Overview

With it being very summer like and long time since I'd taken time to explore the "Botanics" I took time out to go and see what was new. Would the gardens still excite and enchant with the mix of tranquility and wonderment?

Transport & Parking

Arriving by car, my wheelchair accessible van, has become easier as we now have some lovely accessible parking bays tight outside the John Hope Gateway entrance. The layout is better than the standard kerbs bays as it is much easier to get in and out of the vehicle. My pals arrived on the bus and got off at the bus stop by the East Gate and they walked through the garden to meet up.

Access

I have always said that it is the small things which make the biggest difference in terms of disabled access for many people. A warm welcome, good signage, lovely loos, smooth surfaces, and a sense of enjoying everything contribute to making a good visit. When you can relax because all the 'disability stuff' has been accommodated you can enjoy your visit like everyone else. The 'Botanics' was very much like this with a few surprises along the way. With the tremendous amount of work going on to redevelop the glasshouses and save the old palm house you'd think the place may be in a state of turmoil. Far from it, as the "Botanics" has new loos, some lovely new signs, wheelchair friendly paths, and new nooks and crannies to go and explore. I loved the rock garden area with the fabulous wheelchair routes, the old garden's cottage and the blossoming apple trees that reminded me of home, the intriguing harp in a 'cage' and the wonderful array of benches to rest awhile and just take in the view, the smells, the tranquility. Coffee isn't very far from my mind at times either and to have the choice of the East Gate, John Hope Gate and the Terrace to fulfil my craving was great but discovering they were all options for me as a wheelchair user was the icing on the cake. There's loads of information about access available from the website and during your visit with great signage and very help staff.

Toilets

Again, the whole notion of being able to choose accessible toilets was fabulous. There are accessible loos in the John Hope Gateway, the East Gateway, and others dotted around. Special mention has to be made of the 'pop up' loos, albeit solidly built cabin style buildings, near the East Gateway. A superb, spacious, clean, bright and light accessible loo can be found here. Definitely my favourite for manoeuvring a powerchair in!

Staff

Friendly and helpful with a warm welcome for everyone. All of the staff I met in passing had a smile and cheery 'hello' which was great.

Photos