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)

Workshop

Led by Claire, Sunday's prorogation workshop was 

a great opportunity for a coal-face experience!

AGM

On a lovely evening, around 30 Friends enjoyed a walk,
 led by the Curator, round the Garden's water sources prior to the AGM. 
(Note: the Chairman's Report and the Endowment Trustee's Report are also posted)

Reminder

that the AGM will be held this Wednesday, 24th September! 
 Alasdair's walk begins at 5.30 PM

It's not too late to book for Claire's Propagation Workshop on the 28th September. Look at the Events page for more details. 

Dundee Flower and Food Festival

The Friends' Stand
This year the Friends' shared their stand with the newly formed Endowment Trust.
The display was awarded a silver medal. 

September's Plant of the Month

Clerodendrum bungei 
(Rose Glory Bower)

Family: Lamiaceae   Origin: China  Accession: 1975

find it among  the Australasian plants

Minutes

The Minutes for the second of the July meetings are now posted. 

Advance notice - Propagation workshop in the Garden

Sunday 28 September. Propagation workshop led by Clare Reaney, Horticultural Technician at the Garden. The workshop will be held in the glasshouse in the Garden (meet at Reception in the main building) from 2-4pm and take the format of a “walk and talk” in the garden to discuss suitable plants for autumn propagation, followed by a practical session. 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 18 September - email Alison Gordon alisongordon49@gmail.com or telephone 01382 350990.

Please share this with friends and family if you think they would be interested.

August's flower

Eucryphia glutinosa (Guindo Santo)

Family: Cunoniaceae: Origin: Chile: Accession: 1978

find it opposite the Education Centre

Committee members

We are looking for five Friends to join the committee for the next session to replace members who are retiring. Please  consider standing or persuading a friend to stand - the nomination form will arrive shortly along with the notice of September's AGM

Minutes

The Minutes of July's committee meeting are posted.

Friends' visit to Kellie Castle Wednesday 16 July

I regret to say the visit to Kellie Castle gardens next week has been cancelled, due to lack of numbers wishing to go.

If there are any gardens which any of you would like to suggest for a future visit, please let the committee know and we can consider them.

Alison Gordon

July Plant of the Month

Leptospermum lanigerum (Woolly Tea Tree)

Family: Myrtaceae    Origin: Tasmania & SE Australia   Accession: 1982

find it among the Australasian plants

Minutes

The minutes of May's committee meeting are now posted.

Endowment Trust

The Dundee Botanic Gardens Endowment Trust and ShortbreadStories is hosting a day-long writing course entitled 'The Nature of Narrative' set in the beautiful Dundee Botanic Garden.
This course is for the beginning writer, professional novelist, or curious enthusiast. Using a combination of lecture, writing exercises, group interaction, and free writing-time, this class will explore how natural surroundings can inspire language, setting, character and plot. The class will be taught by Rachel Marsh, ShortbreadStories Chief Executive Trustee and creative writing tutor (marshrachel . wordpress . com).

This class is a fundraising event, with half the class fees being donated to the Dundee Botanic Gardens Endowment Trust and the other half donated to the educational writing charity, ShortbreadStories.
 

You can book through the University of Dundee online store: www . buyat . dundee . ac . uk [Link:http ://www . buyat . dundee . ac . uk/browse/product . asp?compid=1&modid=1&catid=417]"

Great Day on the Green!

Hooray - the solar panels are installed on the Macro Micro Building in the Garden!

Minutes

The Minutes of April's committee meeting are now published.

Meconopsis looking good in the Garden - as a volunteer it is very gratifying to see what you handled as a tiny seedling grow into something like this!

Plant Sale - 17th May

      

Garden Visit

The visit to Frances's garden -  one of the best kept secrets of the West End -  was a great success. The plants were outstanding and the sun shone!

Friends of the Botanic Garden - our plant sale is this Saturday, 17 May, from 12 noon to 3pm, in the Garden
Do  come along and see what we have to offer.
Also in the Garden - Plant Power. Click on the the tab above to see more.

Riverside Nature Park

Welcome back our Summer visitor. Come along and spot  old residents and new arrivals. Keen birders have spotted 135 species at the Park since it opened.

The Friends of Riverside Nature Park are hosting bird-watching events:

Sunday 4 May at 6:00 am to witness the  Dawn Chorus 

and on Saturday, 3  May at 8.30 am for a Guided Walk. 

