Tag: Weekly HighlightsPage 14 of 32

Translucent yellow foliage

Large green Hosta’s are often regarded as the cabbages of the ornamental garden; this specimen is more elegant Hosta lancifolia ‘Aurea’ is a delicate coloured cultivar. The leaves…

Olympic double

The Olympic torch passes through Edinburgh this week. Our own Olympic double has been showing promise thriving in the south border for many a year. Forming a thicket…

Late to leaf; worth the wait

Struggling to flower in our climate, it is heartening to find a scattering of soft lilac coloured buds held tightly to the older wood of Cercis griffithii. It…

Floral spring flush

Deutzia purpurascens a deciduous twiggy shrub of light structure which nonetheless manages to develop into an impenetrable tangle of growth. A native to Western China, found on steep…

Rainbow arc

Leucothoe fontanesiana ‘Rainbow’, this cultivar of the Ericaceous family is growing in the sheltered and shaded sunken north facing courtyard of the front glasshouse range. Lush shiny foliage…

A fine introduction

The truss of blooms on Rhododendron sinofalconeri is worthy of show merit. The colour and form are first class. Give this 16 year old plant time to mature…

May blob

Caltha palustris, a lush growing plant with a wide distribution covering the temperate northern hemisphere. It has the most unfortunate common name; “May blob”, referring to the golden…

All a tangle

This is a Clematis like no other; a leafless tangle of green reed like stems. The scandent growth mounds over itself reaching 1.5metres in height. A native to…

A Georgian gem

Aipyanthus pulchra was growing in association with Daphne, Pulsatilla, Scabiosa in grassland when collected on Mt Kazbegi in Georgia at 2298 metres. Found throughout the Caucasus and western…

What a difference a few days make

Leaving Scotland’s driest and sunniest month of March since 1929 for the east winds that turned the balmy high teen temperatures we had been used to for 10…

Traditional bedding

The two strips of planting leading into the Temperate Palm House represent spring bedding at its best. These two cultivars; Polyanthus ‘Crescendo Yellow’ and Tulip ‘Purple Prince’ make…

Leafing through Lupins

We are now observing good growth on the emerging herbaceous plants. Taking a closer look at the emerging foliage on some reveals colonies of bugs and beasties. This…

Invasive alien

Libertia sessiliflora, collected in Chile and obviously enjoying our climate. The soil surface beneath the colony of mature plants is awash with germinated seedlings from the parent plants….

Floral scents

Abeliophyllum distichum exuding floral scent from the mass of pink tinged blossom covering the deciduous wood. Worth a walk to the south facing border at the foot of…

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…

End of an era

Our native Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) with one of out Arboricultural Team at the top, as it is dismantles to make itsafe in the Upper Woodland Garden after…