Botanic Garden Profile Inverewe: gardening on the edge
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24823/Sibbaldia.2020.286Abstract
Set in the heart of the Scottish Highlands, Inverewe is one of the most spectacular garden locations in the UK. Situated beside the A382 on the North Coast 500 tourist route, the property receives over 100,000 visitors each year, drawn to see a diversity of plants and to enjoy the breathtaking backdrop of mountains and seascape it affords. Since its first plantings in 1864, the property has been a centre for experimental approaches to establishing and growing tender woody and herbaceous perennials, while a diaspora of alumni have gone on to fulfil prominent roles in the horticultural industry over the years. The garden today covers approximately 22 ha of mainly woodland gardens, renowned for the diversity of their designed elements and whose conservation management is based on a thorough understanding, appreciation and analysis of the garden’s historical development and its significance in local, regional and national contexts.
In recent years, Inverewe has faced a number of challenges related to the growing impact of global change, with increased occurrences of extreme weather events, and emergent pest and disease incidents associated with climate change and the movement of plants and their vectors, which include human-aided transport of problems between sites. In this context, this article provides a lens on the drivers of change that the plant collection is facing in the early decades of the 21st century. After an introduction to the garden, its evolved collections and management approach, three case studies are highlighted as examples of emerging threats to Inverewe as a garden and work of art. Inverewe is presented as a landscape that endures through adaptation to social, economic and, increasingly, environmental challenges that shape the direction it takes as a garden and plant collection growing on the edge.
References
BARBER, A.J., BEACH, A., PARK, R.G., TARNEY,
J. & STEWART, A.D. (1978). The Lewisian
and Torridonian Rocks of North-West Scotland.
Geologists’ Association Guide No. 21. Geologists’
Association, London.
BISGROVE, R.J. & HADLEY, P. (2002). Gardening
in the Global Greenhouse: The Impacts of Climate
Change on Gardens in the UK, Technical Report.
UKCIP, Oxford.
BUTLER, P. (2010). Eighty Years in the Highlands
– The Life and Times of Osgood H. Mackenzie of
Inverewe 1842-1922. Librario Publishing Ltd.,
Kinloss.
BUTLER, P. (2018). On building Inverewe: the
house I built must precious be… Family and Homes
1860s–1953. National Trust for Scotland, Edinburgh.
CLOUGH, P. (2001). Inverewe Guidebook. National
Trust for Scotland, Edinburgh.
CONWAY, T.M., ALMAS, A.D. & COORE, D. (2019).
Ecosystem services, ecological integrity, and native
species planting: how to balance ideas in urban
management? Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 41:
1–5.
COSGROVE, S. (2017). Inverewe botanical garden
and house credits events and capital investment
for strong start to 2017 season. Horticulture
Week. Available online: www.hortweek.com/
inverewe-botanical-garden-house-credits-eventscapital-
investment-strong-start-2017-season/
parks-and-gardens/article/1432148 (accessed June
2019).
COWAN, M. (1964). Inverewe: Garden in the
North-west Highlands. Geoffrey Bles, London.
DARLING, F. (1945). Crofting Agriculture – its
Practice in the West Highlands and Islands. Oliver &
Boyd Ltd., Edinburgh.
ESC4 (2019). Ecological Site Classification Decision
Support System (ESC-DSS) Forest Research. Available
online: www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-andresources/
forest-planning-and-management-services/
ecological-site-classification-decision-supportsystem-
esc-dss (accessed June 2019).
FERA (2019). UK Risk Register Details for
Chryseococcus arecae. Available online: https://
secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/phiw/riskRegister/view
PestRisks.cfm?cslref=27237 (accessed June 2019).
FOSTER, D. (2013). Report on Inverewe garden
visit Week 34 (20th August 2013). Inverewe internal
report.
FOSTER, D. (2015). Crop Report Week 29 (14 July
2015) Inverewe internal report.
