Bristol Botanic Gardens - photos

[fgtbell]

I visited Bristol Botanical Gardens this weekend, these are new-ish gardens first planted in 2005 and there is still a lot of new planting going on. This is maybe not the time of year to see the gardens at their best - so I mostly concentrated on taking photos of plants that were still looking good despite the frosts and time of year. The minimum temperature in the garden this year was probably around -6C. Their King Protea (protea cynaroides) was badly scorched on its leaves, but the stems looked ok. Anything that is still looking good after -6C might be a candidate for my garden (or your garden possibly).

I didn't get the time to take many pictures of the greenhouses, there are a few at the end... will do a better job next time.

On entering the gardens, there is a collection of bamboos and restios:

Semiarundinaria makinoi:


Some restios:


Ischyrolepis subverticillata:


Elegia capensis:


Moving on a bit was a collection of banksias, most were looking a bit sorry for themselves except for this one, Banksia marginata:


Some plants in pots waiting to be planted out:



General views of the Mediteranean planting area. Lots of these plants were not doing much in February.



Cynara cardunculus:


bush with silvery leaves, I thought I had got the name of this one, but I didn't Edit: this is Teucrium fruticans:


It has pretty but small blue flowers:


Nandina domestica - I have one of these, but it is a slightly different form:


Atriplex halimus:


Saxifraga paniculata:


Callistemon linearis:


Acer palmatum sango-kaku


Acca sellowiana:


Eucalyptus gunnii:



Garrya elliptica:



Cynara cardunculus again, this time with seeds (I resisted the temptation )



Restio quadratus:


Pseudowintera colorata:


Euphorbia rigida:



Treefern and Cycad dell:





Magnolia delavyi waiting to be planted out:


Another euphorbia:


didn't get the label (could it be a rosemary, flowering in February ?):


Rhodocoma gigantea:


Greenhouse view - cool/dry - the central area is prepared for lots of new goodies:





Canarina canariensis:


Strelitzia reginae:



Cycads - sorry for the quality of these, I was being hurried...




I'll be back in the summer to see how it all gets on.

[tropical-pete]

Some great pics, Francis - thanks for posting! I guess you can't really expect much to be happening in gardens (especially the more tropical ones) at this time of year, but that tree fern and cycad dell should look great in Spring/Summer, with all the fresh fronds. Can't wait to see pics of that I'm liking the look of that Euphorbia rigida too, might look into that one...

Thanks again, take care

Pete

[col]

Wow, Francis - those photos are great. Another place for me to visit!

That Restio quadratus looks particularly spectacular!

Col

[Mark]

Love the tree fern dell. Thanks Francis

[Robin Cassell]

Looking good There mate !!!!Doesnt Cathy live in Bristol with tea and cakes galore Reckon thats a trip on the cards then That tree fern dell looks the biz..or will be when grown a bit

[Petefree]

I didn't know Bristol had a Botanic Garden- it looks very nice - thanks for the pics.
That unknown silvery shrub with the blue flowers does look familiar, is it Teucrium fruticans?
Pete

[fgtbell]

I didn't know Bristol had a Botanic Garden- it looks very nice - thanks for the pics.
That unknown silvery shrub with the blue flowers does look familiar, is it Teucrium fruticans?
Pete

Reckon it could easily be, here is the unknown and the Teucrium side by side:



2nd photo from Jardin du Littoral The bud is a dead ringer I think.

[redsquirrel]

so pleased you took pics francis,i wasnt expecting to see much yesterday and went equipped with my phone only.it must have cost them a fortune with some of the specimen size cycads and Dicksonia antarctica's in the dell.hopefully in the summer a lot of the pots in the greenhouses will be outside giving a bit more space to get in amongst it and see what some of the plants are called.would benefit from a tea shop aswell.the bananas were spectacular,the bunch was so heavy the plant was tied up with a hose pipe and the bananas supported on a crate.

[conrad]

Yup Pete is correct, the unknown shrub in indeed Teucrium fruticans.

[Troppoz]

Great pics I like the fern dell. I especially like the euphorbia rigida - looks almost like a protea... The restio quadaratus is very nice as are the cycads.

So is Bristol considered a mild part of the UK?

[Cathy]

Looking good There mate !!!!Doesnt Cathy live in Bristol with tea and cakes galore Reckon thats a trip on the cards then That tree fern dell looks the biz..or will be when grown a bit

Thanks for sharing the interesting pictures Francis,
Are the gardens at Leigh Woods near the suspension Bridge? I am ashamed to say that we have never visited. I think we have driven past lots of times, always when the gardens are closed or we are in a hurry.

Col, yes we do live in Bristol, maybe 10 - 15 miles away on the opposite far side of town to the gardens, I think, but any intrepid peeps who care to venture our way are welcome to a cuppa and cake!

Sean, Bristol is usually quite mildish, unless like today it is blowing a gale and freezing! According to the tourist industry Bristol is the 'Gateway To The West Country'.
Cathy.

[Petefree]

So is Bristol considered a mild part of the UK?

The clemency of the Bristol climate is due, I suspect, in no small part, to the urban heat island effect created by the proximity of warm-hearted Cathy

[Cathy]

Thanks Pete, I will take that as a compliment! or maybe it is all the Hot Air Balloon Fiestas we have!
Cathy.

[fgtbell]

So is Bristol considered a mild part of the UK?

Yes, temperatures in the UK are generally on a south-west to north-east gradient - the further west, the more we benefit from the Gulf Stream. At the extreme south-west we have Tresco in the Scilly isles that is a US zone 10-ish. The further east, the more the climate is influenced by continental factors (nasty cold easterlies arriving fresh from Siberia ).

Bristol is fairly well towards the south-west corner, and near the sea... the winter minimum we had this year was very unusual. Within the city we usually have a micro-climate and over the last ten years or so I don't think we saw much below -2C except for this year. So, generally we are close to a zone 9B, but this year we were into 9A. The winter average is around +2C and the summer average peaks at +26C.

Tresco has lower summer maximums than Bristol but a winter average of +8C and only two frosts per year on average.

Cathy, the Gardens have moved from Leigh Woods and they are now by the Downs.

[fgtbell]

Yup Pete is correct, the unknown shrub in indeed Teucrium fruticans.

Thanks to you both, I have added the ID now.