The Oxford Botanic Garden – In the Garden of Eden

In the April of 1621, Henry Danvers, The first earl of Danby purchased a low-lying area on the banks of the River Cherwell for a sum of 250 pounds from the University of Oxford. His intent was to build a physic garden that is a garden filled with plants possessing medicinal properties.

The land covered an area of 5 acres and had very poor drainage. Hence it required 4000 loads of garbage to raise the level and bring it at par with the River Cherwell so as to prevent it from possible flooding in the future.

The land was originally used as a burial site for several generations. It was initially used by the Jewish community of Oxford. After the Jews were extradited from England, it became the burial grounds for the Hospital of St John the Baptist, which stood within the premises of Magdalen College.

Once the land was levelled, high limestone walls were built around the premises. The walled garden ws thus completed in 1633.

In 1642, Jacob Bobart the Elder was appointed as the first keeper of the Botanic gardens. Along with his son Bobart the Younger, he began work on the planting of the Garden. In 1645 Bobart the Elder planted a Yew tree which still exists in the Literary garden. It was under his supervision that a collection of dried plants known as the Herbarium were planted in the garden, thus laying the foundation for the Oxford University Herbaria.

Today, the Oxford University Herbaria collection comprises over a million specimens and is known as one of the world’s greatest collections of plants.

Till 1720, the garden was the personal property of the Bobart’s. Subsequently, Bobart Younger along with his friend William Sherard, a professor of Botany at the University handed it over to the University of Oxford.

Currently, it resides in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Oxford and has over 5000 different plant specimens.

In 1834, Charles Daubeny who was appointed as the Professor of Botany renamed the Oxford Physicke Garden to the ‘Oxford Botanic Garden’.

The Literary garden trails through beautiful perennials like Galanthus, Narcissus, Helleborus, Cardamine, Epimedium and Paeonia. It provides a lovely walk helping visitors understand how plants have been featured in literature. As delicate woodland blooms brush against your legs while you walk through the meandering trails you realise it is a unique endeavour to help us understand how poets, novelists and playwrights have been inspired by the thousands of exclusive plants blossoming in the garden.

The Oxford Botanic Garden with its lush foliage kissing your shoulders as you pass beneath their boughs helps to brighten the heart and soothe the mind. Take a walk along its shaded paths and get caressed by its rejuvenating spirit.

Visit the video below to take a trip down the literary trails of Oxford Botanic Garden

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