We were lucky enough to be able to book a (free) visit to Edinburgh's Botanic Gardens yesterday morning (During these days of COVID-19, you need to book your visit to the gardens - which you can do here).
First we walked through Inverleith Park where a family of mallards greeted us
and a coot seemed to be repairing its nest
Once we got to the Botanics, we enjoyed the beauty of the several flower meadows which are particularly vibrant at the moment
It would be nice if alongside these stunning meadows there was a demostration plot of a natural Scottish meadow, which wouldn't be as brightly coloured but would be just as useful for pollinating insects.
Also just a note about booking to visit the Botanics. Booking online is free and not strictly speaking essential, but certainly recommended as visiting slots fill up quite quickly, espeically at the weekend. If you have a smartphone you can show your booking form on your phone to the Botanics staff at the entrance. However if you don't have a smart phone, you just need to say your name and the time you booked and you can get in just as easily. Don't be put off by the staff member at the entrance saying 'have your smart phones ready people!' We've always found in fact that we get in quicker just giving our names than people generally seem to do when they show their smartphones to the staff.
For Nature Notes.
8 comments:
Hello,
Beautiful photos from your visit to the Botanic Gardens.
The meadows look gorgeous, what a lovely sight!
Have a happy new week!
Pretty meadows. Something we have few of here - most flat spots were taken for farming by the 1850 white-folk settlers..
Thanks Eileen
Ho RG, flower meadows are much rarer here than they used to be due to agricultural intensification etc.
I do recognize the bird life by name, so I am not totally hopeless (just when it comes to insects). I even made an error when I commented on the hoverfly post by using the word "meadow". I know those insects were buzzing around the riverbanks! This is the post with the beautiful meadow. And it is lovely, but I understand what you said about wishing there were a native one only. Appointments are I think (am afraid) a good thing in these times. (We aren't being careful enough over here. Too many people are just colmpletely nuts.)
The flower meadows look very pretty.
All the best Jan
Hi Sallie. insects are difficult, there are so many that it's easy to give up. For a long time I didn't really look closely at insects other than butterflies and the bigger moths.
Yes it is necessary and useful to have appointments only for visits, we need to be careful...
Beautiful pics--as always!
I do have a soft spot for mallards....
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