Author: Robyn DrinkwaterPage 15 of 34
There is a huge specimen of Ligustrum compactum on the hillside, striving upwards to maximise exposure to the light. It is presently covered in terminal panicles of white…
Agapanthus grows and flowers best in soil with a high moisture content yet well drained until flowering has finished. It then requires a dryer root zone throughout late…
Dichroa febrifuga is of borderline hardiness in Edinburgh. It requires a warm sheltered spot and protection through the worst of the winter to make a modest shrub ultimately…
A bulb from Temperate South Africa; now growing in a sheltered situation within the confines of the glasshouse borders. Here Eucomis comosa has clumped up well. The foliage…
A mature clump of Cimicifuga japonica is in full flower on the edge of the conifer walk. The scent wafting down from the long plumes these past mild…
Planted in the corner of the herbaceous border is Imperata cylindrica ‘Rubra’. The leaves; blood red in colour from the tip down. Plant where the sun will reflect…
Growing in the student plots is carpeting annual awash with flower. Nemophila menziesii ‘Pennie Black’; the true species being native to California where it is found in meadows…
The Dierama collection growing at the Garden has this season been spectacular. Delicate and delightful images of arching fishing rods come to mind, a slight breeze causes the…
This wet summer has given us lush growth; it has also given ideal climatic conditions for the invasion of Red Thread, Laetisaria fuciformis, a fungal disease of turf…
Hydrangea heteromalla is flowering on the lower edge of the Chinese hillside. The large panicles of brilliant white flowers are setting off the canopy under which it grows….
Tight growing and compact this Ophiopogon intermedius with its linear grass like foliage is a good ground cover plant with high drought tolerance. Once planted it will take…
Cornus capitata has a wide range through SW China and the Himalayas. This evergreen, or in very cold winters semi evergreen, is found at lower elevations (around 2300m)…
Lavender is one of those easily propagated plants found in many British gardens, though native to the Mediterranean. It has one drawback: as it ages the plant becomes…
Paramongaia weberbaueri is a tender bulb native to Peru. The genus is in the family Amaryllidaceae as are Daffodils. Growing to one metre plus; the long linear foliage…
Large green Hosta’s are often regarded as the cabbages of the ornamental garden; this specimen is more elegant Hosta lancifolia ‘Aurea’ is a delicate coloured cultivar. The leaves…
The Olympic torch passes through Edinburgh this week. Our own Olympic double has been showing promise thriving in the south border for many a year. Forming a thicket…
Adiantum aeluticum, the “Western Maidenhair” is found in a wide distribution range through Western North America. Growing in crevices on steep slopes where shade is available. It is…
Scents evoke memories of days gone by. Competing with the heavy lingering fragrance of Philadelphus at this time of year is Cytisus battandieri, an outstanding shrub with loose…
Struggling to flower in our climate, it is heartening to find a scattering of soft lilac coloured buds held tightly to the older wood of Cercis griffithii. It…
Deutzia purpurascens a deciduous twiggy shrub of light structure which nonetheless manages to develop into an impenetrable tangle of growth. A native to Western China, found on steep…