FREDIANI, K. (2008). The ethical use of plants
in zoos: informing selection choices, uses and
management strategies. International Zoo Yearbook,
43(1): 29–52.
FREDIANI, K. (2018). The garden on the edge:
Project proposal. National Trust for Scotland
internal document.
FREDIANI, K., BUCKLAND, A., HANSFORD, D.
& ROGERS, K. (2019). Inverewe: Environmental
Benefits Assessment 2018. National Trust for
Scotland, Edinburgh.
GRACE, J. (1987). Climatic tolerance and the
distribution of plants. New Phytologist, 106(1):
113–130.
GRANT, R. (2014). Inverewe Garden Heritage
Garden Management Plan version 20.4. The
National Trust for Scotland Gardens and Designed
Landscape, Edinburgh.
HEMERY, G.E., CLARK, J.R., ALDINGER, E.,
CLAESSENS, H., MALVOLTI, M.E., O’CONNOR,
E., RAFTOYANNIS, Y., SAVILL, P.S. & BRUS, R.
(2010). Growing scattered broadleaved tree
species in Europe in a changing climate: a review of
risks and opportunities. Forestry, 83: 65–81.
HIRONS, A.D. & SJÖMAN, H. (2018). Tree
species selection for green infrastructure: a guide
for specifiers. Trees and Design Action Group
Publications. Available online: www.tdag.org.uk/
species-selection-for-green-infrastructure.html
(accessed June 2019).
HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT SCOTLAND (2017).
Inverewe GDL00226. Inventory Garden &
Designed Landscape. Available online: portal.
historicenvironment.scot/designation/GDL00226
(accessed June 2019).
HITCHMOUGH, J. & FIELDHOUSE, K. (2004).
Plant User Handbook: A Guide to Effective Specifying.
Blackwell Publishing, London.
HITCHMOUGH, J. & THODAY, P. (2004).
Introduction to plant use in the landscape. In:
HITCHMOUGH, J. & FIELDHOUSE, K. (eds), Plant User
Handbook: A Guide to Effective Specifying. Blackwell
Publishing, London, pp. 3–6.
HOHN, T. (2007). Curatorial Practices for Botanic
Gardens. Altamira Press, Lanham, MD.
INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE
CHANGE (2014). Climate Change 2014: Synthesis
Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II
and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(PACHAURI, R.K. & MEYER, L.A., eds), IPCC, Geneva.
INVEREWE (2013). An assessment of the Inverewe
Meconopsis Collection. Inverewe internal report.
I-TREE (2019). i-Tree Software Suite v6. Available
online: https://species.itreetools.org (accessed
August 2019).
JOHNSON, O. (2011). Champion Trees of Britain
and Ireland: The Tree Register Handbook. Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond.
KENDLE, T. (2004). The long term health of plants.
In: HITCHMOUGH, J. & FIELDHOUSE, K. (eds), Plant
User Handbook: A Guide to Effective Specifying.
Blackwell Publishing, London, pp. 89–92.
KENDLE, T. & SHERMAN, B. (2004). Amelioration
of underperforming soils. In: HITCHMOUGH, J. &
FIELDHOUSE, K. (eds), Plant User Handbook: A Guide
Botanic Garden Profile Inverewe: gardening on the edge | 35
to Effective Specifying. Blackwell Publishing, London,
pp. 47–62.
LYTE, B., WARREN, J., HAENRAETS, J. &
MITCHELL, D. (2008). Garden shelterbelts
– protecting yesterday’s gardens tomorrow.
Sibbaldia, 6: 181–188.
MACKENZIE, O. (1908). Gardening in the Western
Highlands. Journal of the Royal Horticultural
Society, 19: 47–53. Available online: www.
biodiversitylibrary.org/item/164172#page/9/
mode/1up (accessed June 2019).
NATIONAL TRUST FOR SCOTLAND (2013).
Biosecurity Guidelines. Internal documents BC04;
BC05; BC06; BC13; BC20. Gardens & Designed
Landscape Services of the National Trust for
Scotland, Edinburgh.
OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY (2019).
Definition of ‘garden’. Available online:
en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/garden
(accessed June 2019).
PLANT HERITAGE (2019). Search Inverewe
National Collections. Available online: www.nccpg.
com/National-Collections/Collection-Results.aspx?
keyword =inverewe&county=#search (accessed June
2019).
QUINNE, T. (2016). Final summary and
recommendations for scale control programme.
Inverewe Operational Report. National Trust for
Scotland, Inverewe.
RODWELL, J.S. (ED.) (1991). British Plant
Communities. Volume 1. Woodlands and scrub.
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
RÖHRIG, E. & ULRICH, B. (1991). Ecosystems of
The World. 7: Temperate deciduous forests. Elsevier,
Amsterdam.
SANSFORD, C.E., INMAN, A.J., BAKER, R., BRASIE,
C., FRANKEL, S., DE GRUYTER, J., HUSSON, C.,
KEHLENBECK, H., KESSEL, G., MORALEJO, E.,
STEEGHS, M., WEBBER, J. & WERRES, S. (2009).
Report on the risk of entry, establishment, spread
and socio-economic loss and environmental
impact and the appropriate level of management
for Phytophthora ramorum for the EU. Deliverable
Report 28. EU Sixth Framework Project RAPRA.
Available online: https://secure.fera.defra.gov.
uk/phiw/riskRegister/downloadExternalPra.
cfm?id=3802 (accessed June 2019).
SAWYER, M.T. (1953). Inverewe Guidebook.
National Trust for Scotland, Edinburgh.
SCOTLAND’S ENVIRONMENT (2019). Climate
trends. Available online: www.environment.gov.
scot/data/data-analysis/climate-trends (accessed
June 2019).
SJÖMAN, H., BUSSE NIELSEN, A., PAULEIT, S. &
OLSSON, M. (2010). Habitat studies identifying
potential trees for urban paved environments: a
case study from Qinling Mt., China. Arboriculture &
Urban Forestry, 36(6): 261–271.
STUDIO LR (2019). Inverewe: great experiences
get great results. Available online: blog.studiolr.
com/inverewe (accessed June 2019).
WALSH, S. (2016). PICTURES: Historic
Inverewe House opens doors to public for
first time after £2million restoration. Available
online: www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/
highlands/1015256/undefined-headline-1996
(accessed June 2019).
WILLIAMS, S.E., SHOO, L.P., ISAAC, J.L.,
HOFFMANN, A.A. & LANGHAM, G. (2008).
Towards an integrated framework for assessing the
vulnerability of species to climate change. PLoS
Biology, 6(12): 2621–2626.
J. & STEWART, A.D. (1978). The Lewisian
and Torridonian Rocks of North-West Scotland.
Geologists’ Association Guide No. 21. Geologists’
Association, London.
BISGROVE, R.J. & HADLEY, P. (2002). Gardening
in the Global Greenhouse: The Impacts of Climate
Change on Gardens in the UK, Technical Report.
UKCIP, Oxford.
BUTLER, P. (2010). Eighty Years in the Highlands
– The Life and Times of Osgood H. Mackenzie of
Inverewe 1842-1922. Librario Publishing Ltd.,
Kinloss.
BUTLER, P. (2018). On building Inverewe: the
house I built must precious be… Family and Homes
1860s–1953. National Trust for Scotland, Edinburgh.
CLOUGH, P. (2001). Inverewe Guidebook. National
Trust for Scotland, Edinburgh.
CONWAY, T.M., ALMAS, A.D. & COORE, D. (2019).
Ecosystem services, ecological integrity, and native
species planting: how to balance ideas in urban
management? Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 41:
1–5.
COSGROVE, S. (2017). Inverewe botanical garden
and house credits events and capital investment
for strong start to 2017 season. Horticulture
Week. Available online: www.hortweek.com/
inverewe-botanical-garden-house-credits-eventscapital-
investment-strong-start-2017-season/
parks-and-gardens/article/1432148 (accessed June
2019).
