The garden covers an area of 10 hectares and was first established in 1600 but it was moved twice before it was ultimately given its current location in 1870.

The garden contains more than 13,000 species.
The garden has 27 glasshouses. The most notable is the old Palm House from 1874 that is 16 metres tall and has narrow, cast-iron spiral stairs leading to a passageway at the top.