Sunday 4th February 2018
2pm in the Education Centre in the Garden


Talk by Gavin Broomhall: The Garden of Remembrance at RM Condor. How the garden was formed and the ethos of what has been created, plus a history of the original house and garden before the MOD took it over.

     

Friends' 5k fun run - Ease into '18

Moments...

The leading runners...

The start...

A collection of images can be found here.

Many thanks to all who attended and see you next year.

Plant of the month January 2018

Fitzroya cupressoides (Patagonian Cypress)
Family: Cupressaceae
Origin: Chile, Argentina
Accession: 2007
Location: Americas

 Fitzroya cupressoides is the largest tree species in South America, native to the temperate rain forests in the Andes of Chile and Argentina, where it grows in poorly-drained volcanic or sandy soils, up to 40–60m in height and 5m in diameter. It was named by Darwin after Captain Fitzroy of HMS Beagle. In 1993 a specimen from Chile was found to be 3622 years old, making it the second oldest living tree species. Heavy logging in the 19^th and 20^th centuries for its valuable timber, and clearance by fire for agriculture, has led to its current endangered (Red List) conservation status.

Thanks to Maggie Gowland for photographs.

Botanic Garden New Year Fun Run 2018

Plant of the month December 2017

Carica papaya (Pawpaw, papaya)

Family: Caricaceae

Origin: Tropical America

Accession: 2012

Location: Tropical House

The papaya is a small tree, usually with a single stem, growing from 5 to 10m tall with spirally arranged large, palmately-lobed leaves at the top of the trunk. The lower trunk is conspicuously scarred from former leaves and fruit. Originally from Central America, it is now cultivated in most tropical countries, where it grows rapidly, fruiting within three years. All parts of the plant contain latex, and the enzyme Papain, extracted from green fruit, is used as a meat tenderizer, chewing gum additive and beer clarifier.

Thanks to Maggie Gowland for photographs.

Apple Tree Pruning workshop with Andrew Lear (a.k.a. AppleTreeMan).  Tuesday 12th December 10-1pm Tickets £10: to be bought online at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/apple-tree-pruning-workshop-with-appletreeman-tickets-40032315734 Numbers are limited, so book early. Andrew Lear a.k.a Appletreeman, will be joining us at the Botanic Garden, to lead a workshop on apple tree pruning. Andrew will walk us through both traditional and modern theory of how to prune apple trees to improve tree productivity and maintain tree health. The workshop will include teaching in the education centre, and practical demonstrations in the botanic garden. Things to bring: Notebook and pen, and warm waterproof clothes for  the outdoor session. Website: https://plantsandapples.com/

Plant of the month November 2017

Metasequoia glyptostroboides (Dawn Redwood)
Family: Cupressaceae
Origin: Central and W. China
Accession: 1981
Location: Beside Visitor Centre pond

Metasequoia was originally reported as an extinct genus, based only on widely distributed fossils over 100 million years old, until 1943 when small populations were discovered in central China. The tree is critically endangered in the wild, but has now been planted extensively in arboreta, parks and gardens worldwide. It is a deciduous conifer, with reddish-brown fibrous bark and soft, pale green ferny foliage which turns coppery-pink and russet-brown in autumn. It is fast-growing, makes an excellent specimen tree and is tolerant of waterlogging.

Thanks to Maggie Gowland for photographs.

Of yeasts and men: Wednesday 18th October, 2.15pm

Graeme Walker, Professor of Zymology and Director of the Abertay Yeast Research Group at Abertay University will give this lecture in the D'Arcy Thompson Lecture Theatre in the Tower Building, Dundee University, at 2.15 on Wednesday 18th October. There is a charge of £2.

Yeasts are the world’s premier industrial microbes. Yeast and fermentation technology is entwined with the history of human civilisation – from ancient Egyptian brewing to modern day biotechnology.
This lecture will explore the diversity of yeasts and their products, following a journey from beer to biofuels to biopharmaceuticals and beyond.

We hope to see you there - bring a friend!

Plant of the month October 2017

Parrotia persica (Persian ironwood)
Family: Hamamelidaceae
Origin: N. Iran, Caucasus
Accession: 1981
Location: Beside Visitor Centre pond

P. persica is a wide-spreading, often multi-stemmed deciduous tree or large shrub slow-growing to 8m, with attractive flaking bark and broadly ovate leaves which colour well in autumn, turning yellow, red and purple. It has small but abundant crimson flowers on bare twigs in late winter and early spring. P. persica is one of several relict genera of the tertiary period to be found in the north of Iran. Although extremely hardy, it prefers a rich, fertile soil that does not dry out. Parrotia is named after the German naturalist Friedrich Parrot.

