We were blessed with a very warm, sunny day for this Scottish day
trip.
 |
| 1858 - Temperate Palm House |
Our first stop was to Edinburgh’s
Royal Botanic Garden (RBGE). The RBGE was founded in 1670 as a
‘Physic Garden’ at St. Anne's Yard, near Holyrood Palace; by Dr
Robert Sibbald and Dr. Andrew Balfour. The garden in Inverleith Row
is now on its fourth site. The intervening sites being on the east of
the Nor Loch (now Platform 11, Waverley Railway Station) and in 1763,
the garden's collections were moved away from the city's pollution to
a larger "Physic Garden" on the west side of Leith Walk.
 |
| Leith Walk Physic Garden |
This cottage from the garden's original site remained on Leith Walk for
over one hundred years. In 2008, the building was moved brick by
brick to a site within the current gardens. The project was completed
in 2016.
 |
| Leith Walk Cottage - translocated and refurbished |
Nearly 273,000 individual plants are grown at the ‘Botanics’ in
Edinburgh or at its three smaller satellite gardens (known as
Regional Gardens – Logan, Dawyck & Benmore) located in other
parts of Scotland. These represent around 13,300 different species
from all over the world, or about 4% of all known plant species.
 |
| Duncan Napier discovered a book about herbal remedies on a market stall and was inspired to open his own herbal shop in Bristo Place in 1860. Napier's selection of syrups, tinctures and ointments grew popular with the local community, and became an established presence in the city of Edinburgh |
RBGE in conjunction with the University
of Edinburgh delivers world-class biodiversity research to underpin
the conservation and sustainable use of the world’s plants in four
key areas:
1. Tropical Diversity - Plant
species diversity is massively biased towards the tropics, for
example the forests of Amazonia have 16,000 native tree species
compared to 30 in the UK. The RBGE Tropical Group is describing this
species mega-diversity, researching its cause, and how best to
conserve it.
2.
Genetics and Conservation - Providing evidence and
interventions to support conservation in the UK and internationally.
3.
Cryptogamic Plants and Fungi - Studying algal, bryophyte
and fungal diversity.
4.
Major Floras - Taxonomic research underpinning
conservation and sustainability.
 |
| RBGE's Wild Garden |
 |
| Vitus veinifera - Common Vine |
 |
| Vanilla imperialis - orchid |
 |
| 'Various Berries' by Mary McMurtrie - 20001 |
Mary McMurtrie was born in Aberdeenshire in 1902. She was one of the first female student at Gray's School of Art, graduating top of her year.
She ran a successful plant nursery after her husband's death, well into her 80s.
Mary published her own collecton of botanical art when she was 80. She was still painting when she reached her century.
This illustration was published in a Scottish wild flower book when she was 99 years of age!
 |
| Zingiber spectabile - Beehive Ginger |
Written
by PMR
Various
reference sources used:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Botanic_Garden_Edinburgh
https://www.rbge.org.uk/science-and-conservation/major-floras/
https://scotlandsgardens.org/symington-house/
After an al fresco lunch in Edinburgh we journeyed
into South Lanarkshire. Our next stop was to Shieldhill, Quothquan to
the home of Mr & Mrs Gordon.
“Their
200-year-old walled garden was completely redesigned and
planted in 2014/15 with contemporary features within a classic
design. The garden incorporates a modern rill and banks of colour
with perennial flowers in a variety of borders.
The resident bees
enjoy the large area of traditional meadow flowers as well as the
rose garden planted with lavenders, salvias and stocks.
Outside the
wall you will find mature woodland including a giant sequoia and a
wildlife pond.
If you are interested in fruit and vegetables, take a
look at the raised beds and the
peach tree and vine in the
greenhouse.”
These giant dandelions set in the meadow provide a wonderful focal point. Mr Gordon was enchanted by them whilst visiting the inaugural RHS show at Chatsworth in 2017.
The bonus is that they don't self-seed!
Our final destination, also in Lanarkshire, was to Symington House.
The estate owners, (Mr & Mrs Dawnay) and head gardener welcomed
us. We were treated to a lovely afternoon tea with home baking in the
shaded loggia, before visiting the romantic walled garden.
"A traditional walled garden and
greenhouses saved from dereliction 20 years ago."
" Now with beautiful
herbaceous borders set off by a backdrop of yew hedges."
"The
greenhouses have collections of fuchsias, geraniums and tender fruit.
There are woodland and river walks to enjoy too."
 |
| A certain founder member enjoying the garden |
Thanks
to Alba Travel for their professional service and excellent drivers
who took care of us during our tours.
