Ness Botanic Gardens

About Ness Botanic Gardens

Ness was begun in 1898 by Arthur Kilpin Bulley, a Liverpool cotton merchant with a passion for hardy and alpine plants, who bought farmland on the Wirral and built a house and garden there. In 1904 he sponsored the plant hunter George Forrest's expedition to Yunnan in China, and set up the seed company Bees Ltd in the potting sheds at Ness. Several plants were named after him, including Primula bulleyana.

Bulley wanted his garden to be seen by the public. After his death his daughter Lois gave the site to the University of Liverpool in 1948, on condition that it stayed a botanic garden open to all. Today it covers 64 acres and holds around 15,000 plants, many of them early introductions from China, the Himalaya, Tibet and Burma.

What to see

• The Rock Garden, one of Bulley's original features, with a pond, stream and Summer House.
• The herbaceous border, now planted by region of origin, from North America to Asia.
• The Pinewood, with much of the rhododendron collection.
• Water gardens, a Mediterranean garden, a wildflower meadow and a small alpine glasshouse.
• Views over the Dee estuary towards North Wales.

Planning your visit

Ness is on Neston Road between Neston and Burton, within reach of Liverpool, Chester and North Wales by car, rail, bus or bike. Parking is free. The Visitor Centre is fully accessible and there is a set accessible route round the gardens. The Botanic Kitchen café, gift shop and Dovecote Nurseries are on site.

The gardens close to everyone if winds of around 50mph or more are forecast, and may close for snow, ice or extreme heat, so it is worth calling ahead in poor weather.