Last updated: 12 November 2017
| Address and contact details | |
| Rhu, Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, G84 8LL, UK. | |
| Tel: 01436 820493 | |
| Email: masthome@btinternet.com | |
| Web site: www.gardens-of-argyll.co.uk | |
| Latitude: 56,0165 | |
| Longitude: -4,77071 | |
| Background to the collection | |
| Ownership: | Michael and Sue Thornley |
| Umbrella organisation: | Glorious Gardens of Argyll and Bute (principally marketting and information sharing) |
| Personnel | |
| Total Horticultural Staff: | Trainee student gardener 1 day per week |
| Policies | |
| Accessions: | Mostly obtained as plants from nurseries or grown from seed from exchanges (i.e. Magnolia Society International) |
| Collections: | Maintain and develop existing collections |
| Physical environment | |
| Altitude: | 50m above sea level |
| Soil type: | Acid |
| Aspect: | SSW |
| Total area: | 15 acres |
| Weather records | Y |
| Temperature | |
| Absolute maximum: | +26 Centigrade maximum in last 10 years |
| Absolute minimum: | -3 Centigrade minimum in last 10 years |
| Wind | |
| Direction: | SW |
| Strength: | Up to Gale Force (Severe to Storm Force from NW) |
| Rainfall | |
| Average annual: | 74 inches (last 10 year average) |
| Month of maximum: | December |
| Month of minimum: | April |
| Plant collection | |
| Genera: | Rhododendron (main, recorded collection: under review) |
| Species: | 345 |
| Taxa: | 555 (inc 210 hybrids) |
| Accessions: | Historically often more than one |
| Plants: | Historicallly often in multiples |
| Notable plants within the collection: | |
| Rhododendron falconeri: said to be from Joseph Hooker 1849-50 expedition to Sikkim (and Magnolia rostrata: one of 5 UK champion trees in garden) | |
| Geographical area(s) of specialisation: | |
| Eastern Asia and southern hemisphere temperate areas | |
| Special families within the collections: | |
| Ericaceae, Magnoliaceae, Eucryphiaceae, Amaryllidaceae | |
| Special genera within the collections: | |
| Rhododendron, Magolia, Eucryphia, Narcissus | |
| Special collections: | |
| ICCP ( 1no. taxon. unless stated)
Chamaecyparis formosensis 19934377M
Pilgerodendron uviferum 19922572 EP and EQ., 2 no.
Pinus morrisonicola 19934375AC
Pinus armandii var mastersiana 1993975 ETE 71
Podocarpus salignus 19921592 C and F, 2 no.
Taiwania cryptomerioides 19934154J
Cunninghamia kowishii 1993152F Rhododendrons from Ludlow and Sherriff collected seed direct to garden including R. lindleyii L&S 6562 R. baileyii L&S 3020 R.viscidifolium L&S3750 | |
| Record Keeping: | Yes |
| Record System: | Manual |
| Plant-collecting trips: | No |
| Facilities on site | |
| Herbarium: | No |
| Library: | Personal horticultural library |
| Research facilities: | No |
| Publications: | Contribute articles to horticulutural publications |
| Teaching and Education: | Trainee horticultural students (part time employment) plus informal and local initiatives |
| Interpretation: | Garden leaflet with different theme annually Guided walks on themes (for instance “Red Book Rhododendrons”) |
| Friends Organisation: | No |
| Visitor facilities: | Small bought -in plants on sale Occasional plant sales of plants propogated in garden |
| Access to the collections | |
| Access conditions: | Open under Scotland's Gardens: from 21 March to 21 September, and by arrangement outwith these months. |
| Public access: | Open Dawn to dusk from 21 March to 21 September. Entrance fee: Currently £4.00 (£5.00 from 2017) |
| Public opening hours: | See above |
| Guiding principles behind the collection | |
| Maintain and develop the collections of plants within the garden while at the same time conserving the historic framework and its sense of place. | |
| Location map | |
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