By gardenpoets

I was speaking earlier about how Benmore Botanic Garden allows you to travel through a wide variety of countries and landscapes and still be back in time for tea. What I forgot to mention was, that at Benmore, you can also travel back in time.

Throughout the garden you can see ferns.  Some of the ferns are the bright, vibrant, light-green colour with which we are all familiar.

Some of the ferns are much more exotic looking.

But if you visit the Fernery, you can step back in time and see how the Victorians used to display their collections of ferns.

There is even a grotto.

James Duncan, constructed the Fernery in the 1870s but by 1929 when the Benmore estate was gifted to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, it was dilapidated with only its walls and roof structure remaining. Luckily, since 2009, visitors to Benmore have been able to see the Fernery restored to it’s former glory.

You do have to climb a fair number of steps to reach the Fernery but the climb is well worth it. And there is a seat inside if you need to catch your breath or just want to sit and soak up the atmosphere.

And if you need a bit of help getting across the garden to the Fernery, you don’t have to rely on Victorian technology. Just book a seat on the Benmore Explorer, buggy tour, sit back and enjoy the scenery.

Ian, one of the gardeners, not only looks after Explorer but gives a fascinating guided tour. I know, because I went on it a couple of days ago. I thoroughly recommend it.

Source: Walking With Poets