Adelaide Botanic Garden

The Adelaide Botanical Gardens is a great place to visit. Its continued cleanliness, tidiness and freedom from rubbish never cease to amaze me.
There are a great many interesting features to showcase to visitors from both interstate and overseas. The variety of plant life is extensive showcasing plants for beauty and magnificence and those for eating as well.
These often highlight seasonal change including falling leaves and at other times magnificent displays of lotus flowers.
The rose garden is certainly a place to delight the senses when roses are in bloom .
The recent addition of a children’s garden always provides interest and stimulates growing vegetables in your own garden.
Often a range of plants and seedlings is available for purchase and the gift shop houses a small range of items of interest.
If fine dining is your choice the restaurant is worth a visit. There are cafes providing food and drinks both hot and cold.
Botanical Gardens in its central location is certainly a place to visit in Adelaide.

Such a beautiful haven in the city. You can get lost and discover the new and wonderful. Back in the 60’s it was my families place to go, picnic, have a walk and just enjoy family times. So many little nooks and crannies, paths that lead to new oasis’s that you didn’t expect where there. Always good for some ‘me’ time, refresh and rethink these busy days.

I have to admit that I was quite surprised when I wandered through one section of this garden to discovered that it was actually overgrown (though maybe they did it on purpose, though I guess the plants growing over the seats sort of suggested otherwise). Mind you, not all of the gardens are like that, just one section near the gate to the Botanic Park. Like most Botanic Gardens I do like this place, though it doesn’t seem to be as well looked after as some of the others that I have visited. They have this huge Terrerium which houses tropical plants, as well as a pretty cool cacti garden (I quite like the cacti gardens for some reason). During the summer months thing place is open until 7:00 pm, though somethings later when they have a performance of Shakespeare on. Basically it’s one of those places where you can enjoy looking at a variety of plants.

A wonderful place to spend with your loved one or your family. Nice
coffee shops around also. Lovely to
relax and have a picnic. One could spend the whole day here and not get bored.
We will be returning.

The Botanic Gardens is an escape away from the hustle of the City. It is really surprising when you walk into the gardens how actually peaceful it is. The trees seem to drown out the noise of the city and you are surrounded by the comfort of nature.
When I used to work in the City I loved coming here for lunch or for a short walk to refresh and revive. The Botanic Gardens has a lot to offer and should not be bound to incoming tourists alone. Locals should make time to visit to see the effort that is put into the Garden to keep it pristine and a benefit for our community.
I have two particular favs in the Garden. My first is the medicinal gardens. I love learning about the different plants and how they have been used to heal and improve health of humans throughout history. Also, it is really great to see what the plants look like in nature. I have always wondered what an Echinacea plant looks like. You can see that here amongst so many others.
My second fav is the cactus and succulent gardens in and around the glasshouse in the middle of the Botanic Gardens. I have read that the glasshouse (called the Palm House) is a restored Victorian glasshouse imported from Germany in 1875. It is the home of some beautiful species from around the world. I just love it so much!
This garden is also the perfect place for a date or a family outing. There is plenty of lawn space for a picnic and area for kids to run around.
I would recommend also keeping an eye out for cool events in the Gardens. They often host festivals and tasting nights. Keep an eye on their social media.

The Botanic Garden is really lovely, lots of different things to see, roses with funny names. We had a great time just walking through it. There are also free tours available in the morning. I would have given it five stars but we were a little disappointed it didn’t have a tropical climate house.
Apart from that, lovely place!

These are still one of my favorite public gardens in the world, tied for first place with Butchart Gardens on Victoria Island in British Columbia and the ancient gardens in Suzhou, China.
It’s huge, 125 acres. You wander from one fabulous area to another, with an unstructured layout that just keeps bringing surprises. The rose gardens are the best I’ve seen anywhere. While there on a fall Saturday there were five weddings going on that we saw, all far separated from each other. Each path you wander down leads to a new natural setting.
Over the years they’ve built some very interesting facilities here, like the National Wine Center. But the unstructured gardens, one after another after another, are what makes this place such a beautiful relaxing environment.

Spring has sprung and picnic weather is upon us — so bring on the lazy afternoons in the sun and shade of the botans (as we affectionately refer to this sanctuary of sanity!)
Perfect for picnics and in a great central location, the botanic gardens are an ideal escape from the craziness of the city — but in walking distance, with plenty of parking for those who prefer to drive. The sprawling grounds are able to accommodate for plenty of groups in a range of settings — if you want sun or shade, native plants or exotic, you’ll be able to find somewhere to plant (pun most definitely intended) yourself.
You won’t feel like you’re intruding on any other groups here, with plenty of opportunities to put distance between yourself and others so they can’t pass judgement on your seedy answers to the game of ‘Cards against humanity’ that you’ll inevitably sit down to play.
There are plenty of toilets and water fountains around the park and a cute restaurant and café, and, in an absolutely genius move, a store selling plants — should the surroundings inspire your green thumb.
As others have noted, try to leave a bit before they close, lest your gate of choice be locked and you be forced to walk further than originally planned.
The final great thing about the park? It is in great proximity to a number of pubs — be it the aptly named ‘botanic bar’ or any number of Rundle street establishments — or my bar of choice on a post picnic Sunday night, the Hackney. Why a pub after a picnic? Well who wants the drinks to end after a beautiful day in the sun? Certainly not me!

