Gateway to the Garden Celebrating John Hope The Wych Elm

Issue 37 | summer 2009

Gateway to the Garden A new chapter opens in RBGE's history

Celebrating John Hope An eminent Enlightenment scientist

The Wych Elm Scotland's forgotten native

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Contents

Foreword

Cover: With a lightness of touch, joints in the John Hope Gateway roof structure are articulated using slender connecting plates. Photo by Vlasta Jamnický.

An air of excited anticipation hangs over the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh as two significant building projects near completion. At Benmore the restoration of the ruined Victorian Fernery has given new life to this unique building lodged half way up a rocky gorge. Soon the work of planting and landscaping can begin and the Fernery will become a new focus of interest at Benmore: a jewel within the outstanding beauty of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, the John Hope Gateway is nearing completion and main contractor Xircon is overcoming the challenges of the current economic crisis to bring Edward Cullinan Architects’ stunning creation to fruition. In this issue of the Botanics you can read about John Hope and the difference that the iconic building, named in his honour, will make to you as a visitor to the Garden. At last, the Garden will have visitor facilities to match the quality of the plant collections, garden landscapes and fine historical buildings. The John Hope Gateway will also showcase environmental research and best practice from across Scotland, supporting the Scottish Government’s efforts to bring about a low-carbon economy. To show how botanic gardens contribute to tackling the great challenges of our times – biodiversity loss, climate change and, now, the quest for a sustainable economy – I have written a book entitled Gardening the Earth: Gateways to a Sustainable Future. It celebrates the prescience of such great Scots as Patrick Geddes, John Hope and John Muir whose wisdom and insights can guide our actions now and in the future. It places plants centre stage in the natural economy of our planet,

In this issue ... 4 Gateway to the Garden The new John Hope Gateway will allow visitors to discover for themselves the importance of plantlife

8 Celebrating Hope The influence of John Hope, Enlightenment physician, botanist and RBGE Regius Keeper 1761-1786

10 Scotland's forgotten tree The importance of Britain’s only native elm tree explored

11 A day in the life ... Of Dawyck's new Curator Graham Stewart

12 Conservation and the conifer A new project that is helping threatened species find a new home in Scotland

13 Spring events and exhibitions BISCOT – Scotland’s leading botanical art exhibition Susurrus – A cutting edge performance play comes to the Edinburgh Garden during the Festival Raffles’ Ark Redrawn – Natural history drawings made for Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles exhibited at Inverleith House

14 A £15.7 million thank you RBGE extends thanks to John Hope Gateway sponsors

15 A big help from the Small Projects Fund Funds raised by RBGE Members’ Committees are disbursed

Greenfingers A chocolate surprise: Cosmos atrosanguineus

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a Charity registered in Scotland (number SC007983) and is supported by the Scottish Government Rural and Environmental Research and Analysis Directorate. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5LR Tel: 0131 552 7171 Fax: 0131 248 2901 Web: www.rbge.org.uk Opinions expressed within the Botanics are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. All information correct at time of going to press. Enquiries regarding circulation of the Botanics should be addressed to Hamish Adamson.

Above: Professor Blackmore botanising on the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yulong Xueshan) in Yunnan Province, China.

as regulators and moderators of the global environment: a theme that will be echoed in the new Gateway exhibitions. And it argues for urgent action in the form of leadership from governments, matched by changes in the individual demands we make on the Earth’s resources. I have tried to paint an optimistic picture of a future in which the worst impacts of climate change can be averted and in which, by tending the global garden, we can raise the quality of life for all. Plants are, after all, the base of our food chain, the ultimate source of all that sustains us and the air conditioning system of our planet. But it is one thing to envisage such a future and quite another to bring it about. With your continued support and the continued investment of the Scottish Government, we will do our part.

Professor Stephen Blackmore Regius Keeper For more information about Professor Blackmore's book, Gardening the Earth: Gateways to a Sustainable Future, please visit www.rbge.org.uk/publications Editor Hamish Adamson Email: [email protected] Contributing Editor Anna Levin Email: [email protected] Designer Caroline Muir Email: [email protected] Printed by Potts, Northumberland Printed using vegetable-based inks and eco-friendly varnish under the control of an ISO:90001: 2000 Management System and FSC Chain of Custody Certification.

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News

A safe house for Scotland’s rare plants

Expert retires from life's work in lichenology

A new Scottish Plant House at the Edinburgh Garden’s Nursery was officially opened on 11 March by Colin Galbraith, Director of Scientific and Advisory Services with Scottish Natural Heritage. The Scottish Plant House is the result of collaboration with Scottish Natural Heritage, which in 2007 launched its Species Action Framework to monitor and identify Scottish plants, animals and fungi species that are vulnerable or endangered by climate change or changing land use. Work on three of the 32 plant species identified, including the woolly willow (above), is being undertaken at the Scottish Plant House, alongside 106 other Scottish species already under cultivation. The Scottish Plant House is not open to the public. It is a research facility which meets the requirements of the PlantNetwork Target 8 Project: practical horticulture for the conservation of the flora of Britain and Ireland.