Thanks to Maggie Gowland for photographs.

The Friends had a stand at the Dundee Flower & Food Festival from 1-3 September. A great opportunity for members to volunteer to raise awareness of the Garden, the Botanic Garden Endowment Trust, and the Friends. Bob Sutherland from the Garden and his colleagues created a great display, which earned a Silver Gilt Medal certificate.

Plant of the month September 2017

Nicotiana mutabilis (Tobacco plant)
Family: Solanaceae
Origin: Brazil
Annual
Location: Evolution Garden

Nicotiana can be annuals, biennials, perennials or shrubs, with simple, alternate leaves and tubular or salver-shaped, often fragrant flowers borne in racemes or panicles in summer or autumn. N. mutabilis is an upright half-hardy annual to 1.5m tall with a basal rosette of large, oval leaves. In summer, airy clouds of trumpet-shaped flowers are borne on branching stems changing colour as they age from white through shades of pink. Good for cut flowers, it grows best in fertile soil in full sun. All parts of the plant are toxic.

Friends' Anthology Project, 2nd Focus Day

The second focus day for the Friends' Anthology project will take place on 19th August in the botanic garden. This project offers local writers, poets, artists and photographers a unique opportunity to showcase their work by submitting it for inclusion in an anthology scheduled to appear in the spring of 2019. Further details can be found at the Project web site.

The JOOT Theatre Company entertained us to a very Mad Hatter's tea party last month.
Thanks to Rob Watt for letting us share his photos.

The Mad Hatter

The Cheshire Cat

Alice with the White Rabbit

The Mad Hatter

The Queen of Hearts

Alice in conversation with an admirer

The Cheshire Cat tries to escape but no luck

Plant of the month August 2017

Agapanthus campanulatus (African lily)
Family: Alliacea
Origin: Temperate South Africa
Accession: 1986
Location: Outside glasshouse

A. campanulatus is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial, forming vigorous clumps to 1m tall, with narrow, strap-like leaves and erect stems bearing umbels of trumpet-shaped, lavender-blue flowers in summer. It is native to mountain grassland areas of South Africa and dies down in winter to re-emerge the following spring. It grows best in moist, well-drained soil in full sun; in exposed sites it needs some winter protection.

Friends' Anthology Project, 2nd Focus Day

The second focus day for the Friends' Anthology project will take place on 19th August. This project offers local writers, poets, artists and photographers a unique opportunity to showcase their work by submitting it for inclusion in an anthology scheduled to appear in the spring of 2019. Further details can be found at the Project web site.

Summer Gathering 2017

Dear Friend and family,

It is with great pleasure that we invite you to the second Friends’ Summer Gathering to be held in the Garden on Saturday 12th August between 4pm and 9pm. This will bring together Friends, families and their guests and the evening will be accompanied by a variety of live music ranging from classical to blues. There will be food to suit all tastes including vegetarian options. Full details can be found on the Summer Gathering tab of this blog. Closing date for booking is 5th August.

Plant of the month July 2017

Callistemon viridiflorus (Mountain bottlebrush)
Family: Myrtaceae
Origin: Tasmania
Accession: 2010
Location: Australia

The evergreen bottlebrushes are found only in Australia, and all have flowers with long colourful stamens produced in cylindrical spikes. Mountain bottlebrush is a hardy medium-sized shrub, with the young foliage flushed pink and downy. The flowers are up to 7cm long, with pale yellow-green filaments, borne in dense clusters in midsummer, and followed by fruits which are woody capsules.

Friends' Anthology Project, 2nd Focus Day

The second focus day for the Friends' Anthology project will take place on 19th August. This project offers local writers, poets, artists and photographers a unique opportunity to showcase their work by submitting it for inclusion in an anthology scheduled to appear in the spring of 2019. Further details can be found at the Project web site.

Friends visit to the Garden of Remembrance at RM Condor Sunday 25th June.

The globe at the centre of the garden - and the Unit's badge.

8.5 tonnes of granite from Aberdeenshire for the memorial.

All of the 6000 plants in the Garden have to be in the Unit's colours of red, yellow and blue.

4.5 tonnes of rock from the Falklands - shipped back to the UK.

The clover is left deliberately for the bees.

Plant of the Month June 2017

Echium pininana

Family: Boraginaceae
Origin: Canary Islands
Accession: 2016
Location: By MacroMicro Studio

E. pininana is a rosette-forming biennial or short-lived perennial with lance-shaped, roughly silver-hairy leaves to 7cm long. Each rosette produces a flower panicle up to 4m long of funnel-shaped blue flowers with large bracts in summer. It needs full sun in a sheltered position and protection from winter frosts. In its native habitat in La Palma it is now endangered through habitat loss.