A tropical garden?.....

......……no, our friends allotment in Bridge of Allan.
Two  cotton  thistles, or Scottish thistles, guard their entrance..
These stand at  7ft.6 inches  ( 2.3 metres) high. Craig ( see extra) produced a tape measure and checked their height.
I thought they were the Royal thistle , the national emblem of Scotland , but no, our friends who are  gardening aficionados,   quickly corrected us.
 
Their allotment is always a joy to visit ,  with every inch under cultivation either for fruit or vegetables and awkward spaces are used for flowers.
 
What impresses me most is that it’s all grown from seed. No popping along to the local gardening centre for them.