Author: Amy McDonaldPage 1 of 2
On 28 November 2013, the RBGE hosted a public closing event for the Walking With Poets project – a special collaboration with the Scottish Poetry Library. The project,…
Jean Atkin has now taken up residence at Logan Botanic Garden! Check out www.walkingwithpoets.com to see her blogs and photos. She’s also got a wonderful range of events…
By gardenpoets A final morning stroll in the garden, before the crowds arrive for the day. My time as resident poet in Edinburgh is over. It has been…
By gardenpoets Today we reached the end of the alphabet, with a poetry reading in the Queen Mother’s memorial pavilion (see here). It is a surreal little building,…
By gardenpoets Here is the renga we wrote at the Botanics. Thanks to Colin Will for being the master, and to all the poeticipants! Everything new A 20-verse…
By gardenpoets Renga is an ancient Japanese way of writing poetry together. Like many of the trees I have been studying in the past few weeks, it is…
By gardenpoets Today’s ‘tree’ is heather. We drank heather ale last night, and read the legend of the little people of Scotland who kept it secret for so…
By gardenpoets My day had three parts. The first was in the Scottish poetry library, the great treasure trove. I returned with a bag of goodies – five…
By gardenpoets ‘The best part of happiness is the pines.’ So said Terri Guillemets. The best part of today were the pines too, and their relatives. We walked…
By gardenpoets Today I met with Alex Davey, a very helpful guide into the deep time of trees. As well as a reading list, she has pointed me…
By gardenpoets I began the day with close study of the Gunneras, giant rhubarbs with bad attitude. They look as if a pterodactyl could swoop down and perch…
By gardenpoets Today’s tree alphabet species is that great tree hugger, ivy. Spurred on by the news that a new world record for tree hugging was set yesterday…
By gardenpoets Not all of the letters in the Gaelic tree alphabet are trees! Today’s letter, M, stands for Muin, which is often translated from the old Gaelic…
It was another glorious day in the Botanics, and the tree of the day was alder. It likes its feet wet, and there is a lovely circle of them around the pond between the edible gardening polytunnel and the wood where the fairies live. I spent the afternoon there, reading poems about alders to people who sought me out by following the signs, and also to unsuspecting passers by.
By gardenpoets Rowan is my favourite tree, with its boudoir perfume and generous portions of berries for the birds. It will protect you from evil spirits and its berries…
By gardenpoets What a glorious day to start my residency in the beautiful Edinburgh Botanics! I was there before the gates opened, and left as ‘closing time’ was…
By Frances Hendron, Scottish Poetry Library Benmore’s poet in residence, Sue Butler has returned home. I drove her to the train and as we drove via the Dunoon…
By gardenpoets Thanks to Frances, pictured here in the lovely kitchen of my beautiful flat for the next month in Edinburgh, I am now officially a poet in…
By gardenpoets Well, I woke up Sunday morning With no way to hold my head that didn’t hurt. And the chocolate cupcake I had for breakfast wasn’t bad,…
By gardenpoets On my last full day in Benmore Botanic Garden I would like to acknowledge all the people who have taken the time to tell me their…