On the spur of the moment a friend and I hopped on the bus to Edinburgh and spent the day there enjoying the lovely autumn weather in the Royal Botanic Gardens.
This famous garden (actually it feels more like a park when you walk around) has been known for several centuries as a place of seed and plant collections. In the days when plant hunters searched the far corners of the earth many specimens were brought back here some of which form the basis of plants we buy in nurseries which grow successfully in our northern latitudes.
An example of this is Pieres forrestii, a Himalayn shrub named after George Forrest the plant collector associated with this particular botanic garden. "The specific epithet forrestii occurs in more than thirty genera and thousands of hybrids have been bred from Forrest stock."
Today these gentians were giving a wonderful display as I caught the last of the sunlight about 5 pm.
And similarly with the autumn crocuses.
The John Hope Gateway building was built 2 years ago to provide a visitor centre with various facilities on offer to the public. I was greatly taken with this staircase. Details of the architects and structural engineers who did the work are here on the RIBA website.
I had never heard of John Hope (1725-1786). Apparently he was was a Scottish physician and botanist. He is best known as an early supporter of Carl Linnaeus's system of classification. [Wikipedia]. However there are many other botanists associated with this Botanic Garden as seen from the Scottish Plant Hunters list here. (Anyone who lives in Western Canada will recognise the names.)
I had never heard of John Hope (1725-1786). Apparently he was was a Scottish physician and botanist. He is best known as an early supporter of Carl Linnaeus's system of classification. [Wikipedia]. However there are many other botanists associated with this Botanic Garden as seen from the Scottish Plant Hunters list here. (Anyone who lives in Western Canada will recognise the names.)
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