Please wear suitable clothing and footwear. 

Free event and all welcome. 

Meet at car park, Wright Avenue. 

Binoculars, birding scopes and field guides would be 

useful but not vital. 

For further information please contact: 

Natalie Mackland 

Email: natalie.mackland@dundeecity.gov.ukTelephone: 435873 

The Work of the Woodland Trust in Scotland

10 members of the Friends enjoyed an excellent talk from Jim Christie of the Woodland Trust Scotland on Thursday 24th April, focusing on the work done by the Trust at Glen Devon, east of Dollar, and at Glen Finglas, west of Callander. 
Jim's wide ranging talk covered the effects of humans and animals on the demise of the native forests, and how the Trust is restoring them.
The UK is one of the least wooded countries in Europe, and the Trust aims to improve that.
We heard how they use cattle (trampling the ground making it receptive to seed germination), and children (local schools are invited to help with tree planting, on the basis that these children will be the future custodians of the woods).
We heard how the vole population exploded when sheep numbers at Glen Finglas were drastically reduced, because the vole burrows were undisturbed by sheep hooves, and how perching poles had to be put up for raptors to control the voles.
From Jim's photographs we saw how discreet the Woodland Trust access roads are compared to those for the nearby wind farm.
We heard about planting wildflowers in Geordie's wood at Glen Devon.
Just a few snippets of information from a most interesting talk.
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/

Minutes

February's minutes are now posted. The next committee meeting is at the end of May.

The Work of the Woodland Trust in Scotland

Thursday, 24th April 2014 at 7pm - 8pm

Education Centre, Dundee University Botanic Garden

On Thursday 24 April Jim Christie of the Woodland Trust will give a talk at the Education Centre at the Garden at 7pm. Jim is a voluntary warden at the Woodland Trust’s Glen Devon site, and was instrumental in setting the site up. Friends of the garden free, visitors £2.

Plant Sale

Plant Power

The Garden is hosting a day of activities for all the family 

on 

Saturday, 17th May from 10 am - 4.0 pm

Entrance to the Garden is free during these times. 

Don't miss the key event 

THE FRIENDS' ANNUAL PLANT SALE

from 12.0 AM - 3.0 PM

see the poster on the Plant Power page for further details

Fun Run

This year the 

5K Fun Run 

will take place on Thursday,  15th May, beginning at 7.30 PM.

Entry £5 payable on the night. 

The Run is open to all levels of ability and offers a unique opportunity

 to enjoy this remarkable setting. 

In association with the Institute of Sport and Exercise

April:Plant of the Month

Rhododendron uvariifolium ‘Yangtse Bend’

Family: Ericaceae   Origin: China    Accession: 1976

find it among the Asian Plants

This Saturday!

Saturday, March 29th, at 2.0 PM Plant Heritage Lecture; 
Professor Michael Tooley will give a talk on “Gertrude Jekyll and the plants she bred at Munstead Wood”. Admission is £5 and booking is essential. Contact Frances Tait 01382 665719

March plant of the month

Cornus mas (Cornelian cherry)

Family: Cornaceae   Origin: Central & Southern Europe   Accession: 1975

find it north of Loch Macar

Cornus mas is a hardy deciduous shrub up to 4m in height and spread, with oval leaves turning purple in autumn. Small clusters of tiny flowers each with 4 bright yellow petals open in late winter before the leaves appear, to be followed by glossy red, cherry-like fruits. The fruit is edible, it has an acidic flavour and is mainly used for making jam. In Azerbaijan and Armenia, the fruit is used for distilling vodka. It is often used as a medicine in Eastern Europe, being high in Vitamin C. The wood of C. mas is extremely dense and has traditionally been used for making weapons and tool handles

Minutes

January's minutes are now ready to view. Our next meeting is on 
16th April so the Minutes for February won't be published until then. 

Reminder

Ideas for the Small Garden

Local Garden Designer Alison Hogg will discuss the topic and answer your questions

on Sunday, 16th February

at 2.00 PM

in the Education Centre

The event is free to Friends and £2 for visitors

February's Plant of the Month

Callistemon citrinus ‘Splendens’ (Bottlebrush)

Family: Myrtaceae     Origin: Australia      Accession: 1976

find it in the temperate glasshouse

HERA

On Monday evening the Chair and committee members of the Harris Academy Adult Education Group presented a cheque to the Friends, represented here by Donald, Sylvia, Frances, and Pam, on the disbandment of the charity  The Friends of Balgay also benefited from a donation. 

