My Favourite Place: Logan Botanic Garden
The road to Logan Botanic
Garden is flanked with Cordyline australis. It’s a rather kitsch choice and, when I saw it, I wondered if this was going to be just another glorified exotic plant collection or whether I’d find something different. But once I got into the garden it was really incredible! I knew Scotland had favourable microclimates, but they were growing things that I’d not seen even in places that profess to be the exotic capitals of the country, such as Cornwall and Dorset.
I do have a predilection for plants from the Southern
Hemisphere. In New Zealand, I saw lots of things you think would be hopeless to try and grow in the UK. But every now and again you come across a British garden where, contrary to expectation, they’re established and you think ‘okay, so they’ve got a microclimate, but it’s not just that, what else are they doing?’
Within the garden there are lots of different areas to explore.
There was a stand of Lobelia tupa and some large cycads. And there are quite a lot of ferns along the woodland walk; among the native species you get gems such as Woodwardia orientalis. I also discovered Blechnum chilense being used as a hedge, three or four feet in height – that was different!
They have a lovely Cordyline indivisa, you do occasionally see it here but I’ve lost count of the amount of times that I’ve killed it! And I was surprised to see Cyathea medullaris growing outside. It’s a tree fern from New Zealand; when the croziers emerge they’re black and they develop into massive fronds. Let’s just say it’s one I’m not personally going to try outside!
Fuchsia excorticata grows in New Zealand and I didn’t think it was hardy enough for
Britain, but it thrives at Logan Botanic Gardens, so I’m going to experiment further and have a go at growing it outdoors. It’s important to be realistic but if you can find the right spot for a tender plant, there’s a reasonable chance of getting it going, particularly if it’s a big, beefy specimen.