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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…

Goosanders on the Pond

A pair of Goosanders (Mergus merganser) were on the main Pond today; the drake was also present in the early morning of 10 February. Today they spent a…

Science Festival at the Botanics

Edinburgh International Science Festival 2014 programme was launched today, and it looks like another smasher! Tickets are now on sale, and we have got lots to offer families…

Yew hedge

Work is soon to start with the removal of the existing perimeter hedge at RBG Edinburth Inverleith site and replacing it with  plants  of  the Common Yew (Taxus…

Eranthis cilicica

Not needing the protection of the Alpine House but cultivated to perfection therein is a pot of Eranthis cilicia. This species has much smaller, narrower and linear foliage…

2013 RBGE Edinburgh Invertebrates Report

Just over 350 species of invertebrate were recorded at the Edinburgh Botanics in 2013. Of these, just under 200, or 55%, had not been recorded in the Garden…

Sparrowhawk takes a bath

On Thursday 6 February three horticultural staff and I had the very special privilege of watching an adult female Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus having a long bath in the…

January Wildlife Report

BIRDS Thirty-nine bird species were recorded in the Edinburgh ‘Botanics’ in January 2014. They included a possibly wintering Chiffchaff, heard calling (and trying to sing briefly) once (20th),…

Walking With Poets Celebration

On 28 November 2013, the RBGE hosted a public closing event for the Walking With Poets project – a special collaboration with the Scottish Poetry Library. The project,…

Blooming Hellebores

While snowdrops flowers are continuing to appear apace in the Rock Garden. The few rays of sunshine this week have encouraged some of the Hellebores in the Woodland Garden…

Flowers in the Edible Garden

Growing flowers amongst your vegetables has several benefits. Not only do they look great but they help to attract pollinating insects and confuse pests. Many flowers are edible,…

Season’s highlight, Rubus sp. ghostly white stems, dig out and divide for more plants.

A vigorous mass planting of white stemmed Rubus sp. had spread to the detriment of neighbouring, weaker growing plants. The ideal time to dig out the extensive mass…

Glasshouse Plant Profile: Theobroma cacao L.

Description Cocoa is an evergreen tropical tree, usually 5 to 8m tall. The flowers are small, yellowish white to pale pink and grow directly from the trunk. In…

The national tree

The Scots Pine is an iconic tree within the Scottish landscape. Easily recognisable with its reddish trunk, best appreciated during a west coast sunset when the rays from…

Early spring flowers

The first snowdrops are starting to unfurl in the Rock garden. Two of the earliest species that we have are Galanthus ‘Anglesey Abbey’ and Galanthus ‘Opehlia’. To enjoy…