The Westgate Project was officially opened by HRH The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall on July 17th 2009.
A plaque was unveiled in the presence of Official Visitors from the Council, Community Spaces, Garden Staff and Friends, plus the Green Gym.
Half an acre of wilderness, on rocky strata below Signal Point House to the west of Ventnor Botanic Garden, has been transformed with grant aid of £50,000 from Community Spaces from the Big Lottery Fund. The bid was submitted by the Friends. An extension of the scree garden (originally the children's playground), ramped access has now been made possible from the St Lawrence entrance to the garden.
The focus is on somewhat experimental semi-arid planting, which is typical of the southern states of North America. It also includes High Andean cacti. An avenue of Washingtonia palms leads through an increased collection of nine new hardy plant species - with a range of exotic plants, such as cycads, apuntias (prickly pear), agarves and euphorbias.
