Friends
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Chair’s report
The gardens are at their full summer peak at present and reflect the first class work and dedication of the staff. Countless members of the public have voted with their feet and paid the Gardens a visit in recent weeks. Our public tours run by our volunteer garden guides have been outstandingly successful with many…
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New orchid hybrids
Three new hybrids have been registered by Glasgow Botanic Gardens. The names were chosen by the Friends of Glasgow Botanic Gardens and all have a Scottish or Glasgow connection. The new hybrids are the result of cross pollination ofdifferent species or hybrids. It can take anything from 3- 18 months for orchid seed pods to…
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Bracts cause confusion in the West End!
On Friday, the wind got up, whirling a blizzard of leaves and sending us into a mild panic. “This isn’t normal. Is it climate change?” “Has autumn arrived too early?” “Why are the leaves so yellow and falling off the trees in our street, and covering the road with a yellow carpet?” “It’s only June.”…
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Signs of Spring
At last, the days are lengthening and Spring is just around the corner! In Glasgow Botanic Gardens signs of Spring are everywhere if you know where to look.
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Glasgow Flower Gardens
Creating a community space that is teeming with wildlife isn’t only about getting the planting and management right. It’s also about other creative endeavours.
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Vireya Rhodododendrons
This time of year, there will be quite a few rhododendrons flowering in the Gardens and elsewhere. These are usually Himalayan and Chinese species and hybrids – huge numbers of which were introduced in the late 19th and early 20th century. But there is a whole group which need to be grown indoors in Britain…
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2024 CPH Graduates
The Friends would like to congratulate the most recent cohort of CPH graduates on completing their certification! Well done to all and a big THANK YOU to our instructors on another successful season!
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Tales from the Tours: Plant Hunters
Everyone loves a monkey puzzle. Araucaria araucana is a unique and popular ornamental conifer in UK gardens. But how did it get here? In 1795 Archibald Menzies (1754-1842) voyaged with Captain George Vancouver on HMS Discovery. Invited to dinner by the Governor of Chile in Santiago, he was served some large seeds for dessert, slipped…
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Glasgow Flower Gardens
Sweet peas are going to make a come back in our Annuals Garden this year. They were a highlight in our first year at the Botanics in 2017 so we are excited to have new space for them with the removal of the little Thuya hedge edging our plot. Seed sowing has begun in earnest…
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Kibble Palace tours
Many of those reading will be aware of the very successful summer and autumn tours of Glasgow Botanic Gardens led by our garden guides in 2023. As a further development The Friends and garden guides will commence winter tours of The Kibble Palace from mid January onwards 2024. These will be led by our volunteer…