After 35 years as the Lichen and Ascomycete Taxonomist at RBGE, Brian Coppins retired in April. Brian has authored over 140 scientific papers on lichens and related fungi, and is co-author of The Lichen Flora of Great Britain and Ireland (1992) and of the new, revised edition, now in press. Geographically, his interests focused on the British Isles and western Europe, but he has taken part in expeditions to the Far East, Borneo and Chile. Primarily a taxonomist, Brian has produced numerous reports for government agencies and nongovernmental organisations relating to biodiversity survey and monitoring. Brian is a past president of the British Lichen Society, and that society has bestowed upon him honorary membership and the Ursula Duncan Award in recognition of his contributions to lichenology.

Double success for RBGE students There were double celebrations for RGBE students at this year’s meeting of the British Ecological Society’s Tropical Ecology Group in Manchester. The meeting was attended by representatives from 17 UK and 3 overseas institutions, including the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Manchester, Edinburgh, as well as New York's Columbia University and Maseno University in Kenya.

Out of a competitive field, involving 20 student talks and 9 student posters, two RGBE representatives came away with the top prizes. Alex Twyford won his category with a talk entitled “Hybrid vigour and hybrid breakdown in Begonia section Gireoudia” and Jane Droop’s poster “Taxonomic studies in the genus Amomum Roxb. (Zingiberaceae) in Sumatra” was similarly successful. Congratulations to them both.

Photo: Helen Pugh.

Queen Mother's Memorial Garden celebrated A Souvenir Guide to the Queen Mother’s Memorial Garden at the Botanics in Edinburgh, was published in April. It was launched in the Garden by the Regius Keeper of RBGE, Stephen Blackmore and Head of Visitor Services Alan Bennell. The Guide was developed in collaboration with the Queen Mother’s Memorial Fund For Scotland and explores the Queen Mother’s long association with Scotland. It includes a map, a full explanation of the plantings and features of the Garden and a foreword by HRH Prince Charles, the Duke of Rothesay. Priced at £6, the full-colour, 24-page Souvenir Guide is available in the Shop at the Edinburgh Garden, the Rangers’ booths in the East and North Gates, and online at www.rbgeshop.org.uk

Ikebana at the Botanics Friday 10 to Sunday 12 July 2009 As part of this year’s Japan-UK 150 celebrations, 20 senior teachers from the renowned Ikebana (Japanese floral art) school Ikenobo will arrive at the Botanics – hosted by the Consulate General of Japan in Edinburgh. Using plant material from the collections in the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, they will compose a spectacular exhibition of Ikebana for display in the RBGE's recently restored Temperate Palm House and run demonstrations and workshops to show the skills and techniques of Ikebana.

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Main: Frozen in time: a preserved specimen of Killarney fern (Trichomanes speciosum), rapidly dried using the desiccant silica gel, for permanent display in the John Hope Gateway.

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Gateway to the Garden The new John Hope Gateway at the Garden’s former West Gate will allow visitors to discover for themselves the importance of plantlife, as Anna Levin reports. “The Garden has always responded to the needs of its time,” says Regius Keeper Stephen Blackmore. “We always find our relevance, with plants as our central purpose. RBGE began as a physic garden, due to the need to grow plants for modern medicine in Scotland. Then it became about discovery and documentation as new plants arrived from around the world. Now we happen to live on a planet that is undergoing unprecedented climate change, and we respond by asking what is needed of us now? What is it that we can deliver for our time?”

Photo: Eamonn McGoldrick.

RBGE has responded to the early 21st century with one of the most important developments in the organisation’s history: the creation of the John Hope Gateway. This combines the practical need for improved visitor facilities – shop, restaurant, toilets, exhibition and meeting space – with an opportunity to engage visitors in the work of RBGE and to explore the relevance of plants to the critical issues of our time. “It is really important for people to understand the link between plants and the planet, especially in relation to climate change and global warming,” says Professor Blackmore. “We tend to think about the consumption of fossil fuels but there is also a biological part of the problem, which is the progressive deforestation of the planet. “The Gateway will communicate that this is a living planet. Photosynthesis is at the base of virtually all food chains and environmental services, such as replenishing the air, building up the

Above: Plants are the basis of all life on Earth – this central message will be explored in the John Hope Gateway through exhibitions and events from RBGE and many partner organisations. Below left: The Gateway pioneers a new kind of education, providing a platform for visitors of all ages to experience the world of plants.

