‘Vera and I visited The Botanics at the beginning of February – the sun kept coming and going, so my photos are a mixture of flash and no flash. We were thinking that we might see some different Snowdrop species and hybrids, but I’m afraid our combined expertise was not up to the task in hand.
1. Rhododendron lanigerum, native to the Himalayas in Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet. There is an attractive colour contrast between the bud scales, the upper side of the leaf and the indumentum of the lower side.
2. Viburnum grandiflorum f. grandiflorum – native to China – its fragrance could be detected 50 metres away, even in the cold.
3. Viburnum grandiflorum – native to the Himalayas.
4. Standing stock-still in the under-canopy – an orange flash triggered a camera flash. And then the slightest movement among the leaf litter – this time I shot from the hip relying heavily on the auto-focus system of my trusty Fuji.
5. I’m sure this well-groomed member of the Sciuridae family was aware of my nearness – however, eliminating the cause of the itch took precedence.
6. Under a darkening sky, Snowdrop bells stand out against a carpet of Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ (Black Lilyturf).
7. Rhododendron Nobleanum (armoreum x caucasicum), the earliest rhodie to flower in the gardens, was in fine fettle.
8. Populus yunnanensis – the Yunnan Poplar, native to south-central China – first signs of budding.
9. Snowdrops in the setting sun – could be Galanthus nivalis
10. Lastly, a quick tour of the shop in the John Hope Gateway – Camellia ‘Volunteer’, potted and ready to go.
11.Back home, looking over The Firth to the Kingdom of Fife – ‘Here be dragons’!
text here’
