Notes from the Cruickshank Botanic Garden

[Cruickshank Friend]

Delighted to share the latest  notes from the CBG from David Atkinson.....

Cruickshank notes Autumn 2018

Now westling winds have brought autumn’s pleasant weather and hopefully the weary farmers are being delighted by the waving grain wide o’er the plain. It is certainly still pleasantly warm though there’s an autumnal coolth in the morning and local inhabitants of frost hollows have scraped their windscreens once already. For those of us who enjoy heat and for many plants, it has been a remarkably pleasant hot summer albeit with somewhat less rainfall than is ideal. In many gardens lawns stopped growing for a month or so with those in south facing free-draining situations turning to yellow straw. Trees and shrubs in particular that had been planted this spring, suffered from the drought and some unfortunately will suffer no more.

Warm though it has been, it has still not been warm enough to induce flowering let alone fruiting of the kiwi fruit vine, Actinidia chinensis which is scrambling energetically over the rhododendrons in the bed on the left as you come into the Cruickshank Garden from the Chanonry. This plant, introduced by Chinese Wilson from, unsurprisingly, China, is a very vigorous climber with hairy reddish shoots and large heart-shaped leaves reaching heights of 5 metres or more even in Aberdeen; a striking climber for an exotic jungle look.

The white berried rowan, Sorbus forestii, in this same bed is carrying a good crop of small white berries among its elegant pinnate foliage. This is an excellent small garden tree, more compact than its larger white-berried cousin, Sorbus cashmeriana, which is clinging to life  a mere 20m away in the paved area in front of the Cruickshank building. The warm weather has helped produced a good crop of tasty small blueberry-like berries on the Amelanchier alnifolia , the Shadbush or Saskatoon, in the first of the former peat beds near this last rowan; a medium-sized shrub, this is a very hardy, attractive, spring flowerer thriving in any reasonably moist soil with the bonus of tasty fruit.

Round the corner in the bed by the back of the Cruickshank building, an attractive lacecap hydrangea, H. aspera, is in full flower, with heads of delicately coloured lilac-blue flowers surrounded by pale pink sterile ray florets. There are a number of specimens of this Himalayan species in the garden, hardy and thriving in a sheltered woodland situation where the wind doesn’t spoil its large rough-textured leaves.

On the left of the path to the weeping elm, the pods on the excellent tall pinnate-leaved shrub, Decaisnea fargesii, are slowly turning to their unlikely shade of blue, advertising their beans which nestle in the pods in allegedly edible clear jelly. Said weeping elm is unfortunately faring less well; the Dutch Elm disease which stalks Aberdeen, and caused the demise of the specimen by the pond has inevitably struck and this important focal point in the garden is past saving. In the nearby shrub border the American hawthorn, Crataegus succulenta with large red berries, looks dry and unhappy, while its next door neighbour, a sulky Gingko biloba, the maidenhair tree, which ought to relish hot weather, looks no more cheerful than usual.
However further down the border the tall South American evergreen, Eucryphia x nymansensis ‘Nymansay’ is wreathed in large white many-stamened flowers. Eucryphias are cited in Hillier’s manual as suitable for north and east facing walls, however, while this may apply in Winchester, they need a good sunny situation to flourish and flower in our northern latitudes. In the area between the shrub border and the rose garden the large and wide-spreading Chinese tree, Tetradium daniellii is already  carrying corymbs of white, allegedly pungently-scented flowers, though its normally very elegant long pinnate leaves are much reduced, hopefully from a lack of water rather than any other darker cause.

It is a good year for berries, drupes, pomes and indeed all many of fruiting bodies and the Scotch and species roses at the southern end of the rose garden are a hippy delight.

