Tag: Top 10
The John Hope Gateway opened in October 2009, it is RBGEs biodiversity and information centre, and the main entrance to the garden at Inverleith.
The first rock garden at Inverleith was built in 1871 by James McNab. Whilst rockeries (landscaped features with rocks) were popular, the concept of a rock garden designed for true alpines was new.
The woodland garden was developed during the 1930s and 1940s, with large conifers planted to create a climate for Rhododendrons and other woodland plants which benefit from a more shaded aspect.
The lawn in front of Inverleith House provides an opportunity for visitors to relax and take in a spectacular panorama of the city, stretching from Calton Hill (left), along the length of Princes Street to Edinburgh Castle rising up on the mound (Right).
The pond was created by Piers Patrick (1861-1870), with the bronze fountain of the Boy with Two Dolphins being added by James Duncan (1870-1889).
Rhododendrons form an integral part of Benmore’s history. They were one of the main drivers for finding a West Coast garden, as the conditions and space at Inverleith were not suited to the numerous new species that were being bought back by Forrest, Wilson and Rock.
Staff on an RBGE seed collecting expedition to Bhutan in 1984 were inspired to create a microcosm of the Bhutanese mountains at Benmore.
The fernery was built in 1874 by James Duncan, at a time when Victorian Britain was gripped by fern fever.
The hilltop view point is sited at the highest point of Benmore (137m above sea level) and offers panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and the Holy Loch.
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.
Staff at RBGE have had a long established relationship with China, and this area of the garden highlights this, and displays the outstanding collection of Chinese plants held at Inverleith.
The Botanics captures the imagination of everyone who visits and is world renowned for its horticultural excellence. Over 70 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds provide a tranquil haven just one mile from the city centre.