The Royal Edinburgh Botanical Garden probably will not come up when you search for "best botanical gardens." A lot of things that are
not botanical--that is, scientific--gardens probably will. So be it. If you're interested in
real botanical gardens, grown from discovery and science, and continuing that adventure, Edinburgh's Royal Botanical Garden is a good bet. We've seen some of the world's great botanical gardens, and hope to see a few more, but Edinburgh's was especially interesting and satisfying, particularly at its way-up-there latitude. I won't attempt any sort of narrative, just some favorite plants and pix. It was just a couple blocks from our flat, and we visited twice, first for the forest and park lands, then for the ten glass houses. Another must-see if you're in Edinburgh.
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Our little one bedroom apartment, there in the middle, ground floor; nice enough |
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The Water Leith; just beyond our building |
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Entering the botanical garden |
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Big place |
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Water feature in the park lands |
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Vicki walking right by a grove of my favorite specimen, the
Monkey Puzzle tree |
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Nearly everything you ever wanted to know about the Monkey
Puzzle tree |
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Female |
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Wait, no...female; OK so I am not Mapplethorpe |
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Also, good thing I am not a Monkey Puzzle tree |
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Entry to the many glass houses...tropical, sub-tropical, semi-tropical, montane,
what have you... |
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Offices in Dallas used to be covered in bromeliads... |
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In the carnivore house... |
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Snack time |
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Huge border and giant laser-trimmed hedge |
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Incredible place |