In the sunken garden the dangling bright red plum-like fruits of Podophyllum  (now properly Sinopodophyllum ) hexandrum  catch the eye as does  the true blue of the willow gentian flowers, G. asclepiadea along the length of its arching stems. In a sunny spot on the north side flowering stems of the South African endemic Eucomis comosa, the aptly named ‘Pineapple lily’ relish a sheltered well-drained niche and bring a tropical touch to the scene. The herbaceous border was and hopefully is still very full of floral delight, invisibly supported by the new netting. The various colour forms of Eupatorium maculatum, Joe Pye weed still looking good as do the many varieties of Phlox paniculata, including the striking purple ‘Le Mahdi’, one of my favourites.  Admire too the architectural cardoon, Cynara cardunculus, as illustrated by Hazel Carnegie. The cardoons are selectively bred forms of the same species as the globe artichoke, but while the flower buds can be eaten much as small (and spiny) artichokes, more often the stems are eaten after being braised in cooking liquid. Only the innermost, white stalks are considered edible, and cardoons are therefore usually prepared for sale by protecting the leaf stalks from the sunlight for several weeks. This was traditionally done by burying the plant underground, thus, cardoon plantations in Spain are often formed by characteristic earth mounds surrounding each plant, the earth covering the stalks. In modern cultivation, the plant is usually instead wrapped in black plastic film or other opaque material. Late-comers like the Japanese anemones are also adding their fresh flowers to the display.

On the warm south-facing wall a second vigorous climber from mountainous regions of Japan and Korea, the crimson glory vine, Vitis coignetiae, is scrambling over all the sickly embothrium, Colutea x media with its inflated seed pods and even the nearby wisteria. This vine with attractive red coloured leaves, particularly in poorish soils can easily reach 20 metres or more up trees and smoother lesser plants. A striking Crinum cultivar with persil-white flowers is thriving under the shade of the big pine and the soft pink of self-sown soapwort, Saponaria officinalis softens the edges of the paving.

And so to the rock garden, where the tail-end of summer is still around as autumn creeps on; so the last of the Angel’s fishing rods, Dierama pendulum, share the picture with fresh patches of the charming Cyclamen hederifolium and another fine specimen of Hydrangea aspera is cool and fresh under the developing fruits of Magnolia wilsonii.

So mists and mellow fruitfulness lie before as do hundredweights of ripening apples – cider anyone!

David Atkinson

[Cruickshank Friend]

FCBG plant sale coming up..... Saturday 27th October  10.30am - 12noon

[Cruickshank Friend]

 Garden Notes  from  David  Atkinson

Cruickshank Notes Summer 2019

Last summer was but a fond memory as I splashed through the Chanonry gates into the Cruickshank garden on a wet, cold dreich Thursday in ‘flaming’ June, with full waterproofs and an umbrella to keep the rain off my notepad. Whilst overall the rain was much needed, in a well-ordered world it would fall overnight, starting a little later at the weekend in case there had been prolonged festivities.

The effects of last summer’s dryness and sunshine, both positive and negative have been evident this year. On the positive side the sun-ripened wood on many trees and shrubs has produced a magnificent display. Lilacs, often desultory up here have been spectacular, hardy hybrid rhododendrons have carried many a sumptuous truss and the pocket-handkerchief tree, Davidia involucrata, in a garden I tend, was bedecked with its large white bracts. On the downside some other rhododendrons, if not completely killed, are showing the stress of the conditions in smaller leaves and dead branches. A significant number of rowans are also a lot less ‘foliaged’ than I would normally expect.

Hawthorns both native and exotic have also flowered magnificently in hedgerows and gardens hereabouts and the specimen in front of the Auris building is carrying a large crop of ripening haws. On the opposite side of the road in the bed by the new sunny bench in front of the Cruickshank Building several small specimens of Cistus laurifolius are starting to flower. This plant, of which a number of large specimens thrived for many years in the nearby bed now occupied by a sundial, according to both Hillier’s manual and my experience is the hardiest of the species, doing well even inland in sunny well-drained poorish soils. Just past this on the left, the recently planted black mulberry, Morus nigra, is doing well and will soon be worth a visit on a cold and frosty morning.

