Logan Botanic Garden
Port Logan, Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway DG9 9ND
Summer has been elusive this year, but for anyone in need of a reminder that a warmer world does exist, then Logan Botanic Garden can provide it. Logan sits in the far south west, set on the Rhins of Galloway, half a kilometre from the coast to both east and west and 18km from Scotland’s most southerly point.
The impact of this maritime climate and of the North Atlantic Drift that brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico to these shores is in evidence from the entrance gate, from where a long avenue of Cabbage Palm trees leads to the garden itself.
Logan is an outstation of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and it is where the institution grows its exotic species. Frost and snow are almost unheard of here, so many plants that would need to be protected in greenhouses in Edinburgh grow outdoors in this southerly garden.
As a result, Logan is bursting with semi-tropical plants from New Zealand, Chile and South Africa. There are groves of tree ferns, tender camellias and the extraordinary Argentinian shrub, Polylepis australis, which visitors have christened “the filo pastry tree” because of its peeling bark.
Amongst the most distinctive plants is the Echium candicans, which have towering spikes of blue flowers that reach 2.5m in height by the end of summer. A native of Madeira, it thrives here thanks to Logan’s mild climate, high rainfall levels and the dense shelter belt of mature trees that provides protection from Atlantic gales.
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A treat for young visitors is the extensive grove of giant Gunnera, where they can lose themselves amidst its super-sized stalks and leaves. Because of recent research work that has revealed that giant rhubarb, although not invasive itself, is actually a hybrid of the rampant Gunnera tinctoria, it is now illegal to plant this in new locations so in the future, the Gunnera Bog at Logan will become a rare experience.
Logan isn’t just a beautiful garden for visitors to explore, it is also something of an Ark, providing a refuge for some of the world’s most endangered plants and through its careful breeding work Logan has been able to reintroduce a number of these back to their native territories.
Amongst the many critically-endangered plants that Logan cares for is the Lobster Claw (Clianthus puniceus), from New Zealand; the Chonta palm (Juania australis) from the Juan Fernandez Islands, which defies its reputation for being difficult to grow by flourishing in the garden, and a collection of Rhododendron kanehirai, a plant which, for a time was extinct in its native Taiwan. During a lengthy period, two plants at Logan were the only examples of this species known to exist in the world.
Meanwhile a whitewashed cottage at the heart of the garden contains a discovery centre and gallery and tender plants are grown in state-of-the-art greenhouses which are kept warm using renewable technologies. There is also the popular Potting Shed Bistro for refreshments.
Despite its reputation for carrying out horticulture at the highest level and the immaculate conditions of its flower borders and lawns, Logan is a family-friendly garden with lots to excite visitors of all ages and engage them with the growing world.
Details:
Logan Botanic Garden is open daily until 15 November
Tickets: £9/£7.80/under-15s free
Tel: 01776 860 231
www.rbge.org.uk
The garden is situated 14 miles south of Stranraer off the A716 and the B7065
In association with Discover Scottish Gardens www.discoverscottishgardens.org
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