Tree planting tribute to champion of Botanics

Published on Monday 7 December 2009 08:43

A POLITICIAN and environmental champion who helped secure the future of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is to be commemorated with a tree planting ceremony tomorrow.

The event signifies the end of year-long celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society.

The planting of a Catalpa fargesii at the Botanics by George Anderson, president of the RCHS, and David Knott, curator of RBGE, is also a fitting tribute to the work of Sir William Gibson Craig of Riccarton (1797-1878).

If it had not been for the foresight and commitment of Sir William, the land leased by the Caley in 1823 for an experimental garden may have fallen victim to housing developers when the Society got into debt.

Instead, Sir William, MP for the City of Edinburgh and vice-president of the Caley, fought an eight-year battle to get the site of the experimental garden transferred to its neighbour.

That area of land now constitutes the south-eastern corner of the Botanics.