The beds of deciduous azaleas to the south of the herbaceous border, are a mass of orange, yellow, and pink and even on a very grey day the peeling cinnamon bark of the paperbark maple, Acer griseum, close by, gives an illusion of warmth. The floriferous theme will be continued by the nearby beds of that hardy stalwart of shrub borders, Deutzia spp., their arching branches wreathed in pink flowers. The thriving specimen Decaisnea fargesii by the path leading to the sadly deceased weeping elm, has many dangling racemes of greeny-yellow flowers leading hopefully to a fine crop of long electric-blue seed pods in autumn. Unfortunately the witchhazel, Hammamelis japonica, just behind it is almost completely dead, another drought victim I would think.

The Japanese umbrella pine, Sciadopitys verticillata, in the border leading to the St. Machar Drive boundary wall, looks pleasingly gaunt against the grey sky and is carrying a fine crop of maturing cones. This plant, a ‘living fossil’ is the sole member of its family, endemic to Japan and found in the fossil record from about 230 million years ago, and is very hardy if slow-growing, thriving in a coolish site even in upland Aberdeenshire. The specimen trees planted along the wall are also worth a look; there is, inter alia, a good specimen of the appropriately named Acer macrophyllum, the Oregon maple, a fine Malus yunnanensis, and a range of Crataegus species including a curiously unpendulous Crataegus laevigata ‘Pendula’ and a well-flowered spindle tree, Euonymus hamiltonianus.

At the western end of the sunken garden by the path down to the bulb lawn is a good specimen- though a little trammelled by an importunate climber - of the purple-leaved rhododendron R. ‘Elizabeth Lockhart’. This cultivar, bred by Professor Lockhart, professor of anatomy at Aberdeen University and a keen gardener and named for his mother, has good red flowers and splendid glossy purple foliage. The heyday of the bulb lawn has largely passed but a dark blue flowered Camassia esculenta, a North American meadow plant is still looking good. In the bed at the western end of the bulb lawn a large patch of the fairly soundly perennial viola ‘Inverurie Beauty’ is already covered in large deep purple-blue flowers.

The herbaceous border is getting into its stride, with good clumps of dame’s violet, Hesperis matronalis, the burnt orange pea, Lathyrus aureus, paeonies, perennial honesty, Lunaria rediviva and a dark fuchsia-pink Geranium macrorrhizum and much more. By the summer house the bladder senna, Colutea x media ‘Copper Beauty’ is covered in charming orange pea flowers though the formerly magnificent Chilean fire bush, Embothrium coccineum behind it is reduced to a single spindly stick.

On the nearby terrace the long racemes of scented white and purple wisteria are delightful and the neighbouring currant, Ribes speciosum has a fine crop of fuchsia-like red flowers.  The Tasmanian mint bush, Prostanthera cuneata, at the other side of the terrace is covered in lilac-flushed white flowers; this is hardy enough to thrive in Aberdeen but needs a very sheltered site further inland. Further along this sunny wall towards the rock garden entrance, there is a fine and well-flowered Abutilon x suntense, with large pale purple flowers; this too requires shelter and sun and hasn’t so far deigned to survive with me, though I know specimens which thrived for many years in Ballater.

Then finally, and rather damply to the rock garden, where though there are still flowers to delight, the main annual display is over. The Magnolia wilsonii in the bed at the bottom of the slope is coming to the end of a magnificent show of large pendant white flowers, there is a fine pale blue Ceanothus (?) in full flower at the top of the slope and much more to warrant a stroll in between. 

 David Atkinson

[Cruickshank Friend]

Cruickshank notes Autumn 2019 by  David  Atkinson

There are, I learn, two conceptions of autumn; meteorological autumn and astronomical. The former starts on the 1st of September and gives way to winter on the 30th of November whereas the latter runs from the autumn equinox, 22nd/23rd September to the winter solstice, 21st/22nd December. Thus, while I am writing the notes only in the former, we will be doubly autumnal by the time you read them.
 
