Autumn in the Garden - blue skies make all the difference!

Don't forget!

Sunday 1st November 2015 Neil Paterson, Education Officer at the Garden. 
From Sea to Shining Sea: some gardens and green spaces of the United States. 
Education Centre in the Garden at 2 p.m.
Free to members of the Friends; others £2. 

THE GREAT ‘DUNDEE’ CHARITY BAKE OFF

Organised by the Dundee Botanic Garden Endowment Trust.
Where? Doubletree by Hilton
When? Thursday 29th October 2015 from 7-9.30pm
How much? £15

https://sites.dundee.ac.uk/botanicgardentrust/the-great-dundee-halloween-bake-off/

The Events page has been updated - have a look and see the programme of talks from October 2015 to March 2016.

A successful  day for the Garden at the Dundee Food and Flower Festival as the display created by Bob and his team on the theme of Scottish food and drink won a Silver Medal certificate. Well done all.

Audrey and Margaret on duty  at the stand.

The Silver Medal certificate

September's plant of the month

Hydrangea arborescens ssp. discolor ‘Sterilis’

Family: Hydrangaceae   Origin: Garden   Accession: 1975

location: by the Rose Garden

Botanic Garden on the Beechgrove Garden!

On 30^th July 2015  the Beechgrove Garden  were filming for a full day in the Botanic Garden for a  6 to 8 minute section within the programme.   

The areas covered we believe are:

• Opening with Jim McColl talking about the Macro Micro Building
• Evolution Garden – with Neil Patterson & Jim McColl
• Genetics Garden – with Professor Claire Halpin & Jim McColl

The programme is scheduled to be shown on:

• Thursday 20^th August 2015 on BBC 2 (Scotland) at 7.30pm
• Sunday 23^rd August 2015 on BBC 2 at 09.00am

All very exciting - a "must watch"?

August: Plant of the Month

Cassinia vauvilliersii (Mountain cottonwood)

Family: Asteraceae    Origin: New Zealand   Accession: 2010

find it in amongst the Australasia plants.

The Friends at Barnhill Rock Garden Gala Birthday on Saturday 11 July

Plants disappearing like hot cakes

Elaine's balancing butterflies were very popular

The snails were popular with the children but not so much with the grown-ups

Seen in the garden this month

All you need now is a frog.

Bees enjoying the eryngium in the glasshouse border

We had company in the workplace at the Garden yesterday: part of Dr Chris Connolly's research on the  impact of environmental toxins on insect health - counting bumble bees and measuring the impact of insecticides on the colonies.

Planting a second row of lavender in the new herb garden in a very  straight line

All laid out and ready to go

Hard at work planting

Watering them in  on a very hot day

The Friends had a stall at WestFest on Sunday 7th June and raised another £112 by selling plants. The gazebo stayed up in spite of the wind!

New kid on the blocks at the Garden - whatever next!

Next time you are in he may be in his final position, wherever that will be. Meantime, he is near the dry stone walls.

Plant Power day and Friends' plant sale

We'd love to see you at the Plant Power day in the Garden this coming Saturday 23 May,  from 10am till 4pm, to co-incide with the International Fascination of Plants Day http ://fascinationofplantsday . org/home . htm

This is also the day of the Friends' annual plant sale, our main fundraiser of the year, so we hope you will come along and buy plants as well as enjoy all the fun things happening in the Garden.

Plant for May

Larix griffithii (Sikkim Larch)

Family: Pinaceae    Origin: E Himalaya     Accession: 1978

Lots to look at in the Garden at the moment, and we are busy potting up lots of annuals for summer colour too.

