The terraced Peat Walls were constructed in 1939 for plants that like moist, acid soil conditions. They were copied from those created by the McDouall brothers at Logan Botanic Garden for their Sino-Himalayan treasures a few years previously. Moss and liverworts can be a problem and regular replanting and dividing is required. The peat blocks, which are taken from a low-grade site, are only replaced every 15 years.
Plants grown in the Peat Walls include Cassiope, dwarf rhododendrons, Meconopsis, Nomocharis, gentians, trilliums and Phyllodoce.
Gentians also feature prominently, as RBGE grows 75 of the 400 species, and in spring and September the creeping plants with their blue flowers are unmissable.
Future work
Unfortunately a pernicious and perennial weed, Cymbalaria muralis (ivy-leaved toadflax), has become such a problem that we have decided to renovate these beds. All woody plants in the bed are being propagated while the herbaceous species have been lifted and painstakingly washed and cleaned. The bed will then be treated chemically with a soil fumigant to sterilize the soil. For each bed this process may take up to two years, so in the meantime we ask that you please excuse the lack of plants in this area!
