Interact with Ness Gardens

Oct 26 2011 by Rachel Lunt, Heswall News

A NEW interactive attraction has opened at the Ness Botanical Gardens in Neston.

The Microsoft Surface Tool will give visitors the opportunity to interact and learn about the plants within the garden’s collection through a high end graphics display, which will contain information about the species on display there.

Used at the World Expo held in Shanghai last year to showcase the vast array of plants and in particular the large Chinese plant collection, the interactive platform was used a part of the North West higher education collective, led by the University of Liverpool.

The device, described as a ‘giant iPad’, will now form part of educational programme for schools and visitors alike and is freely available at the visitors centre, giving a rich 150-year history of the gardens and it’s Chinese plant collection.

The director of the Ness Botanical Gardens, Kevin Reid, said “It is vital to use the latest technology to encourage the next generation to see plants and botanical gardens as relevant to them.”

We’re very excited about this interactive platform which we hope will enable visitors and schools to see the gardens – particularly our Chinese plant collection – in a new and different way.”

Originally opened in 1898 by Arthur Kilpin Bulley, one of the first botanists to cultivate Himalayan and Chinese plants in Great Britain, the Ness Botanical Gardens are now part of the University of Liverpool and used as an education centre.

The Ness Botanical Gardens are open daily from 10am until 5pm up until Monday, October 31 and 10am until 5pm from Tuesday, November 1.

Adult tickets are priced at £6.50 and £3 for children.