Scottish Heath Garden

Every time I pay a visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens - and these are becoming more and more frequent - the environment is constantly changing, a rainbow of shifting colours, every shade of green imaginable bedecking the trees and shrubs, a landscape moving with the seasons, reflecting their moods. And the more you wander around, the more you discover, little niches to be explored like a book whose pages never end.
Replacing the old heather garden, the present Scottish Heath Garden was planted as recently as 1997, and comes complete with a simulated abandoned croft constructed using recycled materials from the original garden. This is a wonderful area to wander around, a plethera of native plants creating a natural haven for wildlife in a realistic countryside setting. It is difficult to believe that you are in fact in the middle of a city. There is even a lochan, built using peat blocks for a more natural looking effect. The whole garden is a mass of upland plants which are commonly found growing together in
the Scottish hills, bringing a wonderful sense of the countryside to Edinburgh. And although they are not native, several large trees and shrubs have been retained from the original garden, kept both for their botanical importance and to give structure to the Heath Garden.
Take time, also, to peruse the various information boards and learn a little about the history of some of the plants within the garden. Did you know that most parts of broom are deemed toxic - but that did little to deter the Scots from making a "heady wine and strong beer" out of the flowering tips. Surprising? I guess not for such an intrepid nation that loves its drink - and this is in no way a criticism! And of course we all know about the broom-making industry. Heather, abundant and versatile, a favourite for making luxurious matresses, hard-wearing baskets and brushes, a source of fuel for the fire ...... and a flavour for beer! The perfect home for baby grouse, it provided watertight thatch - for houses, not the grouse - as well as super-tough ropes.
Lets move on to gorse, prickly, spectacular golden flowers
during the late summer months, scented with coconut, yielding a vibrant yellow dye. Throughout the winter the tough older stems remain green, and when ground up to get rid of the spines made nutritious winter fodder for sheep and cattle. And furthermore, a gift of gorse was considered unlucky in Fife. Why? Search me! So much to see, so much to learn. Soft rush, used for thatching and basketry, the spongy pith inside the leaves an ideal wick for candles once dipped in fish oil or mutton fat. Willow branches, an ideal wood to weave into fences, their amazing ability to regenerate meaning they soon form the perfect hedge. And the bark of the willow was often chewed to relieve pain, making it an ancient form of aspirin! Juniper, a distiller's dream, the berries of this spiny shrub give gin its distinctive flavour. The ideal fuel for illicit whisky stills, the wood burns with little smoke and a pleasant aroma - back to the drink again! I can't leave without mentioning the good old Scots Pine, Scotland's native Christmas tree. Torches and candles were made from the resin-rich pine roots, and the wood an ideal material for building. Unfortunately, its high demand, coupled with long-term climate change, has all but wiped out the great Caledonian pine forests. Those that remain are today some of Scotland's important sites for biodiversity. High demand, versatility, cost-effective - so much of the natural world around us is swallowed up in our desire to have the best, get bigger and better. Progress always seems to come at such a high cost. The more we have, the more we want. Spend some time in these wonderful Gardens, admire their beauty, see at first hand just how fragile the world around us really is. And be thankful that places like the Royal Botanic Gardens are playing their part in ensuring many of our endangered species continue, at least for the time being.