Albert's Greenhouse

Wherever I travel, I try to seek out the local botanic gardens. Last spring, I found myself in Madrid, and took the opportunity to spend a few hours at El Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid, or the Royal Botanic Garden of Madrid.

Situated in central Madrid, near the Atocha train station and not far from famous museums including the Prado and Reina Sofia‎, the plant collection dates back to a royal collection started in 1794. The gardens cover 20 acres and include a set of glasshouses showcasing arid and tropical climates, along with a small indoor carnivorous plant display. The garden is nowdays primarily a public display garden rather than an academic institution, having been remodeled in 1981 for that purpose.


One of the primary attractions of this garden is that the climate in Madrid is similar to the climate where I live - having the dry summers and cool wet winters typical of the Mediterranean basin. They have large displays of roses, camellias, and bulbous plants which would all grow well for me in my home garden. Interestingly, there is also a sizable display of vegetables grown quite artistically.



The plants of the garden seem to have expanded beyond its boundaries. Almost directly across the street from the garden sits this huge wall completely covered with living plants - definitely a work of botanic art.



I should also note that when it was remodeled in 1992, the old portion of Atocha train station was converted into an indoor tropical garden surrounded by shops and restaurants - worth a short visit in itself.