Accra, Ghana, is known as the most sparkling city in Africa. Young people are reinventing art, music and fashion in this city, thereby attracting the attention of the global community. Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located in the southern part of Ghana at coordinates 5 ° 33 'NL 0 ° 15' West. It has a population of 1,970,400 inhabitants. Accra was founded by the Ga tribe in the 15th century as a trading center for the Portuguese nation.
If Treveler visits the city of Accra, don't forget to visit the Aburi Botanical Gardens. Aburi is located in the Akwapim-Togo Mountains in Ghana. It is only three-quarters of an hour's drive from Accra, the capital of Ghana. The cool air of the Aburi mountains makes it a destination for people who like the cool side of life. Located in this cool and serene environment is the Aburi Botanical Gardens. The park covers a total land area of approximately one hundred and sixty (160) hectares. However only three hectares have been developed and the remainder serve as a botanical reserve.
The Aburi Botanical Garden has had many roles over the years including the introduction of plants and the teaching of agricultural scientific methods, but is currently one of the world's 1,800 botanical gardens leading the fight to save plant diversity through, research, conservation of medicinal plants, plant propagation, training horticulture and environmental education.
Before the park was established, the Gold Coast Government had built a sanatorium on site to restore Government officials in 1875. In 1899, during the reign of His Excellency Sir W. Brandford-Griffith KGMG, several hectares of land had been cleared. around the sanatorium to start the Botanic Department.
The opening was carried out under the supervision of a German serving the Basel Mission. In 1890 Mr. William Crowther, a student from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew arrived on the Gold Coast (now Ghana) as the first curator of the botanical gardens.
To reduce these garden traits to looking only at plants would greatly underestimate the essence of the garden. This park offers an educational, aesthetic, and spiritual experience for all groups of people. And this becomes very important when we consider the fact that humans have been genetically coded to stay closer to nature and draw from it their healing, peace and energy replenishment.
When visiting the park, the first thing that graces you is the royal palm tree (roystonea regia) lined beautifully on both sides of the road leading to the parking lot. This palm tree can not be said to be part of the original cultivated plant but it looks very old. You don't need to worry about its authenticity because there are several types of native plants that can still be found there; the silk cotton tree (Ceiba pentrandra) is an example. This tree is said to be the only survivor of the native forest that once covered the Aburi Hills.
The fact that the silk cotton tree is recognized as one of the largest trees in West Africa (how they came to that conclusion is unknown). However, a thin circumference of about 5-7 meters and a height of about 48 meters does indeed make it one of the largest in the sub-region. It is not surprising to see tour guides asking people to form a circle around the tree to demonstrate how big the tree is. To add to the attributes that grow from the cotton tree, many people in the sub-region believe that the tree is a sacred tree and therefore respect it.
One thing that matters with all flowering plants is the fragrance they leave behind and the Aburi Botanical Gardens should not be left out. The sweet scents and aromas of several carefully selected local and exotic plant species are something to behold.
For nature lovers, the following collections of special ornamental plant species are available in the Garden: Araucaria spp., Bambusa nana, Brownea grandiceps, Calophyllum mophyllum, Cedrela spp., Delonix regia, Dillenia indica, Elaeocarpus searratus, Enterolobium cyclocarpum, Ficus leprieya, Garcinia xanthochymus exotica, Naulea latifolia.
You don't need to be amazed by these scientific names. Knowledgeable tour guide on duty will take you through all the names and sometimes provide local names too. On my visit to the place, I was surprised to find a meg bean tree in the garden (I can't remember the scientific name now!). One plant species that park visitors should not miss is Mimosa pudica. It is a very sensitive plant that literally retreates into its shell with minimal contact.
Upon arriving at the bush house, people will find a bamboo fort. These are very beautiful highland bamboos that form a great canopy.
Lovers of birds and butterflies do not miss the experience. The abundant life of various species of birds and butterflies makes it the ideal place for you. The birds were so close that a nature lover described the whole experience in these words: "they came so close that sometimes you felt like perching on top of your head."
Aburi Garden also displays other interesting things that attract visitors to the place. First among the many things is the serene atmosphere the park provides for picnic lovers. On any national holiday, it is not surprising that many people travel from afar and are new just to have a picnic there.
VVIP Park is another place to stop. This place has trees that have been planted by officials who have visited the park and to leave lasting memories, they planted trees to "perpetuate" their visit. Among them were Queen Elizabeth II who visited in 1961, General IK Acheampong in 1973, Prince Charles in 1977, and General Olisegun Obassanjo in 1979.
A recent addition to increasing the stay of visitors and especially motorcyclists to the premises is a bicycle rental service operated by a native of Aburi. The service operator will provide you with an area guide map. With your maps and bikes, the only limits to your exploration of Aburi are your level of imagination and your desire to explore.