Tag: Weekly HighlightsPage 28 of 32

After the excess of chocolate at Easter; Turkish delight

Our plant of Omphalodes cappadocica was collected as seed by the late Douglas Henderson, Regius Keeper of the Garden from 1970 until his retirement in 1987. The twelfth…

New life after a harsh winter

After the ravages of winter and the alternating low and rising temperatures, growth is now beginning to move on plants. In the borders, damage on overwintered growth is…

Spring bulbs and leaf mould

Spring bulbs are making their presence known; the Crocus cultivars are in flower on the west slope from Inverleith House and at the east gate. Groups of Narcissus…

A choice plant from the coastal mountains of Chile

Latua pubiflora is not to be missed. Possibly one of the choicest plants to come out of recent plant collecting expeditions to Chile. This introduction is from the…

An early currant

An evergreen shrub with leathery leaves, Ribes laurifolium is a native of west China, introduced to Britain in 1908 by Ernest Wilson. The flowers are produced in racemes…

Rose – a thorny issue

Rosa sericea ssp. omeiensis forma pteracantha – the longest sequence of names and the most decorative of thorns are this plant’s claim to fame. As there was no…

An alpine odyssey

This week has brought lengthening days, warmth from the sun and bud burst from many of the dormant clumps of herbaceous plants throughout the Garden – all signs…

A Himalayan treasure

Various forms of Daphne bholua are planted throughout the Garden. The earliest to flower is towering up 5 metres from the sheltered courtyard to the north of the…

Freezing needles

Prominent to the south of the Rock Garden is Pinus sylvestris ‘Aurea’, the golden Scots pine, described by Rock Garden Supervisor John Mitchell as a classic addition to…

A Wintry Welcome

The thin, ribbon-like petals and delicate scent of the Chinese witch hazel, Hamamelis mollis, welcomes you on entry to the Garden via the East Gate. This deciduous shrub…

A trio of hellebores

Helleborus orientalis, collected in Turkey by E.K. Balls, is now to be found growing in the upper Woodland Garden. This is a showy clump with fresh, white flowers…

Winter Jewels

Galanthus ‘Lady Beatrix Stanley’ is the first snowdrop of the season, the promise of spring. After the week of storms and heavy rain, the snowdrops are opening to…

Tree Ferns

Tree ferns lend a touch of the exotic and provide key architectural elements in the Queen Mothers Memorial Garden and alongside the Glasshouse ramp. Hailing from such diverse…

A plantsman’s office…

Pete Brownless, nursery supervisor for almost two decades, is also the author of the Greenfingers column in our quarterly magazine The Botanics. Pete has been writing this column…

Winter Jasmine

Jasminum nudiflorum is the ideal plant to appreciate from the warmth of your home and a pleasure to encounter when garden visiting at this dreich time of year….

Highlights: 31.12.07

Grass cutting commenced on 1st February after a very mild, wet winter. Irrigation was much needed for the Rhododendron collection as growth flushed in the spring and flowering…

Highlights: 21.12.07

Mistletoe, (Viscum album), has a place in British social history. The custom of kissing beneath the Mistletoe dates from a long forgotten fertility rite, possibly linked to the…

Highlights: 17.12.07

A plant of seasonal interest, Ilex aquifolium has a wide geographical distribution ranging through South West Europe, North Africa, to South West Asia. Cultivated in Britain for centuries….

Highlights: 11.12.07

Awarded a preliminary commendation from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1957, followed by an Award of Garden Merit and a First Class Certificate, Mahonia x media ‘Charity’ is…

Student plots; cultivated and composted

As part of the first year of the HND Plantsmanship course the students are given a plot to cultivate; to sow and grow through 2010, producing a selection…