April in the Lodge Gardens
In April the tulips take centre stage! As you enter the lodge through the large double gates leading from Quality Street, behind you is the magnificent tulip display at the war memorial. This area is designed and planted by East Lothian Council Amenity Team. The head of the Amenity team has advice for the best tulip display- make sure you look plant the bulbs deeply so they can grow from a strong base. More tulips can be found in the lodge, just inside the arch entrance, in the formal gardens.
NBiB runs an annual tulip festival and over the years we have planted a wide range of tulips and images of these can be found on a another dedicated page.
Walking up through the formal gardens into the main green field of the lodge there are many areas that are left wild to encourage wild life. Cows and sheep used to graze on these fields but now they are home to smaller animals including rabbits. This is part of the ELC diversity network, with grass allowed to grow long in order to encourage wild flowers such as campion, dandelions, and wild garlic as well as nettles which provide food for caterpillars and seeds for birds. Around the perimeter path there are several information boards detailing the wildlife that might be seen. At the north east corner of the Lodge there is a huge compost heap which acts as a giant insect hotel. All of the plants growing in the lodge stay in the lodge. If trees fall over they are left to decompose on the ground, forming even more diverse habitats for invertebrates and fungi and adding to the wonderful complexity of habitats to explore.