It does indeed feel pretty autumnal now, nights are conspicuously drawing in, there is a distinct coolness in the air and actual storm clouds are joining the political ones hanging over the country. It has been a very ‘growthy’ year; reasonably warm with plenty of rain after last year’s prolonged dryness; far more grass to cut, twice the growth on some hedges and blight on a number of tattie varieties.

So to the Cruickshank garden to make damp notes on soggy paper on a drizzly Thursday. Firstly I was sad to notice that the Magnolia kobus, towards the back of the area on the right as you enter via the Chanonry gate, whose very existence I’d only recently become aware of, has split where two limbs were at too acute an angle and lost nearly half its crown. I have a large willow, whose narrow v branching I failed to spot early enough, which is destined to suffer the same fate, you can already see the fault line running down the trunk. Two further woes are close by; the weeping ash, Fraxinus excelsior ‘Pendula’ on the left as you come into the courtyard has early signs of ash die-back and on the other side of the courtyard the Sorbus cashmeriana, now a mere stick is carrying a few meagre bunches of white berries as it loses its years-long battle with whatever fungal infestation is killing it. Under the big double gean, Prunus avium ‘Plena’ here, the red flowers of the late summer flowering Hesperantha coccinea lift the spirits. This South African member of the Iridaceae, formerly known as Schizostylis coccinea, does well in our northern latitude in a reasonably sunny situation in moist well-drained soil. If the soil is too dry, however, it tends to produce lots of grassy foliage and no flowers.

In the beds at the west end of the courtyard, two poisonous plants with glistening berries can be seen; deadly nightshade, Atropa belladonna, with shiny black berries, and red baneberry, Actaea rubra with red berries. This latter, a shade-lover   from North America, was apparently used as an arrow poison by native Americans and there is a somewhat alarming first-hand account from 1903 in the Wikipedia article on this species of ‘a non-fatal case of experimental self-intoxication’ (Don’t try this at home!). There is a related British species, Actaea spicata, Herb Christopher with glossy black berries; not widespread it grows in ashwoods on limestone in northern England- and in the Cruickshank garden, on the edge of the sunken garden (I think?). But the most impressive of the berried species of Actaea is A. pachypoda, Doll’s Eyes, with white berries with a black stigma scar (hence it’s common name) and thickened red pedicels (flower stems) and which also grows in the garden.

The Decaisnea fargesii, a Chinese pinnate-leaved shrub on the left before you get to the dead weeping elm, will have a good crop of its electric blue pods, containing inedible blue seeds, and an allegedly edible jelly with the ‘ taste of watermelon’- I tried it last year and won’t bother again! This deciduous shrub is essentially hardy though can suffer in late frosts and enjoys sun or semi- shade reaching an eventual height of 3 to 4 metres.

 In the Shrub border, leading down to St Machar wall, is a fine floriferous evergreen, Eucryphia x nymansensis covered in large white flowers with prominent stamens, flowering well after last year’s warmth. To the left against the wall Acer macrophyllum from Oregon  is living up to its name with handsome leaves a foot or more across, though they can apparently reach 2 feet in width in the wild. A large specimen of the common lime Tilia x europaea, along the same wall to the west has flowered well the leafy bracts still prominent and on the southern edge of the sunken garden a Chinese lime, Tilia henryana, with handsome toothed leaves is flowering (for the first time?) with clusters of tiny white fragrant flowers.
 
The sunken garden is still only partially accessible as the disabled access awaits completion, but there is a fine patch of the Viola ‘Inverurie Beauty’ in the bed at the western end of the bulb lawn, covered in scented rich violet flowers; a sound and vigorous perennial in flower from late spring well into autumn. Climbing through the rhododendrons on the south side is a perennial nasturtium, Tropaeolum tuberosum ‘Ken Aslet’ flowering well with tubular flowers with orange/red sepals and yellow petals. In colder inland areas the tubers require some frost protection; these tubers are grown in the Andes as a minor food crop known as Mashua and can be grown as such here, though I haven’t yet tried. Again according to Wikipedia the tubers have a strong spicy flavour and a reputation as an aphrodisiac. 
   
