute is a popular attraction in south Wales. They also hold theatre, dance, and art classes and workshops within the historic building for all ages. The institute has garnered many positive comments on Tripadvisor. One person wrote: "A fantastic night! Everything about BMI is amazing! All staff at BMI are friendly, kind and sincere! The show (Rave On) was Brilliant. We had the most wonderful evening - we didn't want it to end!" Another said: "Friendly Staff, a nice bar with a good stock to drink comfy seats good opening times, and a great venue all round, best thing about Blackwood." Article continues below A third person went on to say: "It was a fantastic evening all the staff were very helpful and accommodating. Myself being an amputee they couldn't be more helpful. I would recommend it to anyone for a brilliant evening."
Wales Online
6 hours ago
- Wales Online
Update issued on Cardiff transport strikes ahead of busy gig weekend
Update issued on Cardiff transport strikes ahead of busy gig weekend The strike action would have come at a time of several high-profile events in the city Strike action that would have seen hundreds of city bus drivers walk out has now been suspended as the result of a revised pay offer. The industrial action in Cardiff was supposed to take place from August 17 and was due to run for three weeks, ending on Sunday, September 7. The strike actionby 450 Unite members working for Cardiff Bus was due to an ongoing dispute over pay conditions. The bus service is the primary bus provider for the Welsh capital and its surrounding areas like Barry and Penarth. If it went forward the industrial action would have fallen on days of major events in the city like gigs by Tom Jones, Will Smith, and Basement Jaxx at Cardiff Castle. Working conditions were also a major bone of contention among union members as Unite alleged that timetabling issues left workers unable to take proper breaks and staff often faced long walking times to reach the break facilities. In a previous update, Cardiff Bus had said it had offered to raise the pay rates by 5.86% but union members had rejected the offer as it left drivers below levels in the rest of the UK. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here. However Cardiff Bus bosses have confirmed the strike action has been postponed after a revised pay offer was put forward. Unite will now be holding another ballot on the revised proposal, which will take place from August 15 to August 29. The union has confirmed all strike dates are currently on hold as the bus company has now put forth an "improved pay offer" to its members and has also proposed changes to working conditions. These changes include longer breaks and improved sickness terms. Unite regional secretary Peter Hughes said: "Cardiff Bus has returned to negotiations and put an improved offer on the table. "Unite has therefore suspended strike action to allow members to be balloted on the proposals." Bosses at Cardiff Bus are now urging workers taking part in the ballot to accept their revised pay offer. Craig Hampton-Stone, managing director of Cardiff Bus, said: "We were pleased to hear of the suspension of the planned industrial action from Sunday to allow for another workplace ballot to be undertaken. "I would urge all taking part in the ballot to accept the latest revised offer." Cardiff Bus has confirmed that its usual services will continue. Article continues below In a reminder to customers the bus service added that its usual Sunday timetables will be in operation for the bank holiday on Monday, August 25.
Scotsman
10 hours ago
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Book Festival round-up: Ruth Jones Leor Zmigrod Gabriel Gatehouse
From a Gavin and Stacey star reading from her latest novel set on a Scottish island, to talk of shutting down the internet to save the planet with Amitav Ghosh and the psychology of extremism with Leor Zmigrod, it's been another varied few days at the Book Festival for David Robinson Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It's good to have expectations challenged, so when Ruth Jones – as Welsh as the red dragon tattoo on the arm of Nessa, her character in Gavin and Stacey, read from her latest novel, By Your Side, largely set on a Scottish island, and with a Hamilton-based first person narrator, I wouldn't have been the only one in the audience to be mildly surprised that she not only sounded like Lorraine Kelly but looked a bit like her too. Ruth Jones | Contributed After a bit of faff over feedback at the start, this turned out to be a very enjoyable event as she spilled some of the behind-the-scenes stories from Gavin and Stacey (there'll be more in October the book she and James Corden have co-written), and traced her writing career from Fat Friends onwards. Most of us, though, were there for Vanessa Shanessa, and she didn't disappoint, slipping into character at the end to tell us that she and event chair Val McDermid were collaborating on a novel, When Bryn Found The Barry Body. 'I have been mentoring her,' she said, 'and I'm not going to lie, it's going to be quite dark.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Most writers who come to this book festival tend to say nice things about the Scottish Enlightenment, so it was refreshing to hear Amitav Ghosh tear into it as the font of every bad idea around. In fairness, the Dutch East India Company also got a kicking for pioneering genocidal capitalism, but Adam Smith is clearly a Ghosh bête noir. 'Free trade was the whole justification for poisoning millions of Chinese and Indians in the Opium wars of the 1830s', he said, where the 'mainly Scottish opium traders operated like a mafia'. His solution for the world's present-day ills? Back to nature, support indigeneity and vitalism. Give rivers and mountains legal rights, live in greater harmony with nature (yes, fine) and if you really want to stop the illegal migration, shut down the internet. Er, not too sure about that one. Political neuroscience is new to me, and so is psychologist Leor Zmigrod, so I'll start with Jacob Chansley instead. If you don't know who he is, you've forgotten all about the bare-chested spear-wielding QAnon shaman wearing a racoon fur hat with bison horns who stormed the US Capitol on 6 January, 2020 along with 6,000 other conspiracy theorists who refused to believe Donald Trump had lost the US election. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Zmigrod's fellow-panellist Gabriel Gatehouse, then Newsnight's international editor, had a sinking feeling when he saw those scenes on television. He had, he realised, just missed a scoop. Back in November, he'd talked to Chansley but not filmed him. Pleasant chap, apparently, but what with believing all that stuff about the US being ruled by Satan-worshipping paedophiles, obviously crazed. This is where Zmigrod comes in. When we look at political extremists and conspiracy nuts, she says, we shouldn't look at things like their age, education, class, race – or bison-horned headdresses. We should look instead at their minds. If we do that, and give them a few card-game psychological tests, it's easy to work out who will be a dogmatic, possibly extremist thinker, and who won't. Apparently, this works with leftists, rightists – and even dogmatic centrists. The roots of conspiracy theories are varied and Gatehouse explored them engagingly in his two events on Tuesday. Social media spins more of us into them than newspapers ever did, and children are increasingly prey to them – though education can promote the kind of flexibility of thinking that doesn't allow them to seed. Creativity helps too, said Zmigrod. And so, I suppose, do book festivals.
