The National Botanic Garden of Wales is set to celebrate a significant milestone this summer as it marks 25 years since opening to the public at the turn of the new millennium.
Since welcoming its first visitors on May 24th 2000, the Garden has grown into a globally recognised centre for biodiversity, conservation, horticulture, education and wellbeing.
To commemorate the anniversary, a special Garden Party will be held over the late May Bank Holiday weekend (Saturday 24th – Sunday 25th May), offering a packed programme of live entertainment, family-friendly activities, and a vibrant showcase of Welsh music and culture.
And in a nostalgic tribute to its opening year, admission prices on Saturday will be rolled back to year 2000 rates – £6.50 for adults and £3 for children – so that visiting the Garden is as affordable as it can be for as many people as possible.
Established as a flagship Millennium project, the National Botanic Garden of Wales was one of the first new botanical gardens to be created in the UK in over 200 years. The Garden gained international recognition for the innovative Norman Foster designed Great Glasshouse – back in 2000, it was the world’s largest single-span glasshouse and lauded for both its environmental design and seamless integration into the rural Welsh landscape.
Among the Garden’s most notable contributions to science is the ground breaking Welsh Flora DNA barcoding initiative, which made Wales the first country in the world to DNA barcode all native flowering plants and conifer species. The resulting open-access database, covers over 1,473 native plants, continues to support global research and conservation efforts and has been replicated worldwide.
In recent years, the Garden has further developed its vast estate and has undergone an extensive landscape restoration, including a £6 million transformation of the original Regency landscape supported by many funders, including the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project restored the lakes and waterfalls, and introduced accessible trails, enhancing biodiversity and creating new ways for visitors to connect with nature and heritage.
Looking ahead, the garden is set to develop a living collection of Welsh flora, featuring plant species found only in Wales. Designed as a botanical journey through the nation’s diverse habitats, from coastal cliffs to the peaks of Yr Wyddfa, the project will also address the urgent threats of habitat loss and plant extinction.
Dr Lucy Sutherland, Director for the National Botanic Garden of Wales, said: “As we celebrate a quarter of a century of the National Botanic Garden of Wales, we reflect on a remarkable journey of conservation, education, and connection with the natural world around us. No other organisations can merge science, culture and the arts in a way that a botanic garden can, and the National Botanic Garden of Wales has really put itself on the map in this regard.
“The Gardens are a truly special place that Wales should be enormously proud of and this milestone is a tribute to the dedication of our staff, volunteers, visitors and supporters who have helped make the Garden a beacon of biodiversity and inspiration for so many. We’re proud of what we’ve collectively nurtured together over the last 25 years, and even more excited for what lies ahead.
“Our garden party will be a fantastic opportunity to celebrate our first 25 years and for people to rediscover the Garden, reflect on all that we’ve achieved so far, and look forward to what lies ahead. We’re excited to welcome visitors, old and new, to share in this special milestone and to be part of the next chapter of our journey.”
Beyond its conservation work, the Garden plays a vital role in supporting community wellbeing. Collaborations with Health Boards have established therapeutic gardening programmes, offering inclusive spaces where individuals with learning disabilities, neurological conditions or brain injuries can build confidence and wellbeing through nature-based activities.
Education is also central to the Garden’s mission. More than 11,000 schoolchildren engage with its programmes annually, and a bold new goal, supported by the Welsh Government and the philanthropic community, aims to connect every child in Wales with the Garden through visits or outreach. A new vehicle will soon bring interactive biodiversity workshops and lessons to schools in underrepresented and harder-to-reach communities across the country.
Following the May Bank Holiday celebrations, a full summer programme of events will continue to mark the anniversary, including the Garden’s flagship BioBlitz Festival in July, as well as a series of exhibitions, workshops and performances throughout the year aimed at further exploring the Garden’s evolving story and vision for the future.
The National Botanic Garden of Wales anniversary weekend will take place Saturday 24th – Sunday 25th May 2025. For more information, visit: www.botanicgarden.wales