Spent the last day of winter at the Botanic Garden, enjoying the warm weather before the cold of Spring set in.
Being a Sunday, we parked free on the Hackney Road side and walked in through the gates near the Conservatory. Despite the huge curvilinear building dominating that side of the road since Australia’s Bicentennial (come on, you remember the jingle «Celebration of a Nation», don’t you?) none of us had ever been inside. Possibly because it used to cost and now it’s free so we scabbily availed ourselves of entry and spent some time strolling through the sub tropics before emerging out the other side.
From glass house to dead house, the small building past the fountain in this area once served as the mortuary for the Adelaide Lunatic Asylum, demolished in the 30s and we eagerly pressed our eyes to the keyhole to see if we could see anything. It’s now a garden shed so we were rewarded with a view of pile of styrofoam boxes.
Meandering on, we visited the Sunken Garden area. The pond here could do with a flush — looked less like water and more like gravy with trails where the ducks had skimmed the scum across the top. We visited the Amazon Waterlily House, the Palm House, the Museum of Economic Botany and had lunch at Café Fibonacci (tasty albeit pricy).
The carp in the main pond are scarily enormous and keep an eye out for the turtle (tortoise?). There are lots of lovely spots you can wander without being all up on other people which is what I’m all about. Afterwards, we took the toddler for the first of many future photos among the roots of the magnificent Moreton Bay Fig trees that grace the Botanic Park next door.
App idea: search for a plant and the app navigates you to the part of the garden where it lives. Copyright Beth R 2014.

Perfect sunny winter afternoon strolling through the Botanical Garden, far from the madding crowd at Adelaide Oval for the showdown.
It had been more than 2 years since the Conservatory opened for free, that means the heating had been turned off during winter and well watered over summer to create the rain forest feel with high humidity and mist.
Good to see many still come and visit the BG, families and lovers being the main visitors.
There are sprinkling of flowering plants about and birds abound. What a heavenly place to just relax, meditate and read in a sunny spot, or even just a by pass for walkers from North Adelaide and vice versa.
If you haven’t been here for a while, come and pay a visit and enjoy what nature provides.

The Botanic Gardens are great! I discover something new here every time I visit. For instance, the Garden of Health, which I discovered just the other day, has a whole range of medicinal herbs (no cannabis sativa though, which Californians would be disappointed with) and their historical uses. This may not excite some of you as much as me but I’m fascinated by natural medicines.
It is such a beautiful place to get lost in. It’s free to get in. However the big dome looking thing that houses all the tropical plants costs a couple of bucks and the café is a little on the expensive side. Parking is $ 2.20 an hour for a 4 hour max along Botanic Park. You wouldn’t have to spend a dollar if you didn’t want to though. Easy access to public transport and other touristy stops like the Zoo and the National Wine Centre.
Lots of nice spots to just lay out and have a picnic if you’d like. Or for the hardcore botanist, an amazing variety of plants.
Nice place to bring out-​of-​towners, or to feel like you are out of the town and in nature. Do it.

Ahh the Botanic Gardens are simply amazing. Well kept and maintained.
I enjoy stopping in here when I have some time and reading on one of the many large grassy areas underneath on of the huge shady trees.
There is one tree in particular that is great for younguns. Great to climb, on the inside, all the way to the top. It’s in the centre of the grassy area near the lilly pad house.
Now, don;t make the mistake a friend of mine made once and think that you can rest the weight of the top half of your body on these lilly pads, you will fall right through and be attacked by the barbs that cover their underside.

Love the gardens, they are truly beautiful.
Cannot stand the RATS. Yes I did say rats. I know they’re everywhere in cities but they terrify me and I just can’t bear to be anywhere I know they are. Last time I was at the Botanic Garden I had my friend’s little boy with me and we were sitting enjoying the surrounds when I spotted one. The two ladies at the next table found my reaction hilarious (I suppose it must have looked funny) as I packed up basket, bag and boy and took off pronto! They must have been German because all I understood as they pointed and laughed at me was ‘ha ha ha ratten ha ha ha’. I can see the funny side of things now but at the time I was not amused.
I do want to go back to the gardens but until someone can guarantee that they’re all gone, I ain’t setting foot inside the place!

