Gibraltar Botanic Gardens

Gibraltar Botanic Gardens La Alameda
The Dellin the heart of La Alameda Gardens
Type	Botanical garden
Location	Gibraltar
Coordinates	36°07′53″N5°21′04″W
Area	6 hectares (15 acres)
Opened	1816
Owned by	Government of Gibraltar
Operated by	Wildlife (Gibraltar) Limited
Status	Open all year
Plants	Aloes,palms,dragon trees,sunken garden
Species	1,900
Director	Dr. Keith Bensusan
Website	GibraltarGardens.gi

TheGibraltar Botanic GardensorLa Alameda Gardensare abotanical gardeninGibraltar,spanning around 6 hectares (15 acres).The Rock Hotellies above the park.

History

In 1816 the gardens were commissioned by theBritishGovernor of GibraltarGeneral George Don.It was his intention that the soldiers stationed in the fortress would have a pleasant recreational area to enjoy when off duty, and so inhabitants could enjoy the air protected from the extreme heat of the sun.

The gardens were resurrected in 1991 by an external company when it was realised that since the 1970s they had fallen into a poor state. Three years later the gardens had the addition of a zoo: theAlameda Wildlife Conservation Park.

In 2001 a bronze sculpture of James Joyce'sMolly Bloomwas installed in the gardens. This running figure was commissioned fromJon Searleto celebrate the bicentenary of theGibraltar Chroniclein 2001.

The Eliott Memorial

General Don had commissioned a memorial ofGeorge Augustus Eliott, 1st Baron Heathfield,in 1815, which did not materialise in the form initially requested. A colossal statue of General Eliot, carved from thebowspritof theSpanish shipSan Juan Nepomuceno,taken at theBattle of Trafalgar,was first created.That statue was taken to the governor's residence,The Convent,where it stands today, being replaced by the present bronzebustin 1858. This statue is guarded for four 18th-century howitzers.

Plants of the gardens

The Elliott Memorial dates from 1858

The plants of the Alameda Gardens are a combination of native species and others brought in from abroad:

• Dracaena draco(Canary Islands Dragon Tree), a subtropicalDragon Treenative to theCanary Islands,Cape Verde,Madeira,Azores,and locally in westernMorocco.The oldest dragon tree in the gardens is about 300 years old.
• Stone pine(Pinus pinea), a species ofpinenative of southernEurope,primarily theIberian Peninsula.
• WildOlive(Olea europaea), aspeciesof smalltreein thefamilyOleaceae.
• Celtis australis(European Nettle Tree), adeciduoustreethat can be among 20 to 25 metres of height.
• Grevillea robusta(Australian Silk Oak), the largest species in the genusGrevillea.There is only one specimen of this tree in the gardens.
• Canary Island Date Palm(Phoenix canariensis), a largepalmnative to theCanary Islandsoff the Atlantic coast of northAfrica.
• Washingtonia filifera(Washingtonia), apalmnative to thedesertoasesof Central, southern and southwesternArizona,southern Nevada, extreme northwestMexicoand inland deserts of southernCalifornia.
• Howea forsteriana(Kentia palm),endemictoLord Howe Island.
• Ptychosperma elegans(Solitaire Palm), endemic to theNorthern Territoryand easternQueenslandinAustralia.
• Chinese hibiscus(Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), anevergreenshrubnative toEast Asia.
• Bougainvillea,a genus offlowering plantsnative toSouth AmericafromBrazilwest toPeruand south to southernArgentina(Chubut Province).
• Asteraceae(daisies), the second largest family offlowering plants.
• Pelargonium,agenusofflowering plants.
• Succulent plant,water-retainingplantsadapted toaridclimate orsoilconditions.

Events

The Alameda Open Air Theatre was inaugurated once again on 12 April 1996 at four o'clock with three bands of music playing - the same number of bands as had attended 180 years before to the hour at the opening of the Alameda Gardens in 1816. In order to extend its use from just theatre to general use, a number of new features were introduced, like the waterfall and lake - the largest area of open fresh water on the Rock, withKoiCarp and a collection of exotic lilies. Since its opening, this venue has been used for a variety of purposes, from beauty contests to band concerts, also weddings, dinner dances, conferences and variety shows.It also is the main venue for theGIB Fringe.

The theater is available for hire and all proceeds will go directly into continued improvements in the theatre and in the rest of Gibraltar's historic and rapidly improving Alameda Gardens.

Useful information about the theater and its facilities: Seating Capacity: 435 Stage Area: 120 m² Lighting Equipment: 34 Wide and Beams with colored filters if required. 3 stage and 3 public entrances. Bar, changing rooms and toilet facilities. Seating with table maximum capacity: 300

Gallery

• 
  Gibraltar Botanic Gardens in 2022
• 
  Wisteria sinensis(Chinese Wisteria), awoody,deciduous,perennialclimbingvinein the genusWisteria,in the gardens
• 
  Castle and keyset in the lawn of The Dell
• 
  Wooden bridge in the Africa beds
• 
  British-stylered telephone box
• 
  An evening stroll in the 19th century at the entrance of the Alameda Gardens
• 
  Duke of Wellington's memorial
• 
  Whalebonearch

See also

• List of plants in the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens
• Gibraltar candytuft
• Alameda Wildlife Conservation Park
• Grove
• Poplar avenue

References

• "Gibraltar Botanical Gardens" The Alameda "".Government of Gibraltar.Retrieved27 November2007.

External links

• Official website
• Alameda Gardens in the site of the Government of Gibraltar