The herbaceous border is still full of flower with too many delights to mention them all though the Japanese anemones were looking particularly good as were the various Phlox paniculata cultivars, and a white agapanthus. In the south facing bed at the foot of the warm wall the Japanese herbaceous perennial, Aralia cordata, is imposing at well over 7/8 feet tall with a larger spread and impressive bi or even tri-pinnate leaves and large umbels of small white flowers beloved by bees and flies. This species is widely grown for food in Japan for its young shoots which are blanched and eaten as a vegetable.

Thus finally to the rock garden, where the entire pool system is being renovated, its bare bones visible for the first time in ages, and looking accordingly a little stark. But the Cyclamen hederifolium particularly under the metasequoias are delightful and the subtle purples of the lace-cap inflorescences of the large hairy-leaved hydrangea, H. aspera, have a pleasing beauty about them.     
                                                                           
   David  Atkinson.

[Cruickshank Friend]

Next  plant  sale  ...... 26th October 2019

[P. Kohn]

Am I right in thinking the plants in your sale are all donated by Friends ?  Are any plants for sale raised in the garden ?  Trying to think about the future of our own sales in Sheffield Botanic Gardens. For the record, we have our final sale of the year next Sunday (13th) and our [plants are currently predominantly seed-raised in the gardens and feature lots of rarer and more unusual species but very few cultivars,

[Cruickshank Friend]

Cruickshank Notes Winter 2020

As the sounds of Saturnalian revelry subside, as tinsel and baubles resign themselves to
eleven months of tedium in a draughty loft and as my daily consumption of satsumas
returns to single figures, it is perhaps time to muse upon the past year and ponder the
uncertainties of the year to come.

There was quite a change to the view as I approached the Chanonry entrance to the
garden on a cool and breezy December day, the sky no longer filled by the mature beech
that has guarded the entrance for some nearly a century and a half – if my casual ring
counting is anywhere near the truth. Sad though its felling may be, it has opened up the
whole area to the east of the Cruickshank building, increasing the available sunlight and
decreasing the competition for food and drink; a fine opportunity to extend and enhance
the existing planting of mainly species rhododendrons.

The weeping ash on the left-hand side of the path, sadly infected with ash die-back,
looks at its best now, its wide-spreading branches easier to admire in their leafless state.
On the other side of the path, in the bed under the large double flowered gean, the South
African Hesperantha coccinea, formerly known as Schizostylis coccinea, was still in
flower, a welcome patch of colour on a dull day. The once fine Sorbus cashmeriana
unfortunately continues to lose its battle with whatever fungal infestation is killing it,
while close by in the bed by the side of the new sitooterie, the group of Cistus laurifolius
seem to be thriving and, as attested by their seed heads, flowering well.

The new seat affords a comfy, close up view of the two ‘formerly known as peat’ beds
now mulched with woodchip, a little too wood coloured at the moment, but like youth
this won’t be a problem for long! I was just checking the RHS advice on using fresh
woodchip as a mulch and as my children would say they seem basically cool with it.

“Wood, including bark from larger, mature trees can be chipped and applied as a fresh
mulch on both unplanted areas and around plants on well-established beds. However, be
aware that woody materials may contain compounds that harm plants (phytotoxic) which
are produced by the plants to deter potential herbivores and/or help suppress the
germination and growth of competitor plants (allelopathy). Whilst the concentration of
such chemicals is unlikely to affect mature, well-established plants, it is better to avoid
using fresh broadleaf chippings on newly planted beds”. So now you know!

