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As spring approaches, photosynthesis will gather pace. It is the miraculous process by which green plants weave sunlight together with water and carbon dioxide to make the carbohydrates and starches that form the basic food supply for all living things. Scientists still do not fully understand how it works. In the BBC 4 television programme, ‘Botany: a Blooming History’, Timothy Walker explained that scientists are trying to mimic photosynthesis in the lab, with the aim of creating new kinds of clean fuels. The plant world is truly amazing - so visit New Lanark Roof Garden and be inspired!
December 2011
The robin is still around, feeding up to survive the winter and so that it will be fit to find a mate when Spring arrives. A magic spell has been cast over New Lanark Roof Garden this month! Some bright little reindeer have flown into the ‘Garden in the Sky’ and the roof garden elves have strung up tiny sparkling lights over the evergreen box balls and the yew hedging! The shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, is on 22 December, after which the light starts to return, imperceptibly at first. Eventually the increasing daylight and rising temperatures will stir the plant world back to life. Keep Saturday 21st January 2012 free in your diary for our Stargazing Live event on the Roof Garden, 5pm-7.30pm – click here for more information. Chase away the winter blues by spending some festive time with family and friends - try our fun-filled Christmas Experience – click here for details. Don’t forget to visit the roof garden reindeer! And - whatever faith or beliefs you hold, have a Happy Christmas! November 2011 November chill blaws loud wi’ angry sugh --
Another strong plant, the stately Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) flowered late with big, purple, thistle-like blooms. Related to the artichoke, cardoon was popular as a vegetable in Victorian times. Rudbeckia’s star-shaped daisy heads add a splash of bright yellow against the muted autumn colours. A robin has been foraging in the flowerbeds and singing his half-wistful song in the trees outside New Lanark Roof Garden. And from the valley comes the low growl of the River Clyde in spate. In flower in November - Japanese anemones, Rudbeckia ‘Herbstonne’, cardoon.
October 2011
New Lanark Roof Garden is now bursting with an amazing variety of seed pods. Waving like hair in the wind are the white seedheads of Feather Grass (Stipa tenuissima). Geranium seed cases look like tiny stork’s bills, while Clematis produces fluffy white seeds that disperse into the air like dandelion clocks. In the Visitor Centre this month - textile and Halloween crafts for young visitors - click here for details. In flower in October - Japanese anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’, penstemon ‘Amelia Jane’, liatris spicata, rudbeckia ‘Herbstonne’, purple anemones, astilbe, great burnet, heather ‘Silver Knight’.
September 2011
Remember - you can now buy a joint ticket including entry to the SWT Falls of Clyde Visitor Centre for a small additional fee. Also, there are plenty of special events to enjoy at New Lanark this autumn - click here for details. In flower in September - coreopsis verticillata, penstemon 'Amelia Jane', liatris spicata, rudbeckia 'Herbstonne', Japanese anemone 'Honorine Jobert', purple anemones, smoke tree, heather 'Silver Knight', herbs and grasses. August 2011
At the end of July, as expected, the lovely Yucca flaccida (‘Ivory’) came into flower– a tall stem bearing a cluster of large, bell-shaped, ivory-white flowers. Although Yucca is a native of the south eastern USA, it can tolerate different climates, and this specimen flourishes in New Lanark Roof Garden. Beneath the owl sculpture, the deep blue of clematis and the rich red leaves of Heuchera micrantha (‘Palace Purple’) contrast with the bright yellow heads of lavender cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus). Nearby Small Tortoiseshell butterflies flutter around the fragrant lavender. Children visiting with their families have enjoyed becoming nature detectives tackling New Lanark Roof Garden’s Creature Quest quiz – free with a Visitor Centre ticket!
In flower in August - lavender, thyme, sage, clematis, agastache, Perovskia ‘Blue Spire’, white rose campion, meadowsweet (passing), lavender cotton, lamb’s ears, astrantia, globe thistle, Rudbeckia ‘Herbstonne’, St John’s Wort, white foxglove, buddleia, smoke tree, black elder, yucca.
July 2011
Bees love the fluffy white flower heads of the meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria ‘Aurea’). A native of Europe, it was used in former times to flavour beer and mead (a fermented honey drink). Also called Bridewort, it was made into garlands and strewn in churches at weddings, so newly-weds having their photos taken in New Lanark Roof Garden this July may feel inspired to include it in the pictures. Nearby is the yucca that should soon produce a tall spike of lovely creamy white flowers. It doesn’t flower every year so this will be your chance to see it. In flower in July – lavender, meadow rue, foxgloves (coming soon), santolina, white campion, smoke tree, sage, Perovskia ‘Blue Spire’, thyme, meadowsweet, elder, bears breeches, Philadelphus coronaria ‘Alba’, honeysuckle, yucca.
June 2011
New herbs were planted in the troughs, including lemon balm, coriander, oregano and thyme. In flower in June – poppies, alliums, yellow flag iris, anemones, geraniums, Deutzia. |
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| New Lanark World Heritage Site South Lanarkshire, Scotland, ML11 9DB tel: +44 1555 661345 fax: +44 1555 665738 email: trust@newlanark.org |
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Garden Diary
February 2012
The Met Office has just reported that 2011 was Scotland’s wettest year on record, although the spring was warm and dry. Too much rain and the soil becomes water-logged, cold and claggy. For the Mediterranean herbs - rosemary, oregano and thyme – in the troughs, these conditions are not good, but the native Yellow Flag iris (near the hares sculpture) enjoys damp meadows. A new year begins in New Lanark Roof Garden and we look forward to the first flowers, the snowdrops, next month. The seasons follow the same annual cycle, but any gardener will tell you that no two years are exactly alike. New Lanark Roof Garden Diary will be recording what happens! Meanwhile, while the plants are dormant, we are hoping for clear skies for our 
Thus Robert Burns in 1785 described an autumn gale in his poem, The Cotter’s Saturday Night. In fact, November 2011 began with fine weather, but the effect of the wind is an important design consideration for any roof garden. The lovely Switch Grass (Panicum Virgatum) ‘Heavy Metal’, for example, was chosen for New Lanark Roof Garden because it can withstand windy conditions. 
The lovely Japanese anemones have stood up well to the weather and shimmer white against an autumnal background of reds, purples and gold. Red Grass (Imperata cylindrica ‘Rubra’) glows ruby in the sunshine and clumps of purple anemones are dotted around. 
The latest stars of New Lanark Roof Garden were three young fledglings seen recently nestling on a ledge under the viewing platform. They were identified by the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) as swallows because of the patch of russet colour on their throats. The parent birds have been flying around since May, swooping low over the garden and catching insects in mid-flight, but the nest was well-hidden! The young birds have now flown and, as autumn approaches, all the swallows will be leaving for their winter homes in Africa. 
Warm days in New Lanark Roof Garden in July are just perfect as the fresh summery scents of meadowsweet, lavender and thyme, fill the air. 
A rainbow of colour appeared in New Lanark Roof Garden at the start of June, with vibrant red poppies (Papaver orientale ‘Allegro’) alongside the big purple heads of allium (Giant Onion) and the lovely yellow flag (Iris pseudacorus). The grasses produced delicate flower heads that swayed and rustled in the wind. Under the frothy white flowers of the Deutzia shrub, geraniums created a mound of purple colour.