COWAN, M. (1964). Inverewe: Garden in the
North-west Highlands. Geoffrey Bles, London.
DARLING, F. (1945). Crofting Agriculture – its
Practice in the West Highlands and Islands. Oliver &
Boyd Ltd., Edinburgh.
ESC4 (2019). Ecological Site Classification Decision
Support System (ESC-DSS) Forest Research. Available
online: www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-andresources/
forest-planning-and-management-services/
ecological-site-classification-decision-supportsystem-
esc-dss (accessed June 2019).
FERA (2019). UK Risk Register Details for
Chryseococcus arecae. Available online: https://
secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/phiw/riskRegister/view
PestRisks.cfm?cslref=27237 (accessed June 2019).
FOSTER, D. (2013). Report on Inverewe garden
visit Week 34 (20th August 2013). Inverewe internal
report.
FOSTER, D. (2015). Crop Report Week 29 (14 July
2015) Inverewe internal report.
FREDIANI, K. (2008). The ethical use of plants
in zoos: informing selection choices, uses and
management strategies. International Zoo Yearbook,
43(1): 29–52.
FREDIANI, K. (2018). The garden on the edge:
Project proposal. National Trust for Scotland
internal document.
FREDIANI, K., BUCKLAND, A., HANSFORD, D.
& ROGERS, K. (2019). Inverewe: Environmental
Benefits Assessment 2018. National Trust for
Scotland, Edinburgh.
GRACE, J. (1987). Climatic tolerance and the
distribution of plants. New Phytologist, 106(1):
113–130.
GRANT, R. (2014). Inverewe Garden Heritage
Garden Management Plan version 20.4. The
National Trust for Scotland Gardens and Designed
Landscape, Edinburgh.
HEMERY, G.E., CLARK, J.R., ALDINGER, E.,
CLAESSENS, H., MALVOLTI, M.E., O’CONNOR,
E., RAFTOYANNIS, Y., SAVILL, P.S. & BRUS, R.
(2010). Growing scattered broadleaved tree
species in Europe in a changing climate: a review of
risks and opportunities. Forestry, 83: 65–81.
HIRONS, A.D. & SJÖMAN, H. (2018). Tree
species selection for green infrastructure: a guide
for specifiers. Trees and Design Action Group
Publications. Available online: www.tdag.org.uk/
species-selection-for-green-infrastructure.html
(accessed June 2019).
HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT SCOTLAND (2017).
Inverewe GDL00226. Inventory Garden &
Designed Landscape. Available online: portal.
historicenvironment.scot/designation/GDL00226
(accessed June 2019).
HITCHMOUGH, J. & FIELDHOUSE, K. (2004).
Plant User Handbook: A Guide to Effective Specifying.
Blackwell Publishing, London.
HITCHMOUGH, J. & THODAY, P. (2004).
Introduction to plant use in the landscape. In:
HITCHMOUGH, J. & FIELDHOUSE, K. (eds), Plant User
Handbook: A Guide to Effective Specifying. Blackwell
Publishing, London, pp. 3–6.
HOHN, T. (2007). Curatorial Practices for Botanic
Gardens. Altamira Press, Lanham, MD.
INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE
CHANGE (2014). Climate Change 2014: Synthesis
Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II
and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(PACHAURI, R.K. & MEYER, L.A., eds), IPCC, Geneva.
INVEREWE (2013). An assessment of the Inverewe
Meconopsis Collection. Inverewe internal report.
I-TREE (2019). i-Tree Software Suite v6. Available
online: https://species.itreetools.org (accessed
August 2019).
JOHNSON, O. (2011). Champion Trees of Britain
and Ireland: The Tree Register Handbook. Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond.
KENDLE, T. (2004). The long term health of plants.
In: HITCHMOUGH, J. & FIELDHOUSE, K. (eds), Plant
User Handbook: A Guide to Effective Specifying.
Blackwell Publishing, London, pp. 89–92.