organic content of soils and making sure that water flows steadily off the land rather than in rapid floods. We need it to be a green planet. The central message of the Gateway is that plants are fundamental in creating a world that can support all life on this planet, including ourselves.” This ethos is embodied in the Gateway building itself, designed by Edward Cullinan Architects to showcase the latest developments in sustainable technology. To minimise the environmental impact local materials have been used wherever possible, such as the larch cladding around the building and the Caithness stone that forms the distinctive walls. A biomass boiler, which produces heat by burning specially prepared wood sourced from local estates, heats the whole building. Visitors can enter and leave the building from different points, and it


feels open to – and thus part of – the Garden around it. Natural light floods in from a glazed wall facing cascading pools of water, and from a large roof light made from the same material as the Eden Project’s biomes. Innovative engineering enables narrow columns to support the roof, allowing an expansive, open-plan layout on the ground floor, where the atmosphere is of space, and light and fluidity. This open space allows for great flexibility within the exhibition areas, which will host a wide-ranging, everchanging programme of displays, exhibitions and events. With diverse individual subjects, these will have an overall focus on the core themes of biodiversity, climate change and sustainability, explored through the work of the Garden and many other organisations. “Visitors to the Garden come back time and again, so much of the contents of the Gateway will

be constantly changing,” says Ian Edwards, RBGE’s Head of Interpretation and Exhibitions. “Separate areas are designated for permanent exhibitions, temporary exhibitions and events, but in practice these will appear seamless.”

"We are always looking for ways to demonstrate the beauty of nature." “The permanent exhibition will look like a wonderful hybrid between a traditional museum and a high-tech science centre, it will also involve art and be exquisitely beautiful,” promises Ian. “The beauty comes from nature itself and we are always looking for ways to demonstrate that beauty.” One such way is the creation of a family tree of plant orders, set out in more than 96 bell jars containing plant specimens. From mosses to

orchids, each plant has been individually preserved with an appropriate method to best display its form, colour and beauty. Surrounding displays showcase the work of RBGE in exhibits and films, with innovative explanations of how plants work and interactive areas to allow visitors of all ages to respond and contribute to the exhibition. The temporary exhibition space will continue the role of RBGE’s Exhibition Hall, with a seasonal programme mixing home-grown and visiting exhibitions. The Gateway opens with an exhibition on the Wych Elm, and future plans include a focus on fungi, Orkney and cocoa. Living plants, of course, will also feature in the Gateway, with changing displays showcasing the Garden’s rich collections. A fig (Ficus retusa ssp. nitida) takes centre stage in the exhibition area, chosen for its significance as a key-stone in many ecosystems and its rich cultural associations in societies around the world.


Photo: Eamonn McGoldrick.

In the Real Life Science studio, visitors will be able to engage with scientists from RBGE and partner organisations, using the mini lecture theatre, laboratory and demonstration kitchen. A video conferencing suite offers visitors live links to research projects around the world. “Visitors will not just be entertained, but will be able to contribute to the debate and discussion in the presence of real scientists,” says Ian. RBGE staff will be on hand to help visitors explore and explain the world of plants (in line with RBGE's mission statement) as will visiting scientists from the Garden’s many partner organisations. “Our Gateway partners include other research institutes, universities, and many non-governmental organisations that share common interest and concerns in these issues,” says Professor Blackmore. “We already work in partnership with many other

organisations and the Gateway will provide a more prominent platform for that process, offering visitors a much richer programme than we could do on our own.” “I see the Gateway as a theatre – a performance space which RBGE and other organisations can use for their communication, whether by speaking directly to visitors or through an exhibition,” says Professor Blackmore. “It is about a new style of education based on exploration and discovery. The planet is changing faster than ever before and we need to find new ways to go about our lives – but how will we discover new ways? The Gateway is about that process of discovery, we don’t have all the answers but we are providing a place for debate. How can the public have opinions on complex scientific issues without the opportunity for serious debate and engagement?”

Photos above: The design and construction of the new John Hope Gateway building embodies the ethos of the Garden, with innovative sustainable technology, local materials and natural light.

The opening of the John Hope Gateway is the start of a new chapter in RBGE’s history. “I think it’s one of the most significant things the Garden has ever done, because it engages with some of the biggest challenges facing humanity today. We chose the name ‘John Hope’ to remember this really important Regius Keeper who was an inspirational, leading light in Scottish society at a time of great development of thought and discovering new ways forward. Also, he has a wonderful name! We want to reflect that, there is no place for doom and gloom. We are facing the worst environmental challenges but we need to look them in the eye from a perspective of optimism and hope.”


