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At our staff conference today Mandy Haggith, poet in residence at the Botanics for the month of July, commented about the lack of butterflies she had seen in…
Mediterranean and warm temperate species are taking advantage of this prolonged spell of hot dry weather to flower. We are observing an exceptional amount of flower on the…
We are now familiar with the idea of horticultural therapy but how does the concept of a healing garden differ from this? I went to Sweden and Denmark…
A recent report published by PLANTLIFE (Still & Byfield, 2007: available here.) begins, “Arable flora is the most threatened group of plants in Britain today”. Arable weeds which…
This is one of the richest areas of the Garden for wildlife. In the whole Garden, more than 460 animal species (mostly invertebrates such as insects and spiders)…
According to Horticulture Week, one-third of world food production and 87.5% of all flowering plant species on Earth depend on pollinators. Albert Einstein is credited with saying, “If…
Why not create a wilderness area in your own garden? For information see these two publications by PLANTLIFE: Grow Wild – Native flowers in your garden and Create…
George Don spent much of his life exploring the corries and glens of Angus and further afield to Arran, Ben Nevis and Skye. His plant collections in the…
As part of the horticultural practices module of the HND/BSc in Horticulture with Plantsmanship at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Scottish Agricultural College, first year students are…
As part of the horticultural practices module of the HND/BSc in Horticulture with Plantsmanship at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Scottish Agricultural College, first year students are…
Lepchas are indigenous peoples to Sikkim, renowned for their knowledge of and respect for nature. Several Lepcha were employed as collectors by the Calcutta Botanic Garden. Rhomoo Lepcha…
Roland Edgar Cooper was born in 1890 and orphaned at an early age. Once he turned sixteen he came under the guardianship of his aunt Emma Smith, his…
Sun wilt causes consternation when, on a warm day, leafy herbaceous stems flop. During the evening as the temperature drops the turgidity of the stems returns. The attached…
We are a bit over run with lettuce at this time of year so have been making lots of delicious lettuce and lovage soup. Lovage is a tasty…
It was another glorious day in the Botanics, and the tree of the day was alder. It likes its feet wet, and there is a lovely circle of them around the pond between the edible gardening polytunnel and the wood where the fairies live. I spent the afternoon there, reading poems about alders to people who sought me out by following the signs, and also to unsuspecting passers by.
By gardenpoets Rowan is my favourite tree, with its boudoir perfume and generous portions of berries for the birds. It will protect you from evil spirits and its berries…
By gardenpoets What a glorious day to start my residency in the beautiful Edinburgh Botanics! I was there before the gates opened, and left as ‘closing time’ was…
By Frances Hendron, Scottish Poetry Library Benmore’s poet in residence, Sue Butler has returned home. I drove her to the train and as we drove via the Dunoon…
By gardenpoets Thanks to Frances, pictured here in the lovely kitchen of my beautiful flat for the next month in Edinburgh, I am now officially a poet in…
For 24 hours from 6pm on the 21st June experts and the public joined forces to record wild species in the Garden at Inverleith as part of the…