Garden Visit: Edinburgh Botanic Gardens

It has been a few weeks since I last posted – I seem to have been away more than I am at home at the moment. Last weekend I spent a happy half hour exploring the Winter Gardens in Sheffield (which I will save for another day) but before then, back before Easter, I was lucky enough to find myself in Edinburgh, soaking up the atmosphere and catching up with a friend. It was a lovely sunny weekend but I had forgotten just how cold that Scottish wind can be – it can take your breath away as it whips right through you.

I took the opportunity while I was there to visit the Botanic Gardens for the first time and spent a restful few hours wandering and enjoying all it has to offer. It was striking that, although we are only a couple of hundred miles south, winter was lingering up there and their growing season hadn’t really got started. There were daffodils and crocuses everywhere but nothing else had really got going quite yet. I didn’t venture into the glasshouses, though – I would definitely buy a ticket for them next time as they looked fascinating from the outside, with huge green leaves pressing against the glass as if there was some strange Jurassic World inside trying to get out.

It may have moved on of course in the last couple of weeks since I got back, but I thought I would share a few photos with you anyway.

The vegetable garden

The kitchen garden area was quite big, with a number of areas for growing. Some were clearly just part of the gardens, while others were community or school-managed plots.

The Alpine House

The Alpine House was really cleverly laid out, with a vertical wall showcasing the plants.

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Elsewhere in the garden

After leaving the Alpine house, I wandered through the rest and took several pictures of different areas:

Of course, it has probably all changed again by now and
I suspect through summer there are some really spectacular views. If you ever get the chance to go, it’s well worth a visit. Even better, the gardens are free (although there is a charge for the glasshouses).