Tag: Weekly HighlightsPage 1 of 3

Rhododendron siderophyllum

Look out for Rhododendron siderophyllum planted at the bottom of the Chinese hillside.  A small plant with evergreen leaves that give off an aromatic smell when touched or…

Central Asian Juno Iris

A first flowering at RBGE for Iris zaprjagajewii one of the dwarf Juno Iris. Collected by members of the alpine and rock garden team on an expedition to…

Colour in the Rhododendron collection

A fine specimen is Rhododendron hunnewellianum, planted by the laundry building near Inverleith House.  Best seen from the pathway and lawn nearby as it is a top heavy…

The purple plum

Flowering in many gardens is Prunus cerasifera or one of its many forms. A welcome reminder that spring is arriving. A native to the Caucasus and now found…

Ten years of seasonal plants of interest – 12 that flower or colour reliably year on year.

A lot of plants have caught my eye during the past decade while compiling a weekly profile on a seasonal plant of interest. Below are the consistently reliable…

Alpine extravaganza

Primula allionii seen in pots in the traditional alpine house and colonising the tufa wall in the modern structure too. Also worth a mention is Saxifraga dinnikii alba….

Keep your eye on the alpine display

Amongst the array of fine spring flowering bulbs in the alpine house is a pot of Erythronium grandiflorum ssp. grandiflorum. A native of western North America found growing…

Birds need bits

Think remnants as you get out into the garden to tidy up now the days are longer. Birds are looking about for pieces of vegetation to use as…

Showy gem on the alpine wall

Arabis purpurea is a mat forming evergreen of loose habit. Interestingly the seed was collected from a plant growing on a dark shady dry bank in Cyprus. Here,…

First sprouts of spring

Plants are sending out growth as we approach spring. This is the last opportunity to complete any formative pruning. Take the opportunity to manage your plant collection and…

The Rhododendron season 2015

From this time of year onwards Scottish gardens are coloured with Rhododendrons in flower. At RBGE Rhododendron meddianum var. atrokermesinum is flowering in the lower woodland garden. Native…

A smudge of correction fluid

Ribes sanguineum ‘Albidum’ is an easily grown and propagated deciduous shrub that never fails to flower. The racemes of flowers develop as the new growth expands. These racemes…

Fresh shoots for spring

At this time of year wild fluctuations in air temperature are often experienced. Over the weekend, a high of 14.8oc was recorded at the Garden. The following two…

Vivacious beginnings

An apt name for a flower that bursts into colour at the start of the growing season. Iris ‘Vivacious Beginnings’ is one of several cultivars new to the…

Ercilla volubilis

A spectacular Chilean climber in full flower this week.                  

Pacific plum : Oemleria cerasiformis

This, a deciduous suckering shrub, native to the Pacific coast of North America making a straggling untidy plant. Oemleria cerasiformis, leafs out from the last days of February….

Latua pubiflora

Latua pubiflora has been in flower intermitently since January this year and is still going strong! Click here for more information

Scoliopus bigelovii

Scoliopus bigelovii is referred to as having quaint flowers by the Alpine Garden Society in their Encyclopaedia of Alpines. The RHS dictionary of Gardening is more specific, mentioning…

First flight of the Forsythia : Forsythia x intermedia ‘Spring Glory’

It must be spring, the Forsythia has coloured up. Noticeable colour in the buds clothing the bare stems is the first sign that we are pulling out of…

Sandmat

Clumping over a mound in the rock garden is a sturdy plant, Arctostaphylos pumila, an evergreen shrub of the Ericaceous family. It is endemic to a small area…