Talk

Ideas for the Small Garden

Local Garden Designer Alison Hogg will discuss the topic and answer your questions

on Sunday, 16th February

at 2.00 PM

in the Education Centre

The event is free to Friends and £2 for visitors

Minutes

The Minutes of the November meeting are now available.

Happy New Year!

Phormium tenax (New Zealand flax, harakeke

Family: Xanthorrhoeaceae  Origin: New Zealand  Accession: 1979

Location:Australasian plants

It is native to New Zealand and Norfolk Island. The long fibres extracted from its leaves were widely used, originally in Māori traditional textiles and also in rope and sail making after the arrival of Europeans up until at least WWII. It is an invasive species in some of the Pacific islands and in Australia.

West End Window Spotting

On Friday, 20th December, at Blackness Library, William Monk of Blackness Primary was awarded a year's Family Membership of the Friends and a voucher from Harris Education and Recreation Association as the prize for his winning entry into the Window Spotting Competition. 

HOLLY Good, William!

from the Committee

All good wishes for  a happy and peaceful Christmas and a flourishing New Year

December's Plant of the Month

Citrus maxina (Pomelo, Shaddock)

Family: Rutaceae  Origin: Southeast Asia Accession: 1981

Find it in the tropical glass house

All sorts of interesting things happen in the garden.
Today, members of the British Trust for Ornithology were ringing birds.

The Friends will have a stall at the West End Community Fayre on Saturday 23 November from 10am to 12 noon at Dundee West Church, 132 Perth Road

Free entry - come along and find out how you can become involved in helping Dundee University Botanic Garden

Prize Draw

West End Christmas Fortnight Window Spotting Competition

Rules of Entry : You must be aged under 16 and resident in Dundee. Visit each of the windows of the shops in Perth Road (between Tartan Coffee House and the Sinderins junction – both sides of the road) and write the name of the shop in which you find each of the letters of the word :

                                                         H-O-L-L-Y

Then place your completed entry in the Prize Draw box in either of the following Perth Road shops – Lynn’s Barber Shop or Andrew Bolton Opticians (or Gallery Q in Nethergate or The Hardware Shop in Blackness Road or the Visitors' Centre at the Garden,   by Monday 9th December at the latest. 

All correct entries will be entered into the Prize Draw 

The winner will receive Free Family Membership for a year 
and a Gift Voucher for £20. 

 Good Luck!

October's minutes

The minutes of the Friends' October meeting are now posted. Note: November's minutes will be posted in January as no meeting is taking place in December. 

November's plant of the month

Ginkgo biloba (Maidenhair Tree)

Family: Ginkgoaceae   Origin: Eastern China   Accession: 1978

find it in the Evolution Garden. 

Plant of the month

Euonymus oxyphyllus (Korean Spindle Tree)

Family: Celastraceae      Origin: Japan, Korea      Accession: 1985

find it in the Asian plant area

Fund - raising Event

 Choosing  Wines for Christmas 

 A wine tasting at Aitken's Warehouse 

Unit 7, Annfield Row, Dundee.  

Friday, 15th November

7.15 - 9.15 p.m.  

  Cost £15 per person.     

Booking essential 

Cheques made payable to "Friends of the University of Dundee Botanic Garden"  should be sent to Frances Tait c/o University Botanic Garden, Riverside Drive, Dundee DD2 1QH 

or telephone 01382 665719

Newsletter

Sylvia speaks for all of us in saying "I thought I would like to put something on the blog to say thanks to Hugh Ingram, John Stocks and Paul Gault for a well presented and interesting Newsletter"

The macro/micro building in the Garden is making progress - next step the solar panels on the roof

Minutes

The Minutes for August are published.

October lecture

University Afternoon Lecture

Wednesday, 16th October

 at 2.15 PM in the Tower Building.

 Dr Tony Miller of the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh will give a lecture on reclamation and regeneration of the Marshes of Iraq,  
The entrance fee will be £2. 

Garden revealed

Before the AGM the Friends took a tour of the new entrance and western boundary and the amazing macro/micro building ...