Celebrating Hope The opening of the John Hope Gateway will shine a spotlight on John Hope – the physician and botanist who was Regius Keeper of the Garden from 1761 to 1786. Delving into the Garden’s archives has given Jane Corrie an insight into this modest yet remarkable man, as she tells Anna Levin. “John Hope was one of the most significant figures in the history of the Garden,” says RBGE Research Associate Jane Corrie. “He was important in the history of Edinburgh for his part in the Scottish Enlightenment – a period of tremendous change and great discussion. There was a passion to understand how the world worked, how things were connected and ordered. The ideas of a number of people who lived then still deeply affect how we live today.” Hope lived and worked at the heart of this dynamic scene. “John Hope was plugged in to the intellectual currents in Edinburgh at the time,” Jane explains. “Though he was modest, Hope was definitely a ‘clubbable’ personality. He belonged to a number of the drinking and dining societies that were popular at the time and was present at the founding of the influential ‘Select Society’, which

included the painter Allan Ramsay, and philosophers David Hume, and Adam Smith among its members.” Jane has spent more than three years exploring the treasure trove of the Garden’s archives and now feels better acquainted with John Hope as his story and personality have emerged from diverse records – garden accounts, personal letters, and notes from Hope’s medical practice and botanical teaching. “Documentary evidence from Hope’s work as a physician indicates that he always continued his work as a doctor in parallel with his botanical studies. He kept meticulous notes on everyone – even his wife, who is noted as having little wrong with her! You get a strong sense of Hope as a person from his letters to his private patients. The tone is very personal, and affectionate when dealing with children.”

In Hope’s time, the study of botany was still an important part of medical training. Hope was instrumental in moving RBGE to a new site on Leith Walk, and he considered the primary purpose of this garden as growing medicinal plants and displaying them in an ordered way for teaching purposes. “Hope was clearly a very great teacher,” Jane says. “We know this from the testimony of former students. He also made careful ongoing notes about his teaching practice, always looking for ways to improve to the very end of his career, Above: John Hope (left) with a gardener as portrayed by the caricaturist John Kay in 1785. Left: An influential teacher: number four in a series of four ink drawings by John Lindsay held in the RBGE archives, commissioned by Hope, and used as lecture diagrams to show Hope’s experiments on the effect of gravity on the growth of plants. Right: A watercolour illustration from the late 18th century of the Leith Walk Garden from the RBGE archives.


even though he must have given his lectures to medical students many times.” A number of Hope’s students went on to achieve great things in the then emerging science of botany. William Roxburgh, known as the ‘Father of Indian Botany’, joined the East India Company as a surgeon and went on to become Superintendent of the Calcutta Botanic Gardens. James Edward Smith purchased the library and herbarium of Linnaeus and founded the Londonbased Linnean Society. Archibald Menzies travelled extensively in North and South America and introduced many plants to Britain, including the monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana). Jane delves into the box folders in the archive room and brings out a copy of a letter to Hope from Menzies, writing from the conifer forests of Nova Scotia: “in this situation … the tears trinkled (sic) down my cheeks in gratitude to you sir who first taught me to enjoy those pleasures which providence has so conspicuously placed before my eyes …” There is a blot on the hand written page. “Was that possibly a tear?” asks Jane. “Communications of the time were often sentimental, but there is a real degree of affection here.” There is a thrill in handling actual documents, touching a tangible link with history. Jane brings out another folder containing a complete correspondence between Hope and his agent in London. “Hope wanted more money from the Treasury to subsidise the piping in of

a spring to the Garden,” Jane explains. “The letters show his diplomatic skills. Firstly he was careful to approach the titled mandarins of the Exchequer in the right order. He even tried to turn the American War of Independence to his advantage. He wrote, in 1783, that the American students who continued, despite hostilities, to study Botany in Edinburgh would: ‘... contribute in part to promote that friendly intercourse between the two countries.’" Among these archives are copies of nine letters from Hope to the Swedish botanist Linnaeus, discussing queries about the names of plants and exchanging plant material. “Linnaeus was a great inspiration to John Hope on many levels,” says Jane. “Through his teaching and correspondence Hope is thought to have been responsible for introducing Linnaeus’ ideas to the UK as a whole. There was a lot of resistance to these ideas, particularly to his sexual system of classification, not least by Hope’s predecessor at RBGE, Charles Alston.” Hope commissioned the monument to Linnaeus, which now stands behind the Glasshouses at RBGE. “It is a beautiful piece of statuary, said to have been created in the workshop of architect James Craig to a design by Robert Adam,” says Jane. “He also commissioned a tablet to his principal gardener John Williamson. It’s one of the touching things about Hope – he might have been better known today if he had had a fine memorial in Greyfriars Kirkyard where he is buried, but he didn’t have a memorial at all until a few years

John Hope was plugged in to the intellectual currents in Edinburgh.

