New Lanark World Heritage Site

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Roof Garden diary update – June 2012

Alium in the Roof Garden

Alium in the Roof Garden

June 2012 – The big purple spheres of the allium heads look stunning now, even when beaded with raindrops! They attract bees whenever the temperature rises. Chocolate-coloured leaves and tiny pink flowers adorn the black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) ‘Guincho Purple’. The flowers have red stems and are borne in flattened heads called cymes. Contrasting with these purples and pinks are the showy yellow blooms of flag iris (Iris pseudacorus) and the lemon foliage of the sedge, Carex flagellifera. Honeysuckle twines around the owl sculpture, the flowers just opening to perfume the cool evening air.
In flower in June – allium, chives, thyme, honeysuckle, black elder ‘Guincho Purple’, yellow flag iris, Deutzia, weeping brown sedge (Carex flagellifera), giant feather grass (Stipa gigantea).

Roof Garden diary update – May 2012

Blushing tulip close up on Roof Garden

Blushing tulip close up on Roof Garden

“In May the pleasant spray upsprings / In May the mirthful mavis sings”. These rhythmic lines from Alexander Scott’s joyful poem about May were written in Edinburgh in the 16th century, but could be describing New Lanark Roof Garden today! The hornbeam hedges are sporting fresh green leaves, the elder blossom is coming out, the woolly willow is covered in furry catkins and the tulips are blooming. From the surrounding countryside arise the notes of the mavis (song thrush) and other birdsong. The swallows are back, swooping low to catch insects in the valley. Also remember – our Midsummer on the Roof Garden Event takes place next month – visit www.newlanark.org for details.

In flower in May: Kerria Japonica, tulips ‘Spring Green’ and ‘Blushing Bride’, elder, winter creeper (Euonymus) ‘Emerald Gaiety’, woolly willow (Salix lanata).

Roof Garden diary update – April 2012

Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly

Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly

Winter may be back, but the soaring temperatures in the last week of March brought the first bumblebee and a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly into New Lanark Roof Garden. Luckily there was a stray dandelion flower to provide much-needed nectar! The shrubs are now unfurling new leaves and there are hints of blossom beginning. In the case of Pieris, the emerging foliage is an eye-catching red colour. Throughout April, different varieties of daffodil will be in bloom, e.g. ‘Doctor Hugh’, with clear white petals and a rich orange cup in the centre. The lovely Narcissus ‘Lemon Beauty’ is scented and its central cup is split and streaked with yellow. So, make a cheering Spring visit to New Lanark Roof Garden! Click here for details of all our events. In flower April 2012 – Kerria Japonica, Philadelphus coronarius ‘Aureus’ (Mock Orange), Daffodil varieties: ‘Lemon Beauty’, ‘Doctor Hugh’ and ‘Pueblo’.

Roof Garden diary update – March 2012

Daffodil on the Roof Garden

Daffodil on the Roof Garden

March 2012 -
Spring-flowering bulbs are always a welcome sight after winter. The snowdrops are already fading, but February’s mild weather brought the first daffodils (Narcissus) slightly earlier than last year. The sturdy ‘Rynvelds Early Sensation’ glows with vibrant yellow trumpets surrounded by paler creamy yellow petals. Different varieties will appear in the weeks ahead. This is also the best time to see the animal and bird sculptures around New Lanark Roof Garden before the vegetation grows up and conceals them. Made by local artists from recycled materials, all the sculptures represent creatures that live in the surrounding countryside, e.g. frogs, otters, owls, crows, badgers and hares. Come and see who will be hiding in New Lanark Roof Garden at Easter! Click here for details of our spring activities.
In flower in March – Daffodils

Top Award for New Lanark Mill Hotel

Some of the team from New Lanark Mill Hotel & New Lanark Trust

Some of the team from New Lanark Mill Hotel & New Lanark Trust

There were celebrations on Friday night (2nd March) when New Lanark Mill Hotel received top award in the Tourism and Leisure category at the Lanarkshire Business Excellence Awards 2012 ceremony.

These awards are hosted by North and South Lanarkshire Councils and recognise outstanding business achievements and success. This year saw record numbers of entrants making for strong competition in all the categories.

In the past year New Lanark Mill Hotel has gone from strength to strength having achieved a significant increase in turnover, occupancy and customer satisfaction. The hotel is one of the top listed hotels in the Lanarkshire area on the independent review website TripAdvisor.com.

John Stirrat, Hotel General Manager said:
“To receive such a prestigious award is truly fantastic. I am delighted to accept it on behalf of all the staff members who have contributed so much to the hotel’s success.”

