Author: Robyn DrinkwaterPage 7 of 33
Pucks hut was designed by the Scottish architect Robert Lorimer as a memorial to Isaac Bayley Balfour – the man who first thought of creating a West coast botanic garden.
In a magnificent mountainside setting on the Cowal Peninsula in Argyll lies Benmore, an enchanting Garden steeped in history and surrounded by dramatic scenery.
The terrace offers views over the exotic walled garden. This area is planted with tree echiums, invoking the spirit of the canary islands where they are native.
This area is dominated by the magnificent Gunnera manicata, which has formed a vast, almost impenetrable colony.
At the south-western tip of Scotland lies Logan, the country’s most exotic garden. Warmed by the Gulf Stream, southern hemisphere plants flourish in this plantsman’s paradise near Port Logan in Dumfries & Galloway.
Fagus sylvatica ‘Dawyck’ was a chance discovery by Sir John Naesmyth, one of the past owners of the estate.
Throughout the autumn the floor of the Heron Wood is full of bizarre and beautiful fungal fruiting bodies, making this a magical and fascinating area of the garden to visit.
Dawyck is truly one of the world’s finest arboreta. Seasonal displays of abundant exotic and native plants provide a breathtaking backdrop of colour throughout the year. The Garden also offers an award-winning visitor centre.
Here Alan Bennell introduces you to the Coastal Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), the tallest trees on the planet.
Here Alan Bennell introduces you to Glen Massan, between the foot of the Bhutanese Glade and Chilean Rainforest Glade you will find some of the largest trees in the garden.
Here Alan Bennell introduces you to the Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris), Scotland’s native conifer.
Here Alan Bennell introduces you to a conservation planting of the Hiba Cedar (Thujopsis dolabrata).
Here Peter Baxter introduces you to the genus Podocarpus (Podocarpaceae), an unusual group of conifers.