Botanics scales the heights in plan for state-of-the-art Alpine House

Published on Saturday 14 June 2008 10:23

PLANS have been unveiled to create a new Alpine House, designed to cultivate rare plants from around the world, at the Royal Botanic Garden.

The state-of-the-art centre would allow the garden to grow and exhibit a greater range of rare plants generally found in remote regions of countries such as Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, as well as mountain ranges in Europe.

While the proposals are still in the early stages, they have been given a welcome boost after the Scottish Rock Garden Club, Scotland's largest horticultural society, donated 5000 towards the development.

The garden's existing Alpine House is used to grow plants considered too delicate to put outside in its rock gardens.

Due of its size, however, it is not easy to put plants on display, so many specimens grown there are rarely seen by the public. That will all change if plans for the centre are successful, with the aim being to create a new attraction "fit for the 21st century".

The proposals would see the new Alpine House developed next to the existing one, and it would be divided into two areas.

One would be a large indoor glasshouse, similar to the Botanics' existing palm houses, which would be built over a large fake cliff face made of porous concrete, with small holes drilled in it.

This would have water running down it and would allow specialists to grow a wider range of rare and fragile plants in a more suitable environment.

There would also be a new outdoor rock garden, with a walkway running between the two areas. The creation of an area where visitors could watch the gardeners at work is also being considered.

John Mitchell, garden supervisor of the alpine section, said: "What we have at the moment really isn't suitable for exhibits, because of its size. It is also very hard to cultivate some of these delicate plants, so the new Alpine House would be a great benefit.

"It would allow us to create a far more natural environment for growing these plants, and would also give us the space to exhibit them properly to the public.

"It is being envisaged as similar to the palm house development, and we want it to be a very modern area, which would be another big attraction at the garden.

"There is still a long way to go, but the donation from the Scottish Rock Garden Club is a big help and very much appreciated."

Ian Christie, president of the Scottish Rock Garden Club, announced the award of 5000 to the project when members visited the garden yesterday to celebrate the club's 75th anniversary.

He said the club was delighted to be able to help support the planned development.

"The new Alpine House is an example of great forward thinking by the Botanic Garden, and it will be something our members will be very proud to have helped create," he said.

"The garden already has some of the finest rock gardens in the world, and this sounds like a very ambitious and modern attraction, which would hopefully inspire the public to learn a bit more about these rare and beautiful plants."