Harold Martin Botanic Garden (Oadby)
The Harold Martin Botanic Garden is situated in the small town of Oadby, close to its border with the City of Leicester.
This beautiful garden, which is actually a collection of gardens merged into one, belongs to the University of Leicester, but is open to the public.
It was founded, with the assistance of the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society, in 1921, and established on its present site in 1947.
The garden is formed from the grounds of four of the University's Halls of Residence, which are around a hundred years old and originally private houses. These are Beaumont, Southmeade, The Knoll and Hastings.
In its 16 acres, the garden includes an arboretum, herb garden, woodland and herbaceous borders, rock gardens and a water garden.
In addition to all this, there are the National Collections of Skimmia, Aubretia, hardy Fuschia and Lawson's Cypress, and glasshouses displaying temperate and tropical plants, alpines and succulents.
Every year, the garden hosts the Sculpture in the Garden exhibition, with work by sculptors from around the world.