Tag: horticulture

Saving Granton Castle’s Walled Garden and other stories

Hi folks,
A while since we have sent out any news, so a lot to impart as we have been busy!
Articles about ‘Granton’s Lost Garden’ now published, recent presentations have met with a good response which has been publicised on our wordpress page finding-grantons-lost-castle-garden Still time to fill in the ideas survey if you haven’t done already as it will be open until midsummer, the link can be found on the wordpress page.
The Friends Group have had two meetings recently with the developers who own the walled garden, the most recent of which was very positive in its outcomes. Is there a glimmer of hope for the future of the walled garden and its restoration? The Community Empowerment Act outlines many ideals we hope can allow our voices to be heard, the ‘last of Scotland’s lost gardens’ is too precious to develop for 17 luxury townhouses.
  • Council petition!!!, save_granton_castle_walled_garden open to sign by anyone resident in Edinburgh. We need 500 signatures to be heard again at the city chambers, but there is a strict time limit … so please sign and share with those you think may be interested.
NEAC plot June 2016
On a brighter note, recent seedfunding has allowed some practical gardening sessions to be run locally to help promote our Friends Group and actively involve local people and community groups in organic horticulture and community growing. Beautiful results for everyone to share, berry picking soon, North Edinburgh Arts centre plot (pictured above, Mondays from 1-2pm and West Pilton Community Garden on Fridays 10am -12 noon.
Hope to post details of our next Friends Group Meeting venue, date and time soon, likely to be the end of June. Please get in touch if you want to come along to any of the gardening workshops, meetings or have any questions.
Best wishes,
Kirsty Sutherland

June garden plant of the month: Rose

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Roses are undoubtedly the Queen of Flowers. With an incredible variety of shapes, colours and scents, garden roses are an essential plant in the garden. Enjoying the setting sun, sultry heat and the fabulous rose display on a lovely summer evening is the ultimate pleasure of roses in the garden! Who wouldn’t want that? The Garden Plant of the Month for June can provide it!

To suit every taste

The range of garden roses is incredibly large and can be different from the roses we know as cut flowers. There are many colours, scents and flower shapes, as well as various styles and growth habits. Bush roses, climbing roses, standard roses, espalier roses and ground-covering roses are common. Every garden rose has its own characteristics and can be used in many places in the garden. In the soil, in containers on the balcony or patio, or against a wall or fence.

Care

A couple of simple tips will keep garden roses healthy and beautiful.

  • It’s important that they are placed in full sun with at least 6 hours of sunlight.
  • Regularly water the plant when it’s been dry for a while outdoors, particularly if it’s just been planted in the soil or in a pot.
  • Give the plants special rose fertiliser in the spring to ensure that they keep flowering profusely for a long time and remain healthy.
  • Garden roses are generally very hardy when they are planted in the soil. In pots it’s best to provide winter protection with jute or bubble wrap.
  • The best period for pruning is the end of February or beginning of March. It can also be done later, and the roses will then bloom later. It’s not a good idea to prune earlier, because young shoots can then be damaged by night frosts and the plant is more prone to fungal infections such as blackspot and mildew.
  • Pruning depends on the type. Bush and standard roses should be cut back to 10 – 15cm above the soil or the trunk. For climbing roses, look particularly at the shape and height that the plant should grow to.
  • Don’t be afraid to prune roses vigorously; the plants will produce new shoots and will then flower profusely in the spring and summer.

Pruning tips

Pruning is very important for roses. It helps them to grow well, produce many flowers and remain young and healthy.

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More information about roses and other garden plants can be found at Thejoyofplants.co.uk

 

 

February Plant of the Month: Snowball (Viburnum)

 Even when it’s not snowing, Viburnum brings snowballs to the garden – and if it does freeze, this garden plant stays green and brings an early spring-like invigoration into a garden lover’s garden!

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Snowball is a diverse family of shrubs. There are species that remain green in winter, and semi-evergreen varieties and species that shed all their leaves. As compensation, they do grow sprays of white and pink flowers on the bare branches between November and March. Those flowers have a fabulous fragrance and are very frost-resistant: a spectacular combination.

Generally speaking, the later the shrub blooms, the larger the flowers will become. Snowball also either has a second flowering in the autumn or will produce lovely red, blue or black berries at that time of year. With foliage that also changes colour beautifully in autumn, this garden bloomer has something special to offer in every season.

More information about Snowball and other garden plants can be found at Thejoyofplants.co.uk.

You can find out about all our other plant-related categories on Flowercouncil.co.uk.

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Orchid extravaganza at The Botanics

Three in one: orchid extravaganza marks hat-trick at the Botanics

orchidWith a 344 year record of bringing exotic, rare and beautiful plants to Scotland, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) has witnessed some stunning sights.

But nothing has ever been quite on the scale of the 2,500 spectacular orchids now gracing the John Hope Gateway visitor centre. Sponsored by the Taipei Representative Office in the UK, Edinburgh Office, this awesome month-long display celebrates three significant anniversaries and highlights the Garden’s strong research and conservation links with Taiwan.

Tropical botanist Dr Mark Hughes, the man responsible for bringing the display to Edinburgh, explained: “This exhibition arrives at a particularly special time. Not only are we celebrating the 50th anniversary of our ‘new’ herbarium building – which holds our precious archive of three million preserved specimens – two other anniversaries collide: the 150th of the first specimen to reach us from Taiwan and the 50th anniversary of Taiwan’s designation of the plum blossom (Prunus mume) as its national flower.

“This orchid fair is not only a celebration of all these events, it is a significant public demonstration of an important partnership researching plant systematics in Southeast Asia”.

Running until 20  July this display of floricultural excellence is free to the public and will include additional family events at weekends throughout the four weeks.

Orchid Events coming up:

Sunday 6 July 1 – 4pm, John Hope Gateway

Chinese Flower Painting and Face Painting

Come along to learn about Chinese flower painting, and get your face painted. Free.

Friday 11 July 2pm, Patrick Geddes Room

Life in The Trees

Everything you wanted to know about orchids but were afraid to ask!  Join Kerry Walter on his fabulous tour of the largest family of plants on earth, the orchids. What do they get up to when nobody’s watching? Come and find out! Free.

Sunday 13 July 1 – 4pm, Patrick Geddes Room

Tea ceremony & tea tasting

If you don’t know your oolong, you don’t know tea!. Come and join Denise Leishman as she explains how the climate and geography of Taiwan produce some of the finest teas in the world, and taste them as prepared by her expert hands. Learn how the tea ceremony still has a place in today’s culture, and discover the stories behind our tea-related gems in the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s herbarium and archives. Free.

orchidsWith Taiwan Floriculture Exports Association and the Taipei Representative Office in the UK, Edinburgh Office.

Blackhall Plant Sale this Saturday

Blackhall Horticultural Society Sale this Saturday

The Annual Plant Sale is on Saturday 11 May from 10am – 12noon at Blackhall St Columba’s Church. Great variety of top quality plants at low prices –  and there’s teas and coffees too.

Note that the Society’s AGM takes will be held on Monday 13 May at 7.45pm in the small hall.

BlackhallStC