Tag: Seasonal InterestPage 3 of 4

Two hopeful Hellebores

Agenus of herbs, these two differ in that Helleborusorientalis has no winter foliage and H.foetidus has. H. foetidus isnative to W and S Europe with H.orientalis having a…

The Poppy Patch

With the dry, warm weather this autumn the Annual Poppy, Papaver rhoeas, has produced a timely show of flowers to add colour in the lead up to Armistice…

The scent of Hamamelis

Opposite the Alpine area is a full flowering specimen of Hamamelis virginiana, an autumn blooming species from Eastern North America. Not to be confused with the Chinese species…

The best transient yellow of the season

Magnificent in full autumn colour Lindera obtusiloba has turned evenly butter rich yellow. The exception being the red leaf petioles which are seen when looking closer at this…

The Urban Kingfisher

One of our wildlife recorders, Lucy Cooke, gives you tips on how to spot kingfishers in the city centre!

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…

An early scented Clematis

Growing on the south facing wall of the glasshouses in full sun is Clematis henryi. Found growing naturally at forest margins, on shady slopes amongst shrubs and along…

Snowdrop division

March arrives and this year we have had a good six weeks to appreciate the Snowdrop collection. Reliable, regular and then as the deciduous canopy above expands and…

Have you seen the Alpine House?

Worth a visit; the Alpine House is displaying the best of spring colour. It is undeniable that protected cultivation allows a display of colour and interest to get…

Days lengthening

As day length increases the impetus to spend time in the garden is part of life’s natural rhythm. Get out there and be part of it. Where to…

A propensity to propagate

Cover, undergrowth, shrubbery; all terms for a mass of woody growth that provides shelter to biodiversity. Flowers, foliage and fruit through the seasons add to the interest of…

Bleached

It is always a treat to see bright autumn colour, yet occasionally the reverse happens. The colour has drained from the foliage of Viburnum orientale to such an…

A second flush

The mild weather has thrown up spikes of late season flowers. This herbaceous Delphinium beesianum has flowers sitting aside the dry brown seed pods of the summer flush….

May to October

The Pumpkin patch in the demonstration garden has come to fruition. The large flat seeds were sown into containers in May. Through the season the trailing growth produced…

First frost and autumn colour

Early sunshine and heavy dew this morning, yet on the front lawns the dew had crystallised as the first ground frost of autumn. With it are signs of…

Panicles the size of dinner plates

Sambucus racemosa ssp. racemosa has a wide distribution; Europe, Asia Minor, Siberia, W. Asia, N. America. This red berried Elder is bearing magnificent panicles of white flowers, many…

Welcome to Scotland

The Bell heather Erica cinerea is one of the iconic plants of the Scottish hills. Flowering in time for the Edinburgh Festival season a planting near the east…

Continental colour combo

There is a winning combination in one of the alpine stone troughs. Here two surface hugging plants from separate continents have combined, growing through each other, their flower…

Two South African plants

Both of these plants were collected in Lesotho at the southern end of the Drakensberg Mountains, growing in grassland. Both appreciate an open sun drenched position with good…

Rhododendron serotinum

Planted in the uppermost section of the Chinese hillside this evergreen Rhododendron bears multiple trusses of shocking white flowers. Considering the exposed situation it has established well, and…