The park looks beautiful this time of year, with the last flowers competing with elegant seedheads and lovely, tall grasses. It all comes together in this bed in particular:
It’s a great example of how the volunteers use what is already growing in the garden. The Gaura whirling butterflies you can see in these pictures were all taken from on big, plant growing by the house. In a few years they might get just as big.
Tucked into a quiet corner of the park, some of our volunteers have been hard at work creating a new space: Stan’s Woodland Garden.
The woodland garden is created in memory of Stan, who lived in the house at the centre of the garden for nearly 50 years and was a much loved friend of our gardening group.
This isn’t wild woodland in the traditional sense – it’s a woodland‑themed garden, carefully planted and tended.
It will become a place for children to learn and explore. We’re planning simple display boards, written in child‑friendly language, to help them spot: Woodland animals, little insects, and leaves, flowers and woodland plants.
We hope Stan’s Woodland Garden will spark their curiosity and love of nature too.
Whether you can visit in person or enjoy it through photos on our website, we hope you’ll join us in watching this special place grow, season by season, in memory of Stan.
There’s been lots to do to get the garden ready for autumn. We have been lucky to have some more experienced volunteers teaching others how to cut the roses to encourage stronger plants and maybe even some more autumn flowers.
The volunteers were also busy weeding the rose beds, an excellent opportunity to catch up and get to know some of our newer members.
The flowers and other beds were looking gorgeous in the late summer sunshine.
And finally we’ve had some tiny visitors to our flowers
This year’s Cherry Blossom Picnic will be held on Sunday 26th April, 2-4pm.
Bring your own picnic, refreshments available.
Activities include storytelling, face painting and calligraphy.
We look forward to seeing you to all there!
Thank you to all those that joined us for our Christmas Gathering on 30th November. Many wreaths were made and hot chocolates sipped, all whilst listening to the fabulous Edinburgh Brass Band. Together we raised an amazing £1685.48 which will go towards developing and maintaining the park over the next year.
In other news, we were delighted to recently be awarded the It’s Your Neighbourhood award 2025.
It’s Your Neighbourhood is an award managed by Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Royal Horticultural Society. The award is is designed for volunteer-led community groups which are cleaning and beautifying their neighbourhoods, whether through community allotments, after school wildlife clubs, school eco-groups, Friends of Park groups, or adopting pieces of derelict land.
Friends of Starbank Park won the award with a Level 5 – Outstanding and with a Certificate of Distinction.
Well done to all those involved for keeping the Park beautiful!
This Saturday the volunteer group had one final tidy before Christmas, clearing the beds of old leaves and spreading a thick layer of (our very own!) compost onto the beds to suppress weeds and improve the soil.
This hard work was followed by some well deserved mulled wine and mince pies.
From all of us at Starbank, we wish our Friends, volunteers, followers, and all those that enjoy the park, a very Merry Christmas.
We have not one but TWO events at the end of September! Please do join us for:
A Macmillon coffee morning on Saturday 27 September 10am-12pm
And our Doors Open Day on Sunday 28 September 12pm – 4pm
Doors Open Days is Scotland’s largest free festival that celebrates places and stories, new and old. Activities at Starbank will include:
No booking required. For further information please visit: https://www.doorsopendays.org.uk/regions/edinburgh/starbank-park-friends-of-starbank-park
Have you spotted the new planter in the Park yet? We’ve created a silver themed planter to recognise 25 years of Keep Scotland Beautiful!
The garden and flowers are looking lovely in the summer sunshine, so we thought we’d share some recent photographs with you all. Do pop along to see the summer blooms if you have a chance!
A big thank you to everyone who came and supported the Cherry Blossom Picnic last Sunday, and to Edinburgh Brass Band for providing wonderful music. The event was extremely successful, helped by the good weather! An incredible £2,020 was raised, which will go a long way towards enabling the Friends to continue their measures to enhance and develop the Park.
Potted Plants Workshop
10.00-11.30am Saturday 15th March
Join us at Starbank Park for tips and tricks for looking after your house plants.
Meet in front of Starbank House.
Tea and coffee will be available.
Wearing warm clothes is recommended.
