Benmore Gardens

[TC]

Visited Benmore again yesterday to catch up on the Rhods. that were not yet in flower on 25 April - still to post.  The colour was certainly vivid.  The picture of the hill is the start of a 400 foot climb up zig-zag paths through umpteen wonderful plants.  The hedge on the first section is Elisabeth Hobbie.  The pollen was donated from Benmore to produce varieties such as Elisabeth.  In the foreground are williamsianum hybryds and yakushimanum hybrids.  Lots more still to come.
_0005 Rh. Moonstone
 _0013 Rh. rex tree
 _012 Rh. rex sssp. fictolacteum truss.
 _018 Benmore pond.
 _023 Rhod. hybrid hillside 1
 _034 Rh. Spring Rose.
 DSC033 Shrimp Girl.jpg
 _DSC0031 Norderney ( williamsianum x Essex Scarlet )
 _DSC0035 Humming Bird
 _DSC0039 Rh.degronianum

[TC]

Error in picture 034 should be Spring Rose

[charlotte]

Tom,
The photos of Benmore take me back a few years when I visited with the Rhodo Society of the RHS.  At that time the hillside was still being developed.  Great to see the results.  Benmore is an inspiring place.  It cannot be fully appreciated in one day!  I hope to return in the not too distant future.

Thank you for sharing.

Charlotte

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Superb pix from a wonderful place Tom - thanks a lot for showing us around.

Hi Charlotte ?  We missed you last Saturday ! How is the leg ??

[Maggi Young]

Goodness me, not only were half the Scots at the Czech conference hobbling around with sore arms and legs, it seem that Franz H. could not attend because of a fall ( see Mark''s post in the Czech pages) and now we hear that Charlotte has a bad leg, as well... I see that there is no truth in the rumour that gardening keeps one fit and healthy!! Get well soon, all you wounded Forumists!
Thanks again to you, Tom, for keeping fit enough to be the Roving Reporter!

[Carlo]

Maggi,

Funny you should write what you just did...

Take a peek at Gardening and Human Sacrifice: http://www.botanicalgardening.com/humansacrifice.html

It's the latest post on my website...I guess we're all coming to the same conclusion!

[ranunculus]

Many, many thanks to Tom.....
and equal thanks to Ben (if not) More!!
Beautiful!!

[charlotte]

Luc,
Thanks for your greeting.  Hope to be out of the cast later this week.  My garden is crying out for attention.  And, seed pots ..... all in good time

Charlotte

[TC]

Part 2 of the Benmore saga.  The next load of pictures continue with some Yak. hybrids and finish at the start of the Japanese Azalea walk.  Remember, these are the azaleas which are normally about 2feet/60cms. in the average garden..  At this point, we have barely started going up the hill.
However, the beauty is that you can walk on the grass around most of the specimens which gives you a feeling that you are in the wild.

Golden Torch
Silberwolke
Morgenrot
Loderi
General hillside view 1
Ems  (forrestii repens x Purple Splendour)
orbiculaire x diachroanthum
pingianum
Jap. Azalea walk
Jap. Azalea walk 2

[Maggi Young]

Funny you should write what you just did...

Take a peek at Gardening and Human Sacrifice: http://www.botanicalgardening.com/humansacrifice.html

It's the latest post on my website...I guess we're all coming to the same conclusion!

says Carlo...

Carlo, that is such an apt piece! Would you like me to drop round with some linament?  
I do enjoy your website, I hope others are visiting it too? http://www.botanicalgardening.com/index.html

[TC]

part 3

Still climbing up the hill but have missed out two paths of Rh. as they are by their best.  If I ever get round to our 25 April trip, I will post them there.  We are coming out of the hybryds into species again.

Topsy
decorum
Carita Inchmery  --campylocarpum x Naomi
orbiculare
vernicosum
augustinii x chasmanthus
searsiae
Magnolia wilsonii
oreotrephes

[TC]

Part 4
We are on our way down from the open hillside into the wooded section, then the Bhutan glade down onto the level ground and one of the oldest parts of the garden near the old house which is - now an outdoor centre for Edinburgh schools.  The Bhutan and Chilean sections are the most recent plantings.  Some of the Rhs. here are hanging on for dear life.  A commercial forest which used to give protection was felled and the shelter belt went to the detriment of some of the plants.
Coming down this really steep path, after walking for 3 hours, is really sore on the knees !!
dichroanthum x scyphocalyx
sperabile var. weihsiense
preptums
rh. x detronsum ( adenogynum x ? )  It's nice to see that they have trouble with the names !
baileyi
campylocarpum ssp. campylocarpum
pendulum
Kesagiae truss
kessangiae tree
phaeochrysum



c

[Maggi Young]

tom, I've taken out your extra picture... to do this one simpley clicks "modify" then "additional options", which shows the pix you have added ....then unclick ( un-tick) the box beside the one you want to remove. Then click "save" again to reset post.

By the way, the red rhodo you have a russatum, isn't!

[TC]

Thanks for the info. Maggi, I have a feeling I will need it.
This was the label tied on the Rh. I called russatum.  So, what it is I do not know.
I have removed the picture to avoid any confusion.  The next time I am there I will ask one of the gardening staff for an identification.
I am waiting for some information on Rh. i.d. from the head gardener at Achamore on Gigha before I post anything from here.  Some of the labels were so encrusted with algae as to be unreadable whilst others were only four figure numbers allocated by the N.T.S.

[TC]

Another trip to Benmore to see what is still flowering.  Surprisingly, there were  a few rhododendrons in flower.  Probably the cool damp weather has held them back.  The bonus was that they were scented varieties.  The R. auriculatum caught my notice not only for its scent but its size.  It must be at least 16 metres high, (or 50' in old money )  The attached pictures are a flavour of what is about.
The picture of the hillside is a contrast to the one I posted in May/June