Logan gardens and house 2008

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These are the pictures taken on 23 May.  Our main purpose was to catch the flowers of the scented varieties of Rhododendron which can grow outdoors at Logan.  The pictures of the flowers can look a bit similar but what I cannot post is the georgeous scent!
We also visited Logan House, of which, see postings after this.  I could not be bothered carrying all my SLR gear so I borrowed Cindy's coolpix 5000.  This was used for all the Logan Garden pictures and I reverted to the Nikon D200 for Logan House.

Logan garden Campanula
 Logan garden coolpix 013
  Logan garden coolpix 015
 Logan garden Rh. Sulfureum
  Logan gardenRh. Formosum
 Dactylorhiza foliosa
 Diplarrhena Moraea
 Philesia Magallenica
 Rh. Crassum

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One more
Rh.valentianum var. oblongilobatum

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Logan House.
We had been here about 6 years ago, quite late in the season but had not realised the size of the garden because the rhododendron flowering was over.
This was the original botanical garden and the RSBG took over the "small walled garden" and the southern surround in 1969.
I would say the optimum time for the Rhododendrons is about late April/May.  The stand of Rh. Sino Grande is the best I have ever seen.  The pity was that the flowering was long over.  What impressed me most was the size and age of the plants.  The maddenii rh. in the picture is at least 10 feet high.  The Gunnera is also about 10 feet tall.  I had also never seen an avenue of mature Chile Pines and Chusan palms.  After a long talk with the gardener, he promised me a collection of seeds from the various species if I come back in October.
The pictures attached are only to give an impression of the garden.  I will have to go back a couple of times next spring to see it in flower.


Logan house 025
 Abutilon flowers
   Abutilon vitifolium
   Cedar of Lebanon
  Chilean Pine drive
   Embothrium
   Gunnera bog
  Logan house Primula
   Sino Grande nursery bed
  Rh. Maddenii

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Last three

[Maggi Young]

Tom, the Rhododendron sulfureum is not that!

The bed of R. sino-grande seedlings brings out all my mothering instincts  .... such cute fat babies

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks for a sight of this place Tom, as my Australian friend Don Schofield is on his way there right now and I know he thinks very highly of both the gardens and the people there.

Easy to see why R. valentinianum crossed with R. leucaspis to make R. x Valaspis. Those tan anthers bring the flowers to life. The campanula is super too. I assume all those little ones are runners from the central plant. Hope the brickwork stands up to it over time. It can be quite a thug.

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Maggi
I have to agree with you.  When I saw the label I was expecting a yellow flower but I always assume that the Botanists know what they are talking about.  I then thought that maybe therewas a white flowered version.  Attached is the label that was on the plant.  It is more like an edgeworthii or maddenii.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Another Scottish gem you've shown us Tom ! 
Another big thank you very much !

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Weather forecast said the S.W. of Scotland would be dry and sunny.  WRONG !!!.  It was more like April with a temperature of 12c and frequent deluges of rain coming down like stair rods.  However, with the protection of umbrellas, we managed to get round without drowning.  I had to get my last "fix" of the scented rhododendrons until next year.  I am also aware that I may have given the impression that these gardens stop flowering at the end of Spring, so here are a few things out just now - including a couple of rhododendrons.  I would have to say that the scented varieties look very much alike and can appear as just another white flower.  Photographically they are a challenge.  I posted 3 Meconopsis on the appropriate site.

When I used the spell checker it suggests  menopause's for meconopsis.  If I was of the correct gender I would be long past this !!!! 

[art600]

Tom
How tall were the Echium?

[Lvandelft]

Thank you Tom! To see these Lilium and the Rodgersia aesculifolia var henricii and
ofcourse such Echium would be worth travelling to Scotland for me.

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Tom
How tall were the Echium?

I have included two more pictures.  As usual, the labels were invisible, but there seemed to be two different varieties.  The original plant is about7 feet (240cms.) and the single stalked flower, taken at Culzean a few days ago is about 10 feet or 300cms.  The bees go mad for these flowers.

[art600]

Tom

Thank you for the further shots and info.  I was hoping they were somewhat shorter.

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A belated posting for 19 July.  Much to my surprise there were still a few Rhododendrons still in full bloom.  It must have been due to the drop in temperature and rainfall.  My favourite is Dalhousie Rhabdotum - what a name!  The plant was well back in the walled garden and took a bit of effort to find.  I thought at first it was a lily and the scent is wonderfull.  Another for my wish list.  The Eucryphias were also looking splendid with a few pink varieties new to me.  I made a mess of some of the pictures as I was using the small Nikon coolpix and had not bothered to read the instruction book on close-ups - this is a male thing!!

Lilium formosanum
 Rhododendron crassum
 Rhododendron dalhouisie var. Rhabdotum
 Eucryphia lucida Pink Cloud