The memorial poppy and wild flower meadow on the glasshouse lawn at RBGE has inspired many visitors to contemplate the bravery and sacrifice of men and women involved…
In the Autumn of 1914, George Forrest was travelling in China. His letters written at the time mention the difficulties he was facing in getting permission to…
I have a problem in my house, its botanical name is Cucurbita pepo a.k.a. courgettes. Most sensible gardeners advise that you don’t need more than 3 plants. However…
George Cruickshanks Fallow was born to Archibald (a grocer and fruit grower) and Margaret (by 1914 a postmistress) in Rosebank near Dalserf, Lanarkshire on the 5th November 1890. …
In recent weeks we’ve seen fantastic progress being made on rebuilding the Botanic Cottage. The final slates are going onto the roof this week, and the pan-tiles are…
One of the difficulties with studying the wild ancestors of domesticated food plants is knowing if plants are truely wild? Domesticated plants will generally inter-breed quite happily with…
William G. Dickson joined the staff of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh as a Labourer on the 3rd August 1914, the day before Great Britain declared War on…
Under a glorious canopy of blossom I find the Stirling’s automatic air pollution monitoring station, (part of the Automatic Urban & Rural Network). A rather battered looking station,…
Duncan Smith began work at RBGE as a probationer or trainee gardener on the 4th January 1909 at the age of 24, receiving training and work experience in…
An internet search for Sutherland kale produces quite a lot of hits. This leafy brassica seems to be a bit of a sensation among foody types looking for…
This week sees another milestone in the rebuilding of the Botanic Cottage, with the completion of work on building the stone walls. When the chimney pots are added,…
In researching this series of centenary blogs in which I research each of our former staff members who enlisted during the First World War and are named on our…