Above: A monument commissioned by Hope in tribute to the great Swedish naturalist Linnaeus. The monument was first erected at the Leith Walk site in 1779 and is now situated behind the Glasshouses at the Edinburgh Garden.

ago. What he did instead was to instigate two fine memorials to other people. “I think he was very modest, which is why I think it wouldn’t have occurred to him to write his own memoir either. However, his life-long habit of careful record keeping has left RBGE with a rich archive, which we have only just begun to fully explore. One of my favourite documents is a sketch he made of his own desk, where one of the drawers is clearly labelled ‘barley sugar’. Were these supplies for his own delight or that of small visitors? It is a detail which connects us with the humanity of the eminent Enlightenment scientist we celebrate in the naming of our new Gateway.” For the last six months Jane’s research has been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, awarded to the Friends of Hopetoun Crescent Garden in relation to the Botanic Cottage Project.

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RBGE’s Head of Interpretation and Exhibitions, Ian Edwards, explains the continuing importance of Britain’s only native elm tree, and introduces an exhibition which celebrates its beauty and adaptability. Wych elm is probably not the first species to spring to mind when one is asked to name a typical Scottish tree. Yet research for the Wych Elm Project has revealed that wych elm (Ulmus glabra) has an important place within the ecological history of our country, and has been employed for a very wide variety of specialist uses, from coffin boards to medicines. We also discovered that some of the largest wych elms in Europe are now in Scotland, so it is truly deserving of its alternative common name the Scotch elm. The exhibition, book and film that form the Wych Elm Project will chart the natural and cultural history of wych elm in Scotland, from its return to northern Britain following the retreat of the last Ice Age up to the recent resurgence of interest in using the spectacularly grained wood in contemporary furniture. The first temporary exhibition to occupy the purpose-built space in the new John Hope Gateway will include pieces from 33 Scottish makers and artists, incorporating material from a 200-year-old wych elm felled in the Above and below: The RBGE wych elm before and after felling in June 2003. Right: Artist Kate Downie checking proofs of two copper plate etchings being developed in collaboration with Graal Press in Roslin as part of the Wych Elm Project and exhibition which will open in the new Gateway Building. A limited edition of 100 of each is being created and will be available for sale.

Scotland's forgotten tree Garden in 2003. An elite group of Scotland’s top craftsmen will showcase work from furniture to fishing rods and pottery to paper, demonstrating the tremendous versatility and rich cultural and utilitarian traditions that we associate with the wych elm. In addition a new, lavishly-illustrated book provides a catalogue to the exhibition and also a definitive guide to Scotland’s most over looked native tree. Written by experts in the field, it provides a fresh insight into the dynamic story of wych elm, with particular reference to Scotland. A new film commissioned from Circa Media celebrates the creativity originating from the project and the inspiration it offers for the future of the species in Scotland. Four local communities contributed to the Wych Elm Project, resulting in four distinctive ways of celebrating wych elm. Music, poetry, creative writing, animation and storytelling were all combined with the development of practical projects, including making musical instruments and a wych elm yurt. As well as learning new skills by working alongside some of Scotland’s

top makers and artists, participants grew in confidence and self-esteem with many discovering latent talents. The Wych Elm Project exhibition will run from August until December 2009 in the John Hope Gallery. Meanwhile you can see portfolios of the crafts-people taking part, background to the project and find out more about the community aspects on the dedicated website www.wychelmproject.org A full series of related events is planned to accompany the exhibition and the book Wych Elm will be available priced at £20 paperback/£25 hardback.

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A day in the life… Dawyck’s new Curator, Graham Stewart, tells Fay Young about his role in managing this awe inspiring arboretum in the Borders. The day starts early. By 7.30 am Graham Stewart is at his desk in a quiet office at the back of Dawyck’s new Visitor Centre. Through the window a view of the Garden beckons. If there is nothing urgent in the morning’s email, he aims to get out there as soon as he can. After a long, cold winter the growing season is racing up the hillside. Suddenly there is grass to cut and weeds to clear. Long before visitors arrive at 10 am, Graham and his team are out spraying weeds, raking gravel, mowing grass paths or mulching beds while spring bombards the ground with blossom. Spring this year has special significance for Graham, who has just taken over as Curator. David Knott, Dawyck’s Curator for the past 16 years, has taken up the post of Outdoor Curator at the Edinburgh Garden. With the new Visitor Centre already attracting more people, Dawyck is gearing up for a visiting season which could bring record numbers to Scotland’s first (and so far only) five star garden. On top of that, his first baby is due practically any minute now. One of the calls reminds him the local MSP, Christine Grahame, is coming to experience a day in the Garden for herself, planting Abies mariesii as part of the International Conifer Conservation Programme. For the Curator, the diary is less clear-cut. Essential administration duties and management meetings compete with urgent jobs outside and day-to-day maintenance jostles with preparations for next year. Left: Graham on the Dutch Bridge at Dawyck Botanic Garden. Below: Himalayan blue poppies (Meconopsis 'Slieve Donard') create pools of deep blue in late spring and early summer at Dawyck Botanic Garden.

