There are a variety of different parks and gardens in Oxford, each with their own unique qualities and attractions. Parks in Oxford are well known for children's play areas and vivacity. The gardens of Oxford, on the other hand, are known for their quiet and natural. Some of the beautiful parks in Oxford are: Cutteslowe and Sunnymeade Park-This is one of the largest parks in Oxford. There are many things to do in this particular park, for example, you can use play areas for children to relax and read a book by the duck pond, admiring the many flowers, use the table tennis, golf and much more. Cutteslowe and Sunnymeade park is open all hours of the day. Bury Knowle Park-The park was opened in 1930 and now offers a variety of things to do, including tennis courts, playgrounds, mini golf, and a refreshment area. This park is open 24 hours a day, so if you fancy a walk late at night why not make a visit. Hinksey Park-The park is located just 15 minutes from downtown. Hinksey Park has an outdoor pool, tennis courts, a playground and a lake. [more..]

The National Botanical Garden of Cuba was founded in 1989 in the south part of Havana City with an extension of 600 hectares and which shows today around 4 thousand vegetable species. This Garden is part of the University of Havana, and its main goal is to promote the care of nature and the recognition of the vegetable world, especially, the autochthonous flora. It has been organized in several restricted areas with certain characteristics: plains of Palm trees, pine forests, Eastern humid forests, wilderness, Mogote vegetation (mogote is a rock formation typical from Pinar del Rio), coastal scrublands; and a sample of the tropical flora from Asia, Africa, The Americas and The Antilles, Australia and Oceania, and other specialized collections (Palmetum, Archaic Forest, the Ekman Collection and the Collection of Economical Plants). Outside those areas, the visitor can enjoy a collection of ornamental aquatic and land plants, including a section dedicated to plants with trunks especially designed by nature to store water. One of the main attractions of this institution is the Japanese Garden inaugurated in 1989, a work by the Japanese landscape architect Yoshikuni Araki. Located [more..]

The rapidly developing city of Bangalore is Asiaâ??s newest Silicon Valley. The fifth largest city in India is also its fashion capital and is an absolute beehive of activity. Travellers arriving in Bangalore have a myriad of sites to keep themselves busy during their stay here. Some of the more popular Bangalore attractions include the Bugle Hill, Bull Temple, Government Museum, the Venkatappa Art Gallery and the beautiful Lalbagh Botanical Gardens. The Lalbagh Botanical Garden is situated in the heart of Bangalore and is surrounded by the residences of Jayanagar. The garden is easily accessible from all parts of the city through the various public transportations methods. Commissioned in 1760, the design of the gardens is based on the Mughal Gardens in Sira. The Lalbagh Gardens cover a massive expanse of land and features loads of open spaces, shady areas, well-laid out pathways and roads to help visitors make the best o their visit here. The garden feature more than 1000 species of fauna and flora while most of the trees at the garden are well over a century old. In fact, the Lalbagh [more..]

Nestled away in the hills of the beautiful island of Sri Lanka, one will find the truly wonderful Botanic Gardens of Haggala which was initiated as a cultivation project in 1861. 10 kilometres off the Badulla Road, in chilly Nuwara Eliya the gates open up to a wonderland of colourful marvels in the midst of the hills of tea plantations. The name of this wonderful attraction is Haggala Rock which means the â??Elephantâ??s jaw rockâ?. Hovering over the gardens and the forest reserve at astounding heights of 2, 200 meters, the rock is truly a grandiose sight. High above sea level, at an elevation of 1,745 metres the gardens cover a region of 28 acres, which is bountiful with the workings of a Garden of Eden. With many of the attractions found in tiers across the grounds, the colourful flora seems to resemble cascading rainbow waterfalls. Also, moving further inwards, visitors will be able to take in the breathtaking views of the Uva Valley along with the mountain ranges of Namunukula and Madulsima. The focal attractions of the Haggala Botanical Gardens include the likes of [more..]

Located in the Central Province of Sri Lanka, the Royal Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya is one of the most frequented tourist attractions in the city of Kandy. Managed by the Division of National Botanic Gardens of the Department of Agriculture, Sri Lanka, Peradeniya Botanical Gardens is best known for its magnificent collection of orchids. The park is also home to an amazing variety of medicinal plants which are used in local Ayurvedic practices. A number of spices are also seen at this park along with a number of aquatic plants and other beautiful blossoming plant varieties.   Royal Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya is one of the best places to spot endemic birds such as the Sri Lankan hanging parrot, the brown-capped babbler and the Ceylon small barbet. Common residents of the park such as kingfishers and woodpeckers can be seen with relative ease while sighting a visitor such as the white bellied fish eagle is a rare occurrence which many have not had the pleasure of experiencing. More than 80 species of butterflies also call the Royal Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya their home. The sheer amount of flowering [more..]

The Birmingham Botanical Garden is highly recommended by Activ Birmingham as a place to visit under its heading of Great Days Out. These delightful gardens and glasshouses are located in Westbourne Road, Edgbaston, and Birmingham. The gardens cover some 15 acres of interest and enjoyment, and were designed by one of the leading garden planners of the day, J.C. Loudon. Loudon was also a respected horticultural journalist and publisher. The gardens first opened to the paying public in 1832. Today, visitors will find peace, splendour and tranquillity, plus excellent facilities including a shop, gallery, library, museum, a most essential tea room and a study centre. The gardens also provide educational facilities, courses and workshops. The Botanical Gardens promote various events from outside organisations during the year. The Gardens, with its unique facilities and surroundings, also cater for banqueting, conference, weddings (either civil ceremony and/or receptions) with its tailor made menus and extensive dishes.  It also offers excellent dinner dance amenities and is also an excellent venue for cocktail parties, lunches and dinners. Over the years the Birmingham Botanical Gardens has achieved a reputation of excellence for providing clients [more..]