Chronological Border

This border was laid out in 1962 to show when popular garden plants were first introduced to British Gardens.

The plants are grouped in beds, one from each century from the 16th to the 20th Century, and the actual year of introduction is given on the labels.

The majority of the 16th Century introductions came from Southern Europe and the Mediterranean region but as explorers opened up new areas in succeeding centuries, the plants came from further afield. It is one of only two such borders in British Botanic Gardens the other being Cambridge Botanic Gardens.