Each day’s work is mapped out with Mark McKenzie, Dawyck’s Senior Horticulturist. Whatever else is in the diary, Graham tries to take a daily walk in the Garden, notebook in hand, spotting where paths need repair or where there’s space for new planting. At present a team of four (counting the Curator) manage this remarkable 60 acre (24 ha) woodland garden with maybe eight miles of paths weaving upwards through some of the oldest and finest trees in Scotland and a new legacy of wild- origin plants. Heavy machinery and labour-saving strategies help keep work focused where it is needed most. Even so, grass paths are cut every week and though meadows are mowed just once a year (to the delight of multiplying wildflowers) this is still a huge two-month task. Today’s walk takes us up Scrape Glen past budding daffodils to Rhododendron

Walk and back along Beech Walk where old stumps are being removed to make way for new trees. The Curator must always look ahead: Meconopsis at his feet but a new border in his mind’s eye. It is almost 13 years since Graham arrived at Dawyck via Logan Botanic Garden in Galloway and, before that, Dundee District Council where he was a technical assistant, designing carpet bedding schemes and managing street trees. Trees attracted him to Dawyck and he can measure his time here in the growth of a young sequoia outside his office window. Newly planted when he arrived, the tree now towers above him but has hundreds, maybe even thousands, of years to go. “I always think my time here is only a snapshot,” he says, “We’ve got to have a vision for the future.” A week after this interview Graham and his wife Jayne had a baby daughter, Chloe Anne. Our very best wishes to all three.

The Curator must always look ahead.


Conservation and the conifer Tom Christian, an RBGE Horticulture Technician, explains how a new project is helping threatened species to find a new home in Scotland. Over the past 15 months, staff from RBGE’s International Conifer Conservation Programme have been involved in the establishment of a new conservation project based in Perthshire: the Perthshire Big Tree Country’s ‘iCONic Project’ (Internationally threatened CONifers In our Care). iCONic is a new collaboration between RBGE, Forestry Commission Scotland, and the Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust. Building on the success of the Perthshire Big Tree Country initiative, iCONic is set to establish the next generation of conifers in the forests, gardens and estates of Perthshire, with over 5,000 trees expected to be planted in the project’s 12-year lifespan. As well as following in the footsteps of the famous Perthshire plant-hunters and tree planters, such as David Douglas and the ‘planting’ Dukes of Atholl, iCONic is driven by a conservation remit in response to the threats facing the Earth’s biodiversity.

Of the world’s 600 or so known conifer species, almost half are threatened in their native habitats. As a result all the plants grown by iCONic will be of known wild origin and will form part of RBGE’s wider living plant collection, with all details, including provenance, propagation records and growth rates stored on RBGE’s database. Many of the plants will find homes as specimen trees in the wealth of gardens, arboreta, parks and forest walks to be found throughout Perthshire. At the same time, iCONic offers a new opportunity to create larger plantings, which will typically feature around 50 individuals of a single species in a ‘conservation planting’. As the project develops, seedcollecting expeditions will be made to areas of the world known for their diversity of conifers, such as western North America. Meanwhile young plants are being grown on in the RBGE

Nursery, including plants from Chile, Turkey, Spain, Japan and the US. So far a number of specimen trees have been planted at sites throughout Perthshire, using young plants gifted from RBGE’s collections and those of Bedgebury National Pinetum. The first conservation planting is set to be established on the outskirts of Perth this spring, with several more to follow in the autumn. Ultimately, the plant collections that make up iCONic will act as an important living resource for scientific study, as well as a living ‘gene bank’ that can be drawn upon in forest restoration projects worldwide. Equally, they will provide Perthshire with a new generation of iconic trees, ensuring that the remarkable landscapes we take for granted will be around in another hundred years' time. To find out more about the work of the iCONic Project please visit www.perthshirebigtreecountry.co.uk/iconic

Above: A pine cone shelter in Craigvinean Forest, part of the Tay Forest Park. Image: Courtesy of Ronnie Weir. Below: Safeguarding the future – a seedling of the critically endangered conifer, Torreya taxifolia, is planted at Cluny House Gardens. Image: Courtesy of Wendy Mattingley.