One of the useful volunteer plants, to be found in the garden (attractive self-sowers
whose random distribution is sometimes better than our conscious decision) is
Helleborus foetidus, the stinking hellebore aka, apparently ‘Dungwort’ , a British or
more specifically English native. This handsome plant thriving even in quite deep,
particularly deciduous shade, starts to flower in late winter or early spring from the
strong almost succulent upright stems it has made the previous summer. Its drooping
cup-shaped flowers appear in spring, and are yellowish-green, often with a purple edge
to the five petal-like sepals, and a number of named forms are available. The cultivar
'Green Giant' has very bright green flowers and finely divided foliage; 'Miss Jekyll' has
fragrant flowers, intensity varying with the time of day; 'Wester Flisk Group' has red-
tinted leaves and stems and grey-green flowers; the 'Sierra Nevada Group' is dwarf. The
plant, despite its common names, does not smell though allegedly the foliage is pungent
when crushed – I’ll let you know! All parts of the plant are poisonous, causing violent
vomiting and delirium, though ethnobotany, especially in the regions of Southern Italy,
suggests that the poisonous qualities were used in folk medicine, including as an
abortifacient. Decoctions of the leaves can be used as a topical treatment against
parasites and fleas. The root of the plant is a heart stimulant -but don’t try this at home.

I was too early for the witchhazels and their cousin, Parrotia persica, to be in flower but
a myriad buds on various specimen suggest that by now there should be a fine display.
The hedges round the rose garden look as neat and well trimmed as usual, though only
hips provide colour here. The herbaceous border has given up for winter and it’s too
early for the warmth of the long brick wall to have encouraged any flower. Though in
the rock garden area spring-flowering Cyclamen coum will soon be taking over from the
autumn Cyclamen hederifolium and if it stays as warm as it currently is snowdrops must
be imminent.

David Atkinson

[Cruickshank Friend]

From the  latest  FCBG newsletter .....

October Plant Sale 2019
A very big thank you to all who contributed – providing plants, helping on the day and coming to buy plants. The final total made was £528.   

Spring Plant Sale on Saturday May 9th 2020 Now is the time to plan how our own gardens will develop, bloom and produce this year.  If you can spare a few extra plants when you are potting up seedlings and herbaceous divisions and bringing on young vegetables and herbs, they would be very welcome to sell at the Spring sale.  This is our main fund-raising event of the year and an opportunity for us all to contribute. Do remember to label each one using waterproof ink.
 

In the  January  FCBG newsletter there  was  an error  in the  link to download a  free  copy  of  Alan R. Walker's  pdf - Identif  Mountain Flowers of Britain and  Ireland   - this  is the  correct  link :
 http://www.alanrwalker.com/mountain-flowers/

 Identify Mountain Flowers of Britain and Ireland This reference guide comes as a downloadable PDF, free of charge from: www.alanrwalker.com   Each of the 104 species are described in close-up photographs, distribution maps, labelled diagrams and locations. It can be used on any smart phone, tablet, e-reader or computer that can download and display PDF files in full colour. (If you wish to have a printed version, the PDF can be downloaded to a memory stick and given to a full-colour laser printing service, where a copy will cost around £12. )

[Cruickshank Friend]

"Dear Friends
You are probably already aware that Aberdeen University is closed and all events at the University in March, April and May are cancelled. The Cruickshank Botanic Garden is also closed, to staff and visitors alike
Consequently the 2 remaining evening lectures and the Spring Plant sale cannot go ahead.
It is hoped that the the autumn will see an improved situation. If we can resume meetings, we hope to catch up with the AGM then.

Wishing you all well  "

Marion Hart

Friends of the Cruickshank Botanic Garden

Registered Charity SC004350

Membership Secretary "

[P. Kohn]

If the gardens areclosed to staff, how are they to be maintained ?

[Cruickshank Friend]

As  the  gardens are  still closed, and  there  are  few  other  events  to report, the  Friends  of  CBG have  issued  a newsheet - perhaps  there  will be  a  newsletter again in September with  some  idea  of  how  things will proceed.
 
A former  Secretary  of  the  FCBG, Dr.  Gordon Smith, who as  also a  long-term member  of  SRGC, died on 15th April - and  a report  he  made  from Chelsea  Show  in 1989 is used  in the  news  sheet  as  a  tribute  to him.

