Forfar Botanists Garden

[ichristie]

   www.forfarbotanists.org         Hi all, I posted a little n about this project some time ago we are a small group of volunteers who have come together to create a garden at the Myre car park in Forfar to commemorate George Don ( one of he first supervisor at the RHGE when it was in Leith) it will be 200 years since his birth in 2014 and 250 years since he we will also celebrate his sons George Don Jnr, David Don. the Drummond Thomas and James who took over the Don nursery at Doo Hillock in Forfar. Please look at the we site for full details. We have taken on a considerable project with so many problems fro Councils and Legal nightmares however we are progressing and we aim to start planting next week, we have had considerable help and advice from RBGE especially Alan Elliott here is the official words,
 The Forfar Botanists Garden is receiving support from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) and threatened Scottish native plants. These plants have been collected under licences granted by Scottish Natural Heritage and cultivated at RBGE as part of the UK wide Plantnetwork Target8 project to bring threatened plants in to ex-situ conservation programs. The plants will allow the Forfar Botanist Garden to raise awareness about the threatened flora in Scotland, specifically growing some plants found along the coast to the east and in the mountains north of Forfar.

Many of the Scottish montane plants face an uncertain future from factors such as climate change and intensive grazing in the upland environment. These plants are also linked with the Forfar Botanists as they were discovered for the first time in the UK, growing in the Angus glens by these men. Just two examples include Oxytropis campestris (Yellow Oxytropis) found by George Don sr. in Corrie Fee in 1812 and Salix lanata (Wooly Willow) first discovered by Thomas Drummond in 1824. I will send more up-dates when possible and add new pictures will probably use up several pages but here goes with the first lot,  cheers Ian the Christie kind.
   

[ichristie]

Hi, the few pictures show the site  before we started and several stages afterwards here are a few more, cheers Ian

[ichristie]

Here is what we are trying to create but even better than, the plan.  Ian

[ichristie]

H all, we have been very buy at the garden this week doing 1/2 hour days as we have an open day on the 18th all are invited. We are laying sets for the path and have put an edging of natural stone from Glen Clova  have planted quite a few Thyme, Alchemilla alpine along the edges but the first plant was Dryas octopetala for George Don and SRGC. I will post a few pictures for will be back later, cheers Ian the Christie kind

[ichristie]

Next lot

[ichristie]

A few more

[ichristie]

Hello all, have had another hard day loaded up the local moss covered rocks from my garden to form the edge to retain soil went to the site built I then cemented them down then built a rock ledge for some of the special plants  which I hope will be planted tomorrow. more news later, cheers Ian the Christie kind

[David Nicholson]

Some lovely stonework throughout the garden Ian. I particularly like the walling and the wall with a "window" was a real gem.

[ichristie]

Hi again we have had a very busy few days working on the garden, first the man looking through the wee round window is David Wilson from Perth he has build the walls everything else I am doing. I have had Alan Elliot with his mum Aileen and Liz Meikle another committee member today planting a really great help such a nice day as well. I am posting quite a few pictures from today, please do come if you can manage on the 18th fro 12 o clock, cheers Ian the Christie kind

[ichristie]

Next, Ian

[alanelliott]

Glad I could be of some help yesterday Ian.

Every one invoved has put in a massive amount of effort especially in the last little while to get the Forfar Botanist garden to where it is at the moment. I'll post some images later when I get home.

[alanelliott]

I got to the Forfar garden late Saturday afternoon to fine the indomitable Ian Christie and Alice Bremner hard at work.

[alanelliott]

Then on Sunday I helped out for a couple of hours planting, watering and mulching.


My mum who is on the committee was working to plant up Ian's wee alpine area


Ian and Liz planting


Everyone hard at work

[ichristie]

Hi again all first thanks to Alan and all our other helpers we got on very well, today was another planting day with some time spent to tidy up Aileen ( Alan's mum is great just gets on with things and as Alice arrived just after lunch the heavens opened so we got soaked and my pictures are not so good anyway got the Forfar Botanists Garden sign delivered and it is now in place, a few pictures from today,  cheers Ian the Christie kind

[Tim Ingram]

What a wonderfully inspirational project - I wish Scotland was not so far away from Kent! Good teamwork seems to make things happen!