Camellia

Magnolia

Arum lily 

April's Plant of the Month

Ulmus glabra 'Camperdownii'
(Camperdown elm)

Family: Ulmaceae   Origin: Scotland   Accession: 1974

The Camperdown Elm is a natural mutant of Scotland’s native wych elm. It was discovered by chance around 1835 by the Earl of Camperdown’s head forester David Taylor, who transplanted the tree to the grounds of Camperdown House on the outskirts of Dundee where it still survives. Unlike surrounding elms it has not succumbed to Dutch elm disease, perhaps because of its small stature or contorted habit; its bizarre branch structure has been likened to a living sculpture. Its flower buds open in spring, though it cannot reproduce from seed. However it has been widely propagated from cuttings, usually grafted onto wych elms, and many examples were planted in Britain and America, satisfying the Victorian passion for curiosities.

find it among the Americas

Spring is springing in the Botanic Garden

A sculptural kalanchoe in the temperate glasshouse

Masses of flowers on this kalanchoe in the temperate glasshouse

Clivia in the temperate glasshouse

In the native plants area of the Garden

Spring propagation workshop

Sunday 29 March, led by Clare Reaney, Horticultural Technician at the Garden. Meet at Reception in the main building from 2-4pm.
The workshop will take the format of a “walk and talk” in the garden to discuss suitable plants for spring propagation, followed by a practical session which will include seed sowing and root cuttings. 
Cost free to members of the Friends; non-members £5. 
Wear suitable clothing and bring your own secateurs and gloves. 
Numbers are limited to 15 so booking essential. Please book by Thursday 19 March - email Alison Gordon alisongordon49@gmail.com or telephone 01382 350990

Plant of the Month - March

Tillandsia usneoides (Spanish moss)

Family: Bromeliaceae   Origin: Central America   Accession: 2015

find it in the Tropical House

Friends Sunday afternoon talk

If you hadn't already heard...

Sunday 1 March Talk in the Education Centre at 2pm by Professor Chris Spray, Chair of Water Science & Policy at Dundee University - 

What have wetlands and water plants ever done for us? Free to Friends, visitors £2.

Please tell your friends and family

February's Plant of the month

Polylepis australis (Tabaquillo)

Family: Rosaceae   Origin: Argentina   Accession: 1980

find it in the Americas

The Friends' new email address

You can now contact us at fudbg.committee@gmail.com
We look forward to hearing from you.

Reminder

Sunday 18 January 2015. At 2pm in the Education Centre in the Garden, Graham Haig will give an illustrated talk on a recent visit to the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia. Friends free; visitors £2.

January: Plant of the Month

Quercus x turneri (Turner’s Oak)

Family: Fagaceae      Origin: UK      Accession: 1974

find it among the Americas
Note the lichens: these are composite organisms formed from algae or cyanobacteria (or both) living among filaments of a fungus in a mutually beneficial (symbiotic) relationship, They are sensitive to industrial air pollution and have long been used as a means of monitoring air quality.

Fit for Fifteen

Well, quite a few of the Friends  made a good start, including a respectable turnout from the gym "Good Health and Fitness." The best time for three laps of the Garden (2.4 miles) was just over 20 minutes. The junior champion was two and a half years old and managed two complete laps. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Window Spotting

..and the winner of the 2014 Perth Road Window Competition is ...

Dominic McMichan

Dominic is photographed receiving his prize of a year's family membership from the chairman of the Friends, Mark McGilchrist,and Cllr. Fraser Macpherson.  

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!

Fit for Fifteen

Friday, 2nd January from 11.0  am - 1.0 pm
Weather permitting, we are inviting Friends and their families to celebrate the New Year with a run, walk, or stroll round the Garden followed by drinks and nibbles in the glasshouse. 

The red squirrels are seen regularly feeding in the Garden at the moment - but they don't stay still long enough to get a decent photo. Any contributions welcome!
This photo courtesy of Jean who works at the Garden.

Walk in the Dark

On a walk in the dark through the Garden children encountered this 

strange beast who followed them back to the Education Centre

December's plant of the month

Wollemia nobilis (Wollemi Pine)

Family: Araucariaceae    Origin: Australia  Accession: 2007

Find it in the Garden of Evolution

Season’s Greetings – from The Dundee Botanic Garden Endowment Trust

On behalf of Lady Dalhousie and the Trustees of the Dundee Botanic Garden Endowment Trust I would like to take this opportunity to thank the committee and all the Friends of the Dundee Botanic Garden for their support during 2014.

Since joining the Endowment Trust in March of this year much has happened. We are delighted to have Lady Dalhousie as our Patron a truly wonderful Ambassador. We now have a corporate identity with our new logo and leaflet available, and a striking pull up banner.