[Maggi Young]

University of Aberdeen - School of Biological Sciences

"The Cruickshank Botanic Garden is still locked down except for staff working on campus. Behind closed doors it's still as bright and alive as ever, perhaps even more so with all the overgrowth!
Some patches of long grass have recently been trimmed back, and new social distancing measures are in place!
#natureonourdoorstep

[Cruickshank Friend]

As things begin to return, however slowly, to normal, the Cruickshank Garden is open once more.
Edna Rhodes has taken over  the writing of the  FCBG Notes - and it is a pleasure to present those from the latest newsletter here:

 

 

 apologies for the two different sizes of image - not sure how that came about and it will not fix for me!

[Cruickshank Friend]

Cruickshank Garden News

Mark Paterson, Curator has reported the following:
· · The recent creation of suitable facilities for volunteers has resulted in their being able to return to the Garden; they are already making a very welcome impact.
· · Storm Arwen resulted in just one toppled tree, a 20 metre Lodgepole Pine in the Southern Garden. It conveniently fell onto a bed and did not wreak havoc!
· · The Arboretum did not escape Storm Barra where three conifers became compromised. One of these trees is in a very dangerous state; until it can be dealt with, the Arboretum must remain closed, at least until the New Year.
Thankfully, timely  management of trees over recent years has forestalled major issues during this winter season, hence the lack of significant damage. Most importantly, human limbs were safe even if arboreal ones were not.
 

**************

An Exhibition in the Cruickshank Botanic Garden
 
I open my eyes, there's no one
 
From 12th December 2021 to 28th  February 2022
 
From December the poignant exhibition “I open my eyes, there's no one” will be on display at Cruickshank Botanic Garden in Aberdeen. This is a result of collaboration between the University of Aberdeen and the Polish Association Aberdeen, a Polish diaspora organization established in 1993, whose ambition is to create and strengthen a positive image of Poland and Poles, promote democracy, human rights, including the rights of ethnic minorities.
By referring to universal values, the exhibition deals with a difficult but important subject in an original and accessible way. It tells the story of the copyists from the Białystok ghetto, Jewish artists whose talent was exploited by the Nazis, which, however, did not protect them from extermination. The unique narrative of the exhibition is taken over by memoirs and graphics of Izaak Celnikier, a Holocaust survivor, a Jewish painter born in Poland, a prisoner of the ghetto and concentration camps, a participant of death marches, whose story was a direct pretext for the exhibition.

*********

 CBG Calendar

This will be available from the UNIPRINT shop from Monday 13th December, at a cost of £9.
The online link for purchases is  https://www.store.abdn.ac.uk/product-catalogue/merchandise/photographs-and-prints/cruickshank-botanic-gardens/calendar/2022-cruickshank-botanic-garden-calendar
You can see miniaturised versions of the beautiful calendar pages below.

It may be possible to visit the Uniprint shop to buy calendars directly. The unfolding Omicron variant situation makes this uncertain; it is best to phone the shop prior to a visit on 01224 272578, to check that it is open to visitors.
Shop opening hours: Mon to Fri  9.00—12.00 and 13.00—16.30

[Maggi Young]

From the Friends of the Cruickshank Botanic Garden:
The final lecture of the 21/22 season will be held on 18th May in the Zoology Lecture Theatre, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Road.

This will be our first in-person lecture for over 2 years and is a cause for much celebration. We hope you will join us. All the details are on the advertisement below. The garden will open late beforehand.

It has taken a great deal of effort by many on the committee to make this event happen, and we hope you will support us by coming to the event. It would be a great shame, and indeed embarrassing, if Ken Cox had very few folk in the audience. Ken has spoken to the Friends before, but this is definitely a subject he has not covered previously.

Please do note that the lecture is on a Wednesday and NOT our usual Thursday slot. This is because is it being held on Fascination of Plants day (https://plantday18may.org/category/europe/uk/).

FCBG look forward to seeing you on 18th May for an entertaining lecture and the opportunity to meet eachother afterwards for refreshments.