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Garden Name: Singleton Botanic Gardens
Last Modified: 10/02/2010
Garden ID: 0087

pic: 0087_Singleton.jpg

Owner: Swansea City Council
Address:
Singleton Park
Swansea
West Glamorgan
Postcode: SA2 8QD
County: Wales

tel: 01792 298 637
fax: 
website: www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=1348
email: 

Features: 
Ornamental gardens with many first introductions into the UK
Herb garden, vegetable garden
Herbaceous borders and rock gardens
Desert House and Tropical House

English Heritage Grade:


Opening Times:
All year; 7 days a week; 9am - 4.30; Easter - July, 9am - 6pm; August, 9 - 8pm.

Best Times of Year to Visit: 
April - Sept.

To see: 
High quality bedding schemes
Orchids, rainforest.

National Collection: 
Rhododendrons

National Garden Scheme days: No
Comments: 

Parties / Coaches: Yes 
Comments: Yes, up to 54

Viewing by Appointment: Yes
Comments: 17 tour required 

House Open for Viewing: Yes
Comments: N/A

Admission Prices:
Free

Parking: No
Lavatories: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
Shop: No
Plants for Sale: Yes
Lunches: No
Teas: No
Refreshments: Yes
Picnics: Yes
Dogs allowed: No
Only on Lead: No
Events: Yes

Other Facilities:
Band concerts and children's entertainment throughout August as part of "Botanics in Bloom"


Designer: Lord Swansea
Description of Garden:
The herbaceous border, planted in 1921, greets you warmly as you enter the garden. In the central rectangle, the display beds have collections of iris, dahlias, chrysanthemums, sweet peas, carnations, asters, delphiniums and penstemons. Other beds display high quality bedding schemes. The Japanese Bridge spans the waterfall and is surrounded by dwarf Japanese acers. The herb garden features many Mediterranean plants and the Rock garden is in the process of regeneration as many plants have outgrown their original sites. The garden feature collections of magnolias, camellias and an internationally famous collection of rhododendrons. There is also an Archery lawn, lily ponds, and a bog garden.


History: 
Veranda House was purchased by John Henry Vivian in 1847 for his son Henry Hussey Vivian and his wife Jessie. Sadly, Jessie died a year later after giving birth to their son and as a result Henry resolved not to live in the house, so by 1853 only the estate lodge remained, the principal part of Veranda House having been dismantled. The Singleton Estate amalgamated a dozen farms into its 250 acres and by 1851 the Walled garden had become the kitchen and flower garden serving the needs of the Vivian family. Henry Hussey Vivian lived in part of the estate, now called the Ornamental Gardens, and his wife Sarah, who was an enthusiastic gardener, was the driving force behind the plant collections. The County Borough Council purchased the estate in 1919 for use as a public park, at the instigation of Daniel Bliss who had trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and who from 1920 oversaw the transformation of the park and garden.

Local Inns: 


Accomodation: 


Restaurants: 


Village/Town/Sightseeing: 
Gower Heritage Coast
Brecon Beacons