In September I attended the Dundee Food and Flower Festival courtesy of the ‘Friends’ who allowed me to share their stand, this gesture was greatly appreciated and allowed me to meet many of the members over the three days and gave me the vehicle to begin the promotion of the Trust.

I wrote a letter to every Member of the Friends explaining about the Trust and introducing myself, this coincided with an editorial in the Friends’ Newsletter.

This was followed by our Open Day on Saturday 18^th October, a very successful day with almost 700 people attending. Our Main Marquee hosted a very popular Celebrity Gardeners Question Time hosted by Jim McColl, followed by four amazing talks, with the Finale being provided by the University of Dundee Concert Band.

Everything was themed on the Garden and conservation, with the external activities including demonstrations of Woodturning, Willow Weaving, Bees and Honey, Apple Pressing to name a few. The Birds of Prey and the Face Painting were busy from the moment we opened and for those who were working too hard Yu Spa from the Apex were there to promote the benefits of a nice massage.

However the day’s success was also due to the support from many areas and grateful thanks to the staff of the Botanic Garden for all their efforts during the day and with the build-up and breakdown.

Special thanks to the Friends for their support with the pre publicity and all the activities that you supported during the day and appreciation to Frances Tait for co-ordinating all of this.

I am delighted that together we raised the profile of the Endowment Trust and the Botanic Garden. Due to a few very generous and an anonymous donations our Open Day raised in excess of £160,000.00.

If you would like more information on the Dundee Botanic Garden Endowment Trust and how you can support us please do not hesitate to contact me.

I look forward to working with you during 2015 but I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful time over the Festive Period.

Best wishes

Gordon

Gordon Ramsay

Trust Development Officer

The Dundee Botanic Garden Endowment Trust is a registered Scottish Charity No. SC044040

Afternoon lecture

Dr Connolly's thought provoking lecture was well attended and provoked a great deal of discussion. In particular we were made aware of the role we, as gardeners, must play in protecting the future of pollinating insects.

October's minutes

The minutes of the October committee meeting are now published.

Walk in the Dark

Saturday, 6th December, beginning 4.0 pm in the Education Centre.
The guided walk will be from the Education Centre to the site of the proposed Airport & Estuary Viewing Hide and back and is expected to take about half an hour. It's rare opportunity for children to see the woods in moonlight - and maybe -encounter  some unexpected fauna. Places are limited so please book early- see the "Events" page for details. 

Reminder

Sunday 23 November. At 2pm in the Education Centre at the Garden, Dr Chris Connolly of the Division of Neuroscience at the Medical Research Institute at Ninewells will talk about the potential effects of pesticides on bee learning and health. Friends free; visitors £2.

November's Plant of the month

Arbutus unedo (Killarney Strawberry Tree)

Family: Ericaceae Origin: Mediterranean, SW Ireland   

Accession: 1981

find it among the Mediterranean plants

August Minutes

The last set of Minutes of the retiring committee are now available. The show is on the road again as new committee held its first meeting last Wednesday. 

Retiring from the Committee

The long and invaluable service to the committee by Frances ans Sylvia was recognised by past and present members after, typically,  Frances had led a walk round the Garden and Sylvia had managed the Friends' stall. 

Mark presenting Sussex trugs to Sylvia and Frances.

Endowment Trust

Saturday was a glorious day and the Garden looked splendid for the visitors. All the events were popular and well-attended.

Wind up 

Gardeners' Question Time

Face Painting

Birds of prey

Pipe Band

University Lecture

Wednesday 15 October 

in the D’Arcy Thomson lecture theatre in the University Tower Building 

at 2.15pm

 admission is £2

This year Dr Andy Taylor of the James Hutton Institute will talk on ‘Exploring Scotland’s Forgotten Kingdom’. He will highlight new and exciting research on the fungi in Scotland, including how they respond strongly to climate changes. 

Launch of the Dundee Botanic Garden Endowment Trust

FREE open day at the Garden on 18 October from 11am to 3pm

Gardeners Question Time, music, talks, face painting, guided tours and much more
Come and meet members of the Friends at our stall in the Marquee
(see the Events page for more details)