AGM

The AGM took place after a talk about the new Macro/Micro building and a tour of the the changes to the  entrance, western boundary, and allotment area, You can read Frances's Letter to the Friends and check out the new Committee.
The next Committee meeting will be in October after which September's minutes will be posted on the web.

September's Plant of the Month

Hydrangea aspera

Family: Hydrangaceae             Origin: China                    Accession: 1975

find it opposite the entrance to the Evolution Garden

Minutes

The July Minutes are ready to view. 

The AGM will be held at the Education Centre at 7.0 pm on Wednesday, 18th September. The Curator will give a guided tour of the developments round the entrance starting at 5.30 pm and this will be followed by light refreshments before the meeting begins. 
Friends and those who have yet to become Friends are encouraged to attend!

Scotland in Bloom

The judges being shown round  the allotments and new entrance by Alasdair and Frances. 

Plant of the month

AUGUST

Actaea racemosa (syn. Cimicifuga racemosa)

Family: Ranunculaceae         Origin: East N. America        Accession: 1984

Find it in North American Plants

Talk

PLANTS & GEOGRAPHY: talks and drinks reception. 

Friday August 16th 2013 at 2.30 pm

Botanic Garden Education Centre

• Neil Paterson (Botanic Garden) “Biogeography: Darwin, Wallace, Evolution and the Dundee Botanic Garden”

• Mark Cutler (Geography): Dr Mark Cutler is Head of Geography and has a special interest in remote sensing of lakes and tropical forests

• John Rowan (Geography):John Rowan is Professor of Physical Geography and researches into the sensitivity and resilience of environments to change

This event is free but places are limited so please book. Telephone 01382 381190

Minutes

The Minutes of the June meeting are now available.

Talk

Dundee Green Party 

are hosting a talk by 

Dr Neil Burford, Senior Lecturer in Department of Education at Dundee University, 

about the new Macro-micro building in the Garden, as part of their AGM, 

on Monday September 9th at 7pm.

It will be in the Education Centre in the Garden and the Greens are inviting Friends of the Garden to join them.

As space is limited please e-mail srmeek@blueyonder.co.uk if you plan to come - Thanks

As a volunteer in the garden it's very rewarding to see the results of your work - especially when the seedlings were as tiny as these


These seedlings were pricked out 2 weeks ago, and were almost too small to handle. The seeds were collected in Australia by the Curator last year, so even more pressure to get them to grow!

July's Plant

Eucalyptus pauciflora ssp. niphophila (Snow Gum)

Family: Myrtaceae                Origin: SE Australia        Accession: 1985

Location: Australasian plants

Friends' outing 30 June

Some members of the Friends visited the beautiful garden at Garden Cottage, Dunnichen on 30 June

Examining the seedheads of cardiocrinum

 

 

May minutes

Now published!

WestFest

Congratulations to the organisers for a splendid day! The Friends' plant sale raised over £100 for the Garden and attracted a good deal of interest from gardeners and non-gardeners alike. 

Plant of the month: JUNE

Sorbus alnifolia var. submollis (Alder-leaved Whitebeam)

Family: Rosaceae                 Origin: China                  Accession: 1982

find it in the native hillside section 

Can we do better?

The plant sale raised £800 so can we do even better in June? 

The Friends will be taking part in the 

WestFest Big Sunday, 9th June, 

selling plants 

from 1 - 4 pm.on Magdalen Green 

If you can support the Friends by offering plants for sale please bring them along to the Green after 11.30 am that morning.  

Thank you

to all those of you who supported the Friends' Plant Sale, Despite the showers we sold a record number of plants, enjoyed some fascinating conversations, and made a healthy contribution towards funding for the Garden. 

If you missed the sale this time don't despair. We'll be selling more plants on 

Magdalen Green during WestFest's Big Sunday on 9th June. 

Sale

Perfect weather for planting!

Choose a challenge or indulge in the exotic!

Sale of plants TODAY from 12.0 - 3.0 

Plant of the month

May

Trillium grandiflorum (American wake-robin)

find it in the American section 

Family: Melanthiaceae    Origin: Eastern North America

Trillium are herbaceous perennials with erect stems bearing a whorl of ovate or diamond-shaped leaves, with one or more erect or nodding flowers borne at the tip in spring. T. grandiflorum is a vigorous perennial forming a large clump of erect stems each carrying a whorl of three broadly ovate leaves and a solitary terminal flower to 10cm across, with three recurved white petals.