Tag: Weekly HighlightsPage 2 of 3

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…

A spring favourite leaping continents

Used as we are to the yellow flowers of the Primrose, there are colour variations of this species which we are lessPrimula vulgaris familiar with. A native to…

A frosty reception

Observe the frost on Pachystegia insignis (sometimes called Olearia insignis) and see value added to a plant that you may pass by without a second glance at this…

Reminders of romance

Seed pods; bright yellow, tucked into the evergreen canopy of Euonymus wilsonii. Splitting apart into even segments revealing the red coated aril. A spectacular find at this time…

Shoots leaves and flowers

With the days lengthening and the soil warming; growth, especially in herbaceous plants, is shooting away. Helleborus vesicarius is looking promising with flowers colouring optimistically. Opening green these…

Grey skies, moisture laden leaves

Euphorbia characias ssp. wulfenii ‘John Tomlinson’ is brought to life after rain. The droplets collect on the grey blue waxy cuticle of the leaf and reflect light. Arranged…

Subalpine Buttercup

Growing in the Middle Atlas mountains of Morocco at subalpine altitude; 2000 – 2500metres, Ranunculus calandrinoides demands a rocky free draining substrate where the roots can grow down…

A lesser known member of Hamamelidaceae

Sycopsis sinensis is an evergreen shrub in the family Hamamelidaceae. A native to central and western China where it grows as understory in evergreen forests on hillsides at…

White stemmed Rubus

These images are of one of the white stemmed brambles that are now more obvious in the border with no snow on the ground to dilute their colour…

A season to sneeze

Alnus japonica, a deciduous pyramidal tree, this specimen collected in 1987 by Warner and Howick during travels to Hokkaido Province, Japan. The parent plant was found growing at…

Sheep fodder

They must breed hungry sheep in New Zealand; the ability to graze over the hard spears of Aciphylla subflabellata requires determination. The plant was observed growing in grazed…

Not a thing of beauty

One of New Zealand’s most common evergreen small trees; Pseudopanax arboreus, favours forest and open scrub areas from sea level to c.750m. The leaf is composed of usually…

A cathedral of catkins

Corylus colurna; a forest tree of grand proportions. With a trunk of deeply fissured bark reaching up to a magnificent cathedral of branches this tree is now laden…

Cold damage

Continual snow cover since 18th December until 15th January; cold desiccating winds and low temperatures. The 100mm soil minimum reached -13.7oc on 24th December. The air temperature recorded…

Sticks in the snow

The recent snow has given the edge to plants grown for their winter stem colour. The light green stems of Cornus stolonifera ‘Flaviramea’ show up as the sun,…

Gathering of Galanthophiles

The end of the week sees the first Scottish Snowdrop Conference. Held on Friday 20 February at the Garden it is part of the Scottish Snowdrop Festival. In…

Store cupboard staples

Viburnum betulifolium is a strong growing deciduous shrub. It is laden with bright red berries, ideal bird food. The shiny surface must act as a visual deterrent as…

Celebrating the snowman as art

After days of watching news bulletins showing snow covering many areas of Britain; finally last night the flakes started to fall. Silently 50mm of snow layered itself gently…

The aptly named “Winter Aconite”

As blizzards of snow envelope Britain the “Winter Aconites”, Eranthis hyemalis, show through the white blanket that carpets the land. With a wide geographical spread from Europe to…