Category: HorticulturePage 36 of 59

Latest blog stories connected with horticulture at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

Learning from ash dieback

Resilience noun [mass noun] 1 the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity 2 the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness [Oxford…

Maximising stem space

The mature specimens of Maytenus boaria seen in the garden are laden with flower buds. As these open the four yellow anthers are prominently displayed proud of the…

Fabulous ferns from the desert

 On the first weekend in April fern enthusiasts had a meeting in Edinburgh. Members of the British Pteridological Society (Fern Society) heard horticulturalist Andrew Ensoll describe an official…

Better in bud

With leaves unfurling and flower buds poised to burst Viburnum buddlejifolium is an open growing wide spreading semi evergreen shrub native to Central China. In its present stage…

A poor year for old crocks

The extended cold has taken a toll on clay pots. These pots are absorbent and susceptible to freezing and thawing temperatures. Dependant on the kiln temperatures when fired…

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…

The difference a week of weather can make.

Last week saw driving snow storms, freezing temperatures overnight and bright sun leading to a rapid thaw early on in the day. Some plants thrived; it was the…

Uncovering Scottish natives

The first signs of Spring are appearing in the shade tunnel in the Alpine yard. We moved the alpine Scottish natives under cover in December to avoid the…

Best black from Belgium

Hellebore seed gifted from a contact in Belgium was sown six years ago in the nursery. The resultant seedlings were grown on and flowered for the first time…

Viburnum furcatum

This plant is worth a closer look as the buds expand and the embryo foliage emerges from tight buds. Specimens of Viburnum furcatum are planted near the upper…

Mark Watson Medalled By RCHS

Mark Watson has been awarded the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society’s Dr Patrick Neill Medal 2013 for his contribution to botany. Mark Watson is Editor in Chief of the…

Student Project on Honey Fungus @RBGE Inverleith

Last year (2012) a RBGE HND/BSc2 Horticulture Student called Nicolas Porter undertook a project on Armillaria (Honey Fungus) at Inverleith. He identified a number of factors that may…

Allionii at alpine level

Flowering in the alpine house at the Garden is a collection of Primula allionii. One specimen collected, as seed; from limestone cliffs in the French Maritime Alps is…

March 2013: Bambusa vulgaris

Bamboo Bambusa vulgaris Family: Poaceae Bamboos are essentially a group of toughened grasses. Botanically known as Bambusa vulgaris, it is described as an open, clump type bamboo species…

Verification

Plants grown from seed collected on expeditions often take several years to germinate, grow and mature into flowering sized specimens. Initially they are grown in the nursery and…

Variegated barrier

Forming a dense barrier of glossy evergreen leaves Trachelospermum jasminoides ‘Variegatum’ is worth growing in a sheltered situation. The foliage of this cultivar has white banding and shows tinges…

Variegated barrier

Forming a dense barrier of glossy evergreen leaves; Trachelospermum jasminoides ‘Variegatum’ is worth growing in a sheltered situation. The foliage of this cultivar has white banding and shows…

Insulated buds

Betula calcicola is one of a number of dwarf Chinese Birches, it has a covering of dense white hairs over the buds and young shoots which act as…

Overgrazing

The Grey Squirrel population cause occasional damage through the Garden. Bark is stripped from young shoots and bulbs are dug up and eaten. Shoots are cleanly cut with…

February 2013: The Humble Snowdrop Delights All

There can’t be a better sight to the gardener than the emergence of this simple white flower after its seasonal sleep; those crystal white petals heralding that spring…