Tag: MayPage 1 of 4

A sight of Silver

A wet day brings out the best in the Alchemillas. Alchemilla alpina is one of the smaller growing species, native to Europe and Greenland. This clump forming herb…

Bells by the dozen

On the western edge of the copse are specimens of Enkianthus chinensis flowering in profusion. The bell shaped flowers are produced by the dozen in pendulous racemes, held…

Subtle sight

Planted in the early 1990’s from seed collected in Canada, (though native to eastern north America) the large crowned Juglans cinerea is flowering for the first time. Take…

A benefit of the mild winter and fine spring

Cistus albidus, collected by one of our former curators, Ron McBeath is flowering in the border at the alpine area. Seed was collected in Spain from the parent…

Lilac season

Now that the Cherry blossom fades the Lilacs are providing continuity of colour Syringa x persica (a hybrid between S. afghanica x laciniatata.) The “Persian Lilac” is an…

A choice species to welcome the Scottish Rhododendron Festival

The Scottish Rhododendron Festival runs from the start of April until the end of May and aims to promote the varied collection of Rhododendrons collected and grown throughout…

Review of the Year – 2018

Following on from a Met Office decreed White Christmas in 2017, Edinburgh had a day of snow and then Storm Dylan blew through on the 31st. Fortuitously, the…

Seed stock

Looking through the naturalised areas where Snowdrops and Winter Aconites provided the colour during winter the Eranthis hyemalis are ready to shed their seed. The seed capsules, held…

A fine Rhodo

Nestled into the flora in the sunken courtyard to the north of the centre glasshouse is a fine specimen of Rhododendron annae. A Forrest collection from SW China,…

Destined for the bucket

Easily introduced to the garden when lifting and dividing Snowdrops from another area; Allium paradoxum is an invasive coloniser of cultivated ground. This form of wild garlic has…

A floral carpet for May Day

Anemone nemorosa provides a carpet of white or light blue flowers lasting several weeks. Colonising the woodland floor where deciduous canopies are not causing excessive shade. Appreciate these…

Perfect green panicles

Walking out of the John Hope Gateway into the Biodiversity garden  this wide spreading specimen of Acer caudatum ssp. ukurunduense is now mature enough to flower profusely. Collected…

Ailanthus giraldii

The young growth as bud burst occurs is an intense red. The foliage is divided and this enhances the visual appeal of the emerging new growth. A large…

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…

Azalea season

The Azalea collection is blooming. One of the best on the bank is Rhododendron luteum, reliable to flower, full of mid yellow blooms and the scent drifting through…

Malus in May

Growing in the nursery is a fine, sturdy young specimen of Malus sieversii. A native to Central Asia and known to be the wild apple that apple breeding…

Double vision in bright fresh yellow

Anemone ranunculoides a spring flowering native that carpets open woodland. The long spindly stems arise from delicate rhizomes that colonise moist organic soil. Atop these spindly stems are…

Double vision in bright fresh yellow

Anemone ranunculoides a spring flowering native that carpets open woodland. The long spindly stems arise from delicate rhizomes that colonise moist organic soil. Atop these spindly stems are…

A stunning bulbous perennial

Camassia leichtlinii ssp. suksdorfii has long linear leaves as you would expect from a member of the Agavaceae family. This is a stunning perennial that repays planting space…

Hardened off, ready to plant

The second half of May and we hope the frost is finished for the season. Make sure all half hardy and tender perennial stock you are planting out…