Gardens to visit in spring and summer – Edinburgh Botanic Gardens

Known colloquially as the 'Botanics' (ask for this if you’re getting a taxi, or you may end up at the university by mistake) the Edinburgh Botanical Garden was created in 1670. Its original purpose was to serve as physic garden in Holyrood (which is where you’ll end up in your taxi if you’re not careful), later the plants were moved to Leith and finally the garden was settled -and expanded - in Inverleith in 1820.

This garden, in its somewhat bleak geographical region, makes the proud boast of being home to over 6% of all known plants. Obviously, tender plants wouldn’t do well in Edinburgh, so they have special locations in the Living Collections and the Glasshouses – which include Britain’s tallest Palm House – have always been a haven for botanical wonders ranging across ten climate zones.

A great spring tour is to visit the famous tropical rainforest in the Plants and People House, and find out a little more about some well-known and economically important plants, including bananas and rubber, as well as some familiar houseplants. Also great for spring is the world's largest collection of vireya rhododendrons, originally from the mountains of New Guinea and Borneo, which are on display in the Montane Tropics House and Wet Tropics House.

A popular area since its opening in 1997 is the Chinese Hillside which showcases the largest European collection of Chinese-origin plants in cultivation. Some really unusual specimens can be seen and the stories of their collection from China during the early twentieth century by the intrepid plant-hunters are on display.

Other feature highlights include the world-famous Rock Garden containing rare alpine gems, the Scottish Heath Garden which holds local treasures, and an impressive arboretum of colourful trees named the Woodland Walk.

Edinburgh Botanical Garden photograph by kyz, used under a creative commons attribution licence

 

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