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Seasonal Plant of Interest : Kalopanax septemlobus

Beneath the extensive branch framework of Kalopanax septemlobus lays a carpet of fallen fruit. Further from the canopy edge are seedlings that have germinated from viable seed that…

Stories of the stones…

Today I went over to the nursery to see the stones from the deconstructed Botanic Cottage for the first time – palette after palette of stones of all…

Discover Botanic Cottage…

‘Edin. 29th March 1765. Received from Dr John Hope Professor of Botany in the College of Edinburgh, the sum of fifteen pounds ster for making Plans and Estimates…

Botanics Bird Report for 2013

The figures are at last all in and 62 bird species were recorded in the Botanics in Edinburgh during 2013. This is one fewer than 2012 when 63…

Stonefly is first RBGE insect of 2014

Today I saw my first insect of 2014 in the Botanics. No ordinary fly or early bee; it was a STONEFLY of the genus Leuctra (needle flies), almost…

Unseasonal fruit and flowers

Backed by a west facing wall, Tomato plants set in grow bags in the lean to glasshouse of the Fletcher Building are continuing to yield edible fruit. For…

Plant drawings launch a celebration of 200 years of Nepal-UK relations

The celebration of 200 years of Nepal-UK relations was launched on 6th January 2014 with an exhibition of natural history drawings made by Dr Francis Buchanan-Hamilton in 1802-3….

Exotic fruit amongst the leaf litter

Hanging by a fragile stalk from the terminal bud, the colourful bean pod like fruits of Decaisnea fargesii are an exotic shade of blue. The upright growth of…

Sylva

  2014 marks the 350th anniversary of the publication in 1664 of John Evelyn’s classic book Sylva: a discourse of forest trees and the propagation of timber in…

Tree Hug record still hanging in the balance

A Record Attempt to stage the world’s largest tree hug, held on Sunday 1st December, has stormed past Forestry Commission England’s 702 tree huggers which is the official…

All a quiver: Dipelta yunnanensis

A touch of breeze and the brown wafer thin seed pods of this Dipelta yunnanensis are set quivering on the leafless shoots. The twin wing like bracts give…

Glasshouse Plant Profile: Tahina spectabilis

Description: This rare palm can reach a height of over 18m in its natural habitat, and has large fan-shaped leaves. It has an unusual lifecycle, flowering only once…

Garden portals for Exotic Matter controlled by the Enlightened

An alien force, the Shapers, is trying to manipulate our minds by filling the world with Exotic Matter (XM) via portals associated with works of art and other…

Leaves holding for effect: Xanthorhiza simplicissima

Xanthorhiza simplicissima; a deciduous shrub with pinnate foliage that slowly colours into early winter. Surprisingly, a member of the Buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. Native to Eastern North America where…

Is it a world record?

Tree huggers converged on 11 sites around Scotland on the 1st of December to mark the end of National Tree Week and to try to break a world…

Glasshouse Plant Profile: Bamboo

Bamboos are essentially a group of toughened grasses. This particular giant bamboo is known as Bambusa vulgaris. It is an open clump-forming species with striped stems and dark…

Red sky at night…….

On Thursday we were treated to a fantastic sunset as we left work. Luckily I had my camera with me. November 2013 has given us many fine days…

2013 HND Students celebrate national tree week by planting 117 trees and shrubs in the garden

National Tree Week, 23 November – 1 December  is the UK’s largest tree  celebration and launches the start of the winter tree planting  season. Today we have been taking…

A frosty morning in the edible garden

A heavy frost brings out the beauty of the edible garden in winter. It also demonstrates the hardiness of some of the crops. Enjoy these photos as they…