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Scoliopus bigelovii

Scoliopus bigelovii is referred to as having quaint flowers by the Alpine Garden Society in their Encyclopaedia of Alpines. The RHS dictionary of Gardening is more specific, mentioning…

A host of golden Daffodils

Drifts of daffodils are brightening the Rock Garden just now. They aren’t the UK native species that Wordsworth was referring too, but a diminutive cousin, Narcissus cyclamineus. Over the…

Open until 23 March – Naturally: Garvald Artists at the Botanics

Over the past four weeks, the John Hope Gateway has been host to an exhibition created by the artists from the Scottish charity Garvald, which supports adults with…

Featured Image: Primula juliae

Primula juliae, a photo by small-things on Flickr. As an experiment we are featuring occasional images from our Flickr group as posts within Botanics Stories ~ starting with…

March in the Edible Garden

The days are getting longer and all the lovely weather this week has got everyone thinking about the garden. So here is a quick guide to veg growing jobs…

Perfect for the woodland floor: Chrysosplenium macrophyllum

A mass planting of Chrysosplenium macrophyllum in the woodland garden is looking its best with a profusion of flowers. Botanically, a terminal cymose inflorescence, a selection of Chrysoplenium…

First bees of the year at the Botanics

I saw a Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) on the Camellia in front of the glasshouse range on 6 March. Heather McHaffie saw a bumblebee on the rhododendron beside…

First flight of the Forsythia : Forsythia x intermedia ‘Spring Glory’

It must be spring, the Forsythia has coloured up. Noticeable colour in the buds clothing the bare stems is the first sign that we are pulling out of…

First hoverflies of 2014!

The warm spring sunshine at lunchtime today brought out not just one but three different species of hoverfly, the first ones seen in the Garden this year. The…

February 2014 Wildlife Report

  Birds Thirty-seven species of birds were recorded in the ‘Botanics’ in February 2014. Highlights were one or two Goosanders on the Pond on three days (9th, 10th,…

First Scottish natives in flower

Saxifraga oppositifolia, the Purple Saxifrage is a plant well known to Scottish hill walkers for its very early display of bright pink flowers. The plants on the Target 8…

Vertical gardening – on tufa!

The tufa wall was planted up last May, and some of the species are now starting to flower. Primula allionii and Dionysia aretoides are two of the plants putting on…

Plants, people and paper in Nepal

At this time of year the early signs of spring are very welcome. In the Chilean Terrace behind the main glasshouse range is an attractive pink Daphne from…

Yet more Mediterranean scents; Iris unguicularis ssp. cretensis

Continuing from last weeks post with the theme of flowers requiring warmth to release their scent is Iris unguicularis ssp. cretensis. A delightful compact species with, at bud…

A plethora of Primula’s

Well perhaps this is a slight exaggeration, but there are quite a few Primulas now flowering in the garden and Alpine House. This large and geographically widespread genus, found in…

Work begins on the Yew conservation hedge

If you have been in the garden this week you will have heard the woodchipper working away in the demonstration garden. The Arboretum team have been working to…

Getting ready for Botanic Cottage: Preparing the trees

With just a few months to go before work begins on the rebuilding of Botanic Cottage in the Demonstration Garden, site preparations are now beginning so that we…

Mediterranean scent, Clematis cirrhosa

Clematis cirrhosa is the strong growing evergreen climber that hangs around and above the wooden door leading through from the alpine area into the growing on area beyond….

Alpine Jewel Box

Known to some staff members as the alpine jewel box at this time of year, this small glasshouse located in front of the Palm House is a tapestry of…

Spring beauty from the East

A number of early flowering Rhododendrons have burst into flower over the past week in the Woodland Garden. All were collected in the early 1900’s in the Himalaya…