GARDEN NEWS

The latest green-fingered news from around Scotland

MOUNT STUART INSPIRES IRANIAN ARTIST

A solo exhibition by Abbas Akhavan, A study for a garden, is running at Mount Stuart on Bute until 2 October. The exhibition is the first in Scotland by the Tehran-born artist, who is now based in Montreal. Inspired by his forays into the gardens at Mount Stuart, Akhavan’s installation in the property’s vaulted sandstone crypt – entitled ‘Variations on a folly’ – incorporates elements from the surrounding area into the underbelly of the house. The project includes an audio track to be played during a walk from the house through the grounds. www.mountstuart.com

Benmore’s Puck

A new sprite has been placed on top of Puck’s Hut in Benmore Botanic Garden. Puck’s Hut was designed by Robert Lorimer as a tribute to Isaac Bayley Balfour, the ninth regius keeper at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE). The original puck, made by animal artist Phyllis Bone, had suffered long-term weather damage since being erected in 1928, and so a new puck was commissioned from Guy Elder, a green oak farmer and wood carver. Bayley Balfour was instrumental in identifying Benmore – the RBGE’s first regional garden – as an important west coast site. www.rbge.org.uk/visit/benmorebotanic-garden

PALM MYSTERY

A palm tree chopped down last year at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has turned out to be a ‘botanical enigma’. Everyone thought the 200-yearold tree was a Sabal bermudana, but experts now believe it was Sabalmexicana, and would have been a new species to science when it arrived in Leith in the 1800s. www.rbge.org.uk

GARDEN STARS IN OPERA

Recordings of nature made at Balfron in Stirlingshire and at Benmore Botanic Garden have been used to create an ‘Eco Opera’. The sounds were combined with similar recordings made in Australia and paired with videos shot in each location. The first part of the opera went live on the project’s website on 13 June, with the second part following on 1 July. The opera project was run by Graeme Leak and Hazel Palmer, with funding from Creative Scotland and the Australian Government. www.eco-opera.tv