KENDLE, T. & SHERMAN, B. (2004). Amelioration
of underperforming soils. In: HITCHMOUGH, J. &
FIELDHOUSE, K. (eds), Plant User Handbook: A Guide
Botanic Garden Profile Inverewe: gardening on the edge | 35
to Effective Specifying. Blackwell Publishing, London,
pp. 47–62.
LYTE, B., WARREN, J., HAENRAETS, J. &
MITCHELL, D. (2008). Garden shelterbelts
– protecting yesterday’s gardens tomorrow.
Sibbaldia, 6: 181–188.
MACKENZIE, O. (1908). Gardening in the Western
Highlands. Journal of the Royal Horticultural
Society, 19: 47–53. Available online: www.
biodiversitylibrary.org/item/164172#page/9/
mode/1up (accessed June 2019).
NATIONAL TRUST FOR SCOTLAND (2013).
Biosecurity Guidelines. Internal documents BC04;
BC05; BC06; BC13; BC20. Gardens & Designed
Landscape Services of the National Trust for
Scotland, Edinburgh.
OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY (2019).
Definition of ‘garden’. Available online:
en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/garden
(accessed June 2019).
PLANT HERITAGE (2019). Search Inverewe
National Collections. Available online: www.nccpg.
com/National-Collections/Collection-Results.aspx?
keyword =inverewe&county=#search (accessed June
2019).
QUINNE, T. (2016). Final summary and
recommendations for scale control programme.
Inverewe Operational Report. National Trust for
Scotland, Inverewe.
RODWELL, J.S. (ED.) (1991). British Plant
Communities. Volume 1. Woodlands and scrub.
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
RÖHRIG, E. & ULRICH, B. (1991). Ecosystems of
The World. 7: Temperate deciduous forests. Elsevier,
Amsterdam.
SANSFORD, C.E., INMAN, A.J., BAKER, R., BRASIE,
C., FRANKEL, S., DE GRUYTER, J., HUSSON, C.,
KEHLENBECK, H., KESSEL, G., MORALEJO, E.,
STEEGHS, M., WEBBER, J. & WERRES, S. (2009).
Report on the risk of entry, establishment, spread
and socio-economic loss and environmental
impact and the appropriate level of management
for Phytophthora ramorum for the EU. Deliverable
Report 28. EU Sixth Framework Project RAPRA.
Available online: https://secure.fera.defra.gov.
uk/phiw/riskRegister/downloadExternalPra.
cfm?id=3802 (accessed June 2019).
SAWYER, M.T. (1953). Inverewe Guidebook.
National Trust for Scotland, Edinburgh.
SCOTLAND’S ENVIRONMENT (2019). Climate
trends. Available online: www.environment.gov.
scot/data/data-analysis/climate-trends (accessed
June 2019).
SJÖMAN, H., BUSSE NIELSEN, A., PAULEIT, S. &
OLSSON, M. (2010). Habitat studies identifying
potential trees for urban paved environments: a
case study from Qinling Mt., China. Arboriculture &
Urban Forestry, 36(6): 261–271.
STUDIO LR (2019). Inverewe: great experiences
get great results. Available online: blog.studiolr.
com/inverewe (accessed June 2019).
WALSH, S. (2016). PICTURES: Historic
Inverewe House opens doors to public for
first time after £2million restoration. Available
online: www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/
highlands/1015256/undefined-headline-1996
(accessed June 2019).
WILLIAMS, S.E., SHOO, L.P., ISAAC, J.L.,
HOFFMANN, A.A. & LANGHAM, G. (2008).
Towards an integrated framework for assessing the
vulnerability of species to climate change. PLoS
Biology, 6(12): 2621–2626.
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Published
2020-02-21
How to Cite
Frediani, K. (2020). Botanic Garden Profile Inverewe: gardening on the edge . Sibbaldia: The International Journal of Botanic Garden Horticulture, (18), 19–35. https://doi.org/10.24823/Sibbaldia.2020.286
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