历史沿革
内斯植物园（Ness Botanic Gardens）位于英格兰威勒尔半岛，俯瞰迪河河口，与北威尔士相望。这座植物园的诞生源于阿瑟·基尔平·巴利（Arthur Kilpin Bulley）对植物的深厚热情以及他与他人分享这一热情的愿望。巴利出生于1861年，1898年购入内斯地区的农田，开始打造私人庄园花园。巴利是20世纪重要的植物收藏赞助人，曾资助乔治·福里斯特（George Forrest）和弗兰克·金登·沃德（Frank Kingdon Ward）等著名植物猎人前往中国云南、西藏等地采集珍稀植物。1942年巴利去世，1948年其女儿艾格尼丝·洛伊斯·巴利（Agnes Lois Bulley）将花园捐赠给利物浦大学，确保了花园的未来发展。如今内斯植物园已成为英国主要的植物园之一，2023年迎来建园125周年以及作为大学植物园75周年。
园区概况
内斯植物园占地64英亩（约26公顷），坐落在英格兰与威尔士边境，俯瞰迪河河口，视野开阔，景色宜人。园内汇聚了大量珍稀、美丽且具科学研究价值的植物，荣获多项英国旅游奖项。植物园配备了完善的Visitor Centre游客中心，设有问询处、咖啡厅、商店等设施，为游客提供便利。花园每日10:00至16:00开放（最后一次入园时间为15:30），游客可在网站提前购票或现场购票。
植物收藏
内斯植物园拥有三大国家级植物收藏（National Plant Collections），登录于英国植物遗产组织（Plant Heritage）。橡木属（Betula）收藏涵盖了约49个已知树种中的大部分，包括著名的白桦、银桦等，以及奇特的日本和韩国品种。枫树属（Sorbus，即花楸属）收藏极为全面，2005年休·麦克阿里斯特博士（Dr Hugh McAllister）基于内斯的收藏材料完成了皇家植物园委托的专著。枫树属植物以其秋季叶色变化著称，从常见的猩红色到橙色、黄色，再到深红色、粉红和纯白色，变化丰富。桤木属（Alnus）收藏同样规模宏大，包含了来自韩国郁陵岛的珍稀大叶桤木（Alnus maximowiczii）。
花园特色
岩石园的历史可追溯至125年前，是巴利1900年前后精心打造的杰作之一，种植了报春花、高山 poppy、 龙胆属等高山植物。如今岩石园经过重新设计，但仍保留着高山草甸、凝灰岩峭壁和报春花溪等特色景观。杜鹃花谷（Pinewood）是园内最受欢迎的区域，种植着大量杜鹃花属植物，四月下旬至五月初是最佳观赏期，此时杜鹃花属的俄勒冈杜鹃（蓝色）、云南杜鹃（白色）和戴维森杜鹃（粉色）竞相绽放，美不胜收。此外，园内还拥有英国最完整的花楸属收藏，以及丰富的木兰、山茶、雪花莲等植物群落。
科研教育
作为利物浦大学的环境与园艺研究站，内斯植物园在科研与教育方面发挥着重要作用。植物园与皇家植物园爱丁堡建立了重要合作关系，在高山植物研究领域成果丰硕。园内设有植物图书馆和标本馆，为学术研究提供支持。植物园定期举办各类研习班和工作坊，主题涵盖园艺技艺、植物认知等，吸引众多园艺爱好者参与。同时，植物园还是植物猎人与植物学历史研究的重要基地，保存了大量珍贵的植物引种记录和文献资料。
游览信息
内斯植物园距离切斯特约10英里，距离利物浦约17英里，交通便利，可通过公路、铁路或自行车抵达。园内Botanic Kitchen咖啡厅提供餐饮服务，礼品店和植物商店出售各类纪念品和植物。游客可购买年卡会员，享受全年无限次免费入园及其他专属权益。花园允许野餐（禁止烧烤），并设有宠物友好露台区。园方还提供专业导览 tours），每周两次，需提前预约。2024年植物园继续推进园区改造，计划在Lea Hurst和Ness Gardens进行重大投资，进一步提升游客体验和科研设施。
官方网站：https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/ness-gardens/
History
Ness Botanic Gardens, situated on the Wirral Peninsula overlooking the River Dee estuary with breathtaking views across to North Wales, was founded by Arthur Kilpin Bulley in 1898. Bulley, born in 1861, was a significant sponsor of plant collectors in the twentieth century who not only laid the foundations of Ness Botanic Gardens but changed the face of British gardening. He sponsored famous plant hunters including George Forrest and Frank Kingdon Ward, who collected in Yunnan and Tibet, China. After Arthur Bulley passed away peacefully in 1942, his daughter Agnes Lois Bulley gifted the garden to the University of Liverpool in 1948 to secure its future and continue her father’s love of horticulture. In 2023, Ness celebrated its 125th anniversary as a site and 75 years as a University botanic garden.
Garden Overview
Spanning 64 acres (approximately 26 hectares), Ness Botanic Gardens features many rare, beautiful and scientifically interesting plants, and has received multiple British tourism awards. The gardens offer stunning views of the River Dee and North Wales. A well-equipped Visitor Centre provides information, a cafe, and a gift shop. The gardens are open daily from 10am until 4pm, with last admissions at 3:30pm. Visitors can purchase tickets online in advance or at the Visitor Centre on the day.
Plant Collections
Ness holds three National Plant Collections registered with Plant Heritage, all developed by Dr Hugh McAllister as part of his taxonomic research. The Betula (birch) collection includes most of the approximately 49 known species in cultivation, featuring white-barked species such as the native silver birch and Himalayan Betula utilis ssp. jacquemontii, as well as distinctive shaggy-barked species. The comprehensive Sorbus (rowan) collection provided the material for Dr McAllister’s Kew monograph on the genus published in 2005. The alder (Alnus) collection includes the wonderfully large-leaved Alnus maximowiczii from Ulleungdo, a Korean volcanic island in the Sea of Japan.
Garden Highlights
The Rock Garden dates back 125 years and was one of the two main garden ‘gems’ created by Bulley, already well-stocked by 1900. Today it features an alpine meadow, tufa cliff, and primula stream. The Pinewood area houses a large part of the Rhododendron collection, with the display peaking in late April and early May when Rhododendron augustinii (blue), R. yunnanense (white), and R. davidsonianum (pink) cover themselves with masses of blooms. Ness also holds Britain’s most comprehensive collection of Sorbus (rowan) trees, along with rich collections of Magnolias, Camellias, and Snowdrops.
Research and Education
As the University of Liverpool’s Environmental and Horticultural Research Station, Ness Botanic Gardens plays an important role in research and education. The garden maintains significant partnerships with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in alpine plant research. The gardens host regular workshops and classes covering various horticultural topics, attracting many gardening enthusiasts. The site also serves as an important base for research into plant hunters and plant exploration history, preserving valuable records and documents related to plant introductions.
Visitor Information
Ness Botanic Gardens is located 10 miles from Chester and 17 miles from Liverpool, easily accessible by road, rail, or bicycle. The Botanic Kitchen cafe offers food and refreshments, while the gift shop stocks a range of souvenirs and plants. Annual memberships provide unlimited free entry and exclusive benefits. Picnics are welcome (no BBQs allowed), and a dog-friendly patio area is available. Guided tours are offered twice weekly by prior appointment. A major investment was announced in 2019 for Leahurst and Ness Gardens, promising continued improvements to visitor facilities and research infrastructure.
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