Pretty, pretty gardens.
Whether you’re going there for a wedding, a picnic, or just to stroll through the lovely gardens, the botanic gardens in Adelaide are a perfect way to spend the day.
I’ve been to one wedding here, and the pictures turned out absolutely amazing. They were lucky that they had a perfect spring day for their wedding, and I think that really showed in the pictures.
I don’t think it tops the gardens in Melbourne, but it does a pretty good job trying!

I often come here for a walk of an afternoon when I’m in Adelaide. It’s just a beautiful place. It’s the sort of place that makes me wish I knew a little bit about photography. Sadly, I’m crap with a camera.
I don’t mind sitting here on a blanket with a packed lunch, just enjoying the scenery. It’s often peaceful, but there are the occasional noise makers that ruin the peace. That’s okay though, it’s a public space, it’s to be expected.

I love the Botanic Gardens. I have been here for every occasion you could imagine. First dates, last dates, birthdays, weddings, festivals. Yes you name it, you can do it at the Botanic Gardens (that isn’t supposed to sound dirty, but I’ve heard some stories.).
One of my favourite things to do is buy some cheese, get a bottle of wine and lay on the grass in the gardens. I don’t know if you are actually allowed to drink in there or not but I haven’t been told off… yet. On my 21^st I had the best day sitting in the park with my best friends drinking champagne and eating cucumber sandwiches. It was bliss! It is also great to go there and relax after a hard day of shopping in the city. It is only about a 5−10minute walk from Rundle Mall.
If you are a nature fan, there are heaps of different native and foreign plants. My favourite is the cactus area, they are cool.

The Botanic Gardens are beautiful. no picture I have taken shows it in the full beauty it clearly contains, because they are showing the entrance for you to go visit. You can visit during the day anytime. Inside the gardens these are decent toilets, there are snack bars and a sit down spot to eat, there is also a magnificent old building housing an early collection of specimens of seed and wood from all over the world that costs nothing and is well worth a visit. There’s also a great little gift shop with lots of excellent seed and implements for gardening and books in there, so regardless of whatever anyone says, you get in there and make up your own mind about how great the gardens are. Personally I like the Sydney and Brisbane Botanic Gardens a little more, but no matter — these ones are very beautiful.

I’m a big fan of the botanic gardens here in Adelaide.
Not because they are in anyway special as far as botanic gardens go, but because it is a beautiful peaceful place in which I have many fond memories.
I like to set up in the botanical gardens and do a bit of painting, there are some lovely little vistas, overlooking ponds or outcrops of trees. There are little winding paths and iron gates and several interesting statues which take on lovely green shadows from the overhanging foliage.
The gardens are a great place to relax and read a book, or have a pick-​nick with friends.
Also, when Womad is on, you can hear the music here pretty good. A plus for those who can’t afford a ticket and aren’t brave enough to jump the fence.

I went to the Adelaide Botanical Gardens for a leisurely stroll just the other week, I hadn’t been for a while and I remembered it to be so much bigger. I mean, it isn’t exactly small, maybe I just walk fast but I couldn’t seem to lose myself in the greenery because I would just hit another fence.
It’s great to go in summer because the gates stay open until 7pm, in winter it’s open until 5pm. So if you parked in the botanic car park, make sure you get there before the gates close because otherwise you’ll have to walk the whole way around. Learn from my mistakes and don’t be lazy and jump the fence, because the fence on the other side is not quite so easy to get over. Also there are park rangers scooting around looking for stragglers so if you did jump, you may have to put your acting skills to the test.
It’s nice to take a picnic and lie on the grass in the sunshine, just be prepared for the couple to your left making out like the world isn’t watching or the kids frisbee that is flying towards your head.
Just a heads up, the big dome glass house thing costs $ 4.00, it’s really quite hot in there and if you’re not much into understanding plants then give it a miss.

Yes, nearly every Australian city has botanic gardens. And yes, there is probably not much in these that you haven’t already seen somewhere. However, I have been here twice in the last few months and I’m pretty sure I’ll go again soon. If you want to escape the busy city for a moment, this is the ideal place. It’s peaceful and quiet, has beautiful trees and flowers and plenty of grass and benches that you can sit on.
The Palm House has some interesting plants inside but be warned, it gets very hot in there during summer. And don’t forget to have a look at the beautiful building that hosts the plants. It’s a Victorian glasshouse from Germany and truly magnificent.
The gardens are not that big and you can easily see everything in an hour if you’re not in a rush. If you’re like me and you love watching people, this place is definitely worth a visit. From young people on their first date to old married couples, school children to painters, locals to tourists, there’s a mix of everyone. Of course if you just enjoy nature and want to mind your own business it’s quite perfect too!
Note that while they’re open till 7pm during summer, closing times change in winter.