#brodickcastle

Plant of the Day

Sunday 24 June 2018

The bees were busy on Echium candicans (pride of Madeira) which was growing in the shelter of the walled garden at Brodick Castle, Isle of Arran, Scotland. The natural habitat for this plant are the rocky cliffs and plateaus of Madeira’s central mountain range. It thrives in mild coastal gardens, tolerating windy sites and nutrient poor, sandy soils. It is a fast growing but short-lived (5-6 years) subshrub with an umbrella-shaped canopy of hairy branches, each tipped with a rosette of felted, grey-green leaves. The flower spikes vary in colour from pink to deep indigo blue with striking pinkish-red stamens. 

Plant of the Day

Tuesday 26 June 2018

In the walled garden at Brodick Castle, Isle of Arran, Scotland, reference was being made to the original function as a productive garden with various vegetables forming the centre piece, including Lactuca sativa ‘Freckles’ (lettuce). This semi-cos variety was originally known by the German name of ‘forellenschluss’, which means speckled like a trout's back, it originated from Austria and Southern Germany in the late 18th century. It holds its shape well without bolting and is ideal for planting in ornamental borders.

Plant of the Day

Saturday 23 June 2018

Making a statement as you enter the garden of Brodick Castle, Isle of Arran, Scotland, on the upper terrace is the evergreen Griselinia littoralis 'Brodick Gold'. It is a sport of Griselinia littoralis 'Variegata' that originated in the garden, it is tender to freezing temperatures but is well suited to coastal locations withstanding salty air and windswept conditions. The species produces seedlings freely in this relatively frost free and moist environment that can be invasive if not weeded out. 

Plant of the Day

Saturday 30 June 2018

From the wet, temperate rainforests of South West Tasmania, Lagarostrobus franklinii (huon pine) is not actually a pine but a member of the family Podocarpaceae. This rare tree was growing successfully in the woodland garden of Brodick Castle, Isle of Arran, Scotland, enjoying the moist conditions. As the tree grows so slowly in the wild it has long lasting wood and has been used for boat building, but is now endangered. In Tasmania there are clonal colonies that are 5,000 or more years old.