In collaboration with Rhins of Galloway Coast Path Project, Logan Botanic Garden, near Port Logan, in Dumfries & Galloway, is hosting the adventurous Wildflowers of Coastal Cliffs exhibition running through May and June 2021. Alongside the Garden’s wonderful palm trees, tree ferns and giant gunnera, visitors can discover more about the beautiful flora where the land meets the sea, a demanding place for plants to survive.   

 Rock faces are particularly exposed to extremes of weather, making coastal cliffs an even more precarious place for flowers to thrive. Plants living on cliffs must withstand the harsh conditions of salty sea spray and drying winds but also benefit from the warmer winter temperatures of a maritime climate. Several species reach the northern limits of their UK distribution in the Rhins of Galloway and are unlikely to be seen elsewhere in Scotland.  

Peter Ross, Chair of the Rhins of Galloway Coast Path Steering Group, commented “Alongside the creation of the new coast route we are running a programme of events providing opportunities for people to find out more about the rich natural and cultural heritage of the Rhins of Galloway. We are absolutely delighted that Logan Botanic Garden is hosting this exhibition and would encourage visitors to spend some time at the Coastal Cliffs display – it will make their next walk on the Rhins Coast even more enjoyable!”   

To accompany the exhibition, a guide to common flowers has been published helping visitors to know their Scot’s lovage from their golden samphire. The Rhins of Galloway Coast Path is a project managed by Dumfries and Galloway Council and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Coastal Communities Fund. Plans are in place to run events revealing the amazing wildlife on the Rhins coast, which will be updated on their Facebook page @Rhinsofgallowaycoastpath. The guide can be downloaded from the Rhins Coast path website at https://dgtrails.org/wildflowers-at-logan-botanic-gardens/

Reflecting on the importance and value of wildflowers, Richard Baines, Curator at Logan Botanic Garden said, “In terms of biodiversity, they are an intrinsic part of the food chain for surrounding insects and animals. Their root systems also help stabilize their home soil which helps prevent erosion- a particularly useful factor for the wildflowers based at a coastal location such as The Rhins of Galloway Coast.

“The exhibition at Logan highlights the diversity of native flora found in these coastal habitats in Galloway and the photographic display highlights some of the main species that are found on the newly designated Rhins coastal walk.”

He concluded: “The newly produced wildflower booklet is an excellent educational tool to aid identification of any unknown species. The exhibition also ties in with the native plant area located in the walled garden at Logan which also provides information on the local species.”