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Botanical Images Scotia Beautiful artwork from Botanical Images Scotia (BISCOT) will be on display this summer at Gardening Scotland and RBGE’s Exhibition Hall. BISCOT is the annual showcase of top contemporary botanical art from home and abroad, founded by RBGE and the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society to provide a convenient platform for botanical artists and illustrators in Scotland and the North of England. Though based in Scotland, the exhibition attracts an international response. This year’s exhibits include work by Bruce Wilson from the US and paintings by Isik Güner, Gülnur Eksi and Hülya Korkmaz, Turkish artists currently based at RBGE to work on Chilean plants. Botanical Images Scotia will be at Gardening Scotland from Fri 29 to Sun 31 May 2009, then in the Exhibition Hall at RBGE from Tues 2 to Tues 16 June. For further information see

Illustration: Isık Güner.

Raffles’ Ark Redrawn The exhibition of colourful drawings of birds, mammals and plants made for Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles on the island of Sumatra in 1824 continues at Inverleith House until 5 July. The full-colour, 180-page catalogue of the exhibition, written by RBGE’s Henry Noltie, is on sale during the run of the exhibition at the reduced price of £15 (£5 off RRP).

www.royalcaledonianhorticulturalsociety.org

Susurrus by David Leddy The Scotsman on Susurrus ★★★★ "a magical blend of sorrow, anger, compassion, excellent writing and magnificent music". The Guardian on Susurrus ★★★★ "The brilliance of David Leddy’s Susurrus". Susurrus is a play without actors, without a stage and with only one person in the audience. It’s part radio play, part avantgarde sonic art, part botany lesson and part stroll in the park. Susurrus debuted in 2007 at the Botanic Gardens in Glasgow and played to sell-out crowds. In 2009 Susurrus is being presented as part of the British Council Showcase in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In this version, specifically adapted for RBGE, visitors follow a map around the lesser-known nooks and crannies of the Garden as they listen to headphones that can be collected from the Box Office at the John Hope Gateway. Like a radio tuning in and out of different wavelengths, we hear anonymous speakers tell stories about botany, opera and memorial

Susurrus 2009. © David Leddy Photography/Alan Miller Design.

benches. As time goes on, their anecdotes fit together into a mournful and poignant story of love and loss. Susurrus runs daily from 4 August to 6 September at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Tours every 30 minutes from 10 am to 5 pm. Tickets will be available from June via the Assembly Box Office on 0131 623 3030 (www.assemblyfestival.com) or via the Fringe Box Office. Susurrus is not suitable for under 14s. Further details of the show can also be found at www.davidleddy.com


An artist’s impression of The Gateway in the landscape of the Edinburgh Garden. Illustration: Richard Carman.

A £15.7 million thank you As the John Hope Gateway approaches its official opening, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh would like to extend its sincere thanks to everyone who has supported this project. Because there has been such generous support from so many people, it is impossible to list here everyone who has contributed to the development. We are hugely grateful for every donation received – together they have all ensured that the funding target was reached and that the project could happen. Particular thanks, however, must go to the following: Mrs ABC Campbell Charitable Trust

Nicola Ferguson

Deborah & Paul Nicholson

Adam & Company Group plc

Francis Finlay

David & Liz Nicolson

Henry Angest

Mrs JMF Fraser’s Charitable Trust

The Tam O’Shanter Trust

Agnes Barr

Friends of RBGE (Members’ Appeal & Small Projects Fund)

Prestige Sodexho Royal Bank of Scotland plc

The Gannochy Trust

The Russell Trust

The Garfield Weston Foundation

Heather Salzen

Gavin & Kate Gemmell

Bill & Jackie Samuel

Matthew & Margaret Goodwin

Dr Walter Scott

J Malcolm Gourlay

Scottish & Newcastle plc

Heritage Lottery Fund Johnstone Press plc

Scottish Government Biomass Support Scheme

Rhona Callander

The Kennedy Charitable Trust

Scottish Government, RERAD

John & Clare Carson

The Irene Macdonald Charitable Trust

Scottish Natural Heritage

The Charles Hayward Foundation

Cameron McLatchie

Robert & Alison Smith

Angela Chisholm

The MacRobert Trust

The Stevenston Charitable Trust

Stewart & Janie Clark

George & Sheila Mathewson

Ian & Flora Sword

The Dunard Fund

Jean Matterson

Derek A White

Energy Saving Trust

James & Iris Miller

The Wolfson Foundation

Ray & Barbara Entwistle

Keith & Lee Miller

Fay Young & Ray Perman

Biffaward The Best Trust The Binks Trust Ewan & Christine Brown I & H Brown Limited Colin & Sue Buchan Richard & Catherine Burns

