Horticulture in Arkansas

There is nothing more depressing than having food poisoning my last weekend in Edinburgh. Help.

This week I will be working in the glasshouses at the RBGE. As one would say in the Arkansas native tongue, "Damn, shure is hot up in thur." I didn't think it was possible to break a sweat in Scotland.

Since I began my work indoors, I have come across some beautiful little orchids.

Dendrobium hellwigianum
[Photo1]

Dendrochilum filiforme
[Photo1] [Photo2] [Photo3]

Dracula bella
[Photo1] [Photo2]

Masdevallia nycterina
[Photo1] [Photo2]

Phreatia
[Photo1] [Photo2] [Photo3]

Poroglossum echidnum
[Photo1] [Photo2]

Scaphosepalum punctatum
[Photo1] [Photo2] [Photo3]

I've also been recording daily weather from the garden's weather stations. A record of temperature must be taken in the air, at ground surface and below ground. Other things that are recorded are wind speed and direction, state of ground, cloud density, visibility and hours of sunlight. To make these observations, I am required to climb the ladders to the top of the largest glasshouse. Don't worry, I promise I wont fall and be shredded by falling through panes of glass. I will post some pictures soon.

After a week of cutting down huge hedges and feeding them through a chipper, I feel a bit physically tuckered out. However, I must admit that work like this makes me feel like a real man! Arrrrrrggg!


Above: This is my very good friend Audrey III. I have named the chipper after the large singing/talking carnivorous plant in Little Shop of Horrors. When I push a large log into its gnashing teeth, I say to myself "FEED ME, SEYMOUR!"


This is only the second row of hedges that we destroyed. You might be asking yourself, "Hey John! Why the heck are you being so destructive?!" I would tell you that we are expanding the nursery at the Botanic Garden. We're adding two more quonset polyethylene grow houses. YAY! And while we're at it, doing a bit of landscaping!


I noticed a photo opportunity! This is the result.

That's all I'm going to report at the moment. I've got a few more photographs from the day I traveled to Fife. Oh, there are so many beautiful gardens in this country! I hope you all miss me terribly! Ha. Let's party when I return!