The 38-bedroom hotel is set in stunning surroundings within a UNESCO World Heritage Site and facilities include a restaurant, health and fitness club, and banqueting and conference facilities. New Lanark Trust owns the hotel, and surpluses are used to help the continued restoration and conservation of the historic mill village.

Lorna Davidson, Director, New Lanark Trust said:
“The hotel’s performance in business terms is key to the ongoing development of this truly unique site. New Lanark attracts a significant number of visitors each year from all over the world, contributes to the local economy, and provides employment in this rural Lanarkshire area. This award is a great accolade for the hotel and New Lanark Trust. ”

Roof Garden diary update – Feb 2012

New Lanark Snowdrop

New Lanark Snowdrop

February 2012 – After the darkest days of winter, the first snowdrops are a welcome sight in New Lanark Roof Garden, quivering gently in the breeze beneath the hornbeam hedging. They usually last until March. The lovely evergreen, Mahonia x media ‘Charity’, has plenty of buds promising spikes of yellow flowers.

As spring approaches, photosynthesis will gather pace. It is the miraculous process by which green plants weave sunlight together with water and carbon dioxide to make the carbohydrates and starches that form the basic food supply for all living things. Scientists still do not fully understand how it works. In the BBC 4 television programme, ‘Botany: a Blooming History’, Timothy Walker explained that scientists are trying to mimic photosynthesis in the lab, with the aim of creating new kinds of clean fuels. The plant world is truly amazing – so visit New Lanark Roof Garden and be inspired!
In flower in February – Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis).

Video presentation by Prof. Chris Williams about Robert Owen

Professor Chris Williams, from Swansea University’s College of Arts and Humanities, speaks of his book, Robert Owen and His Legacy, co-authored with Professor Noel Thompson of Swansea University. Robert Owen (1771-1858), a radical thinker and humanitarian employer, made a major contribution to nineteenth-century social movements including co-operatives, trade unions and workers education. He was a pioneer of enlightened approaches to the education of children and an advocate of birth control. He established utopian communities in both the United Kingdom and the United States of America, and is often thought of as a leading early British socialist.
Short video presentation by Professor Chris Williams from Swansea University on the life and legacies of Robert Owen – click this link to view video.

Roof Garden diary update

Owl on the Roof Garden in winter

Owl on the Roof Garden in winter

The Met Office has just reported that 2011 was Scotland’s wettest year on record, although the spring was warm and dry. Too much rain and the soil becomes water-logged, cold and claggy. For the Mediterranean herbs – rosemary, oregano and thyme – in the troughs, these conditions are not good, but the native Yellow Flag iris (near the hares sculpture) enjoys damp meadows. A new year begins in New Lanark Roof Garden and we look forward to the first flowers, the snowdrops, next month. The seasons follow the same annual cycle, but any gardener will tell you that no two years are exactly alike. New Lanark Roof Garden Diary will be recording what happens! Meanwhile, while the plants are dormant, we are hoping for clear skies for our Stargazing Live Event on 21 January. Come and discover the marvels of the night sky – click here for details.

New Lanark Roof Garden in winter

New Lanark Roof garden in winter

Reindeer on the Roof Garden in winter

The robin is still around, feeding up to survive the winter and so that it will be fit to find a mate when Spring arrives. A magic spell has been cast over New Lanark Roof Garden this month! Some bright little reindeer have flown into the ‘Garden in the Sky’ and the roof garden elves have strung up tiny sparkling lights over the evergreen box balls and the yew hedging! The shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, is on 22 December, after which the light starts to return, imperceptibly at first. Eventually the increasing daylight and rising temperatures will stir the plant world back to life.

Visit to New Lanark by Thornlie Primary School

Leslie's card from Thornlie Primary School

Leslie's card from Thornlie Primary School

Primary 5/6 from Thornlie Primary School in Wishaw visited New Lanark Visitor Centre to learn about Robert Owen and working conditions in the mill village in the 19th Century. On their return, the entire school got involved, from primary 1 to primary 7, to present their ‘New Lanark Assembly’.
Topics ranged from toys and games in the past, the Rights of the child, dancing, seasons, and food, and a chat show between David Dale and Robert Owen, accompanied by humorous songs.
Leslie from New Lanark Visitor Centre was lucky to be their Tour Guide when they visited and was invited to the school as their guest at the ‘New Lanark Assembly’. Miss McMillan, who was full of enthusiasm, led the assembly, and Nathan, Chloe and Kali, compered it, providing a slick and effervescent presentation. Leslie was delighted to have been invited and said, “The assembly leaves me with lovely memories, and the flowers and card that they gave me are beautiful. It was an absolute pleasure to be their Guide when they visited and to see the whole school participating.” The photograph shows the front of the card Leslie received from the school.