T H E B O TA N I C S S u m m e r 2 0 0 9 | 1 5

A big help from the Small Projects Fund RBGE Members support a wide range of specific projects at the Garden through the Small Projects Fund, which distributes money raised by the local Members’ Committees. Nearly £30,000 was raised this year and the fund was disbursed to 12 projects, including student bursaries, DNA sequencing and the development of Logan’s Tasmanian Creek. Among the recipients was a project to publish a tree identification guide to help conserve and rehabilitate the dry forests of Peru (below). These forests are extremely endangered, with less than 5% of the original extent remaining. Conservationists urgently need to complete biodiversity inventories in order to assess which areas of dry forest should be prioritised for protection. This task is currently very difficult as there are no identification guides to the plants. This book, written by José Luis Marcelo (Peru) and Toby Pennington (RBGE), will fill this gap and will make a real difference to the protection of the last fragments of tropical dry forests in Peru. Closer to home, RBGE’s Photographic Department has been awarded funds to digitise and database its important collection of 1,500 transparency images of Scottish native plants. This will help to create an image library of Scotland’s own plantlife, which can be easily searched and used by RBGE staff for scientific research and publications. It will also improve the quality of the provision of images of Scottish native plants to external agencies.

Greenfingers Garden Supervisor Pete Brownless introduces a chocolate surprise. Cosmos atrosanguineus, known as the chocolate cosmos, is an example of a horticultural phenomenon – a plant saved from the brink of extinction by keen gardeners. It was first discovered in its native Mexico in the 1860s but is now regarded as extinct in the wild. The species was last introduced into cultivation in 1902 as Bidens atrosanguinea and it is this single clone that is widely cultivated today. Its scent of vanilla and cocoa is very attractive to butterflies, night-flying moths and chocoholic humans alike. And its flowers, produced in profusion from June to September, make good cut flowers. The chocolate cosmos is a half-hardy perennial in our climate and starts to grow in late April, requiring partial or full sun. It makes a superb container plant, growing to 90 cm tall and about 45 cm wide. If grown in a container, the tuber has to be dug up and stored in a frost-free place over the winter. In mild gardens, it may be planted at least 15 cm deep and left in the ground covered with a heavy mulch. But beware, squirrels love these tubers – perhaps they taste of chocolate too. It needs feeding well to keep the plants growing strongly. Due to the plant’s status as a single clone, the flowers are not fertilised when insects visit and so no viable seed is produced. But the tubers can be divided like those of a dahlia. Take cuttings early in the season to ensure flowers are produced

and a tuber is formed ready to over-winter. Many commercially available plants are produced by tissue culture. This technique was developed in the 1990s to help with reintroduction efforts in Mexico, and is the reason that we are able to grow this plant commercially. The chocolate cosmos can be seen – and smelt – in the Palm House and in the Glasshouse Borders, and is popular with chocoholic visitors young and old. The plant will also be included in our stunning Biodiversity Garden, which will be a snapshot of the world’s garden plants – all with exciting stories to tell. Illustration: Curtis's Botanical Magazine. Vol 87, 1861 plate 5227 as Cosmos diversifolius var. atro-sangineus.


Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh WAY ATE 9 PE G ER 200 O H M N JOH SUM NEWPENING O

Become a Friend of the Botanics

Open daily (except 25 December and 1 January) Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR Tel: 0131 552 7171 Email: [email protected] Admission to the Garden is free; charge applies to the Glasshouses.

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Benmore Botanic Garden 009 d fernery2 summer restore opening

and help us to explore and explain the world of plants Enjoy ... n Special members’ events n Free entry n Discounts in shop and café n Volunteer opportunities n Free Botanics magazine To join by phone or for further information, please contact the Membership Office on 0131 552 5339 or email [email protected] or visit www.rbge.org.uk/support-us to join.

Open daily 1 March to 31 October Dunoon, Argyll, PA23 8QU Tel: 01369 706261 Email: [email protected] Admission charge applies.

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Logan Botanic Garden

Help us secure the Garden’s future by leaving a legacy or making a donation To leave a legacy, make a donation or for further information, please contact the Development Office on 0131 248 2821 or email [email protected]

Lynsey Wilson, RBGE.

Open Sundays only in February Open daily 1 March to 31 October Port Logan, Dumfries and Galloway, DG9 9ND Tel: 01776 860231 Email: [email protected] Admission charge applies.

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Dawyck Botanic Garden

Botanics Shop

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Edinburgh • Benmore • Logan • Dawyck

Gifts • Stationery • Books • Plants Gardening products and more Stobo, Scottish Borders, EH45 9JU Tel: 01721 760254 Email: [email protected] Admission charge applies.

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For further information about the Gardens visit

Help the Garden grow. All proceeds from the Botanics Shop support the work of the RBGE. The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a Charity registered in Scotland (No SC007983).

www.rbge.org.uk For a What’s On guide, contact Hamish Adamson Tel: 0131 248 2991 Email: [email protected]

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Sign up for our e-newsletter at www.rbge.org.uk/e-news

Robert Unwin, RBGE.

Open daily 1 February to 30 November