Blooming marvellous: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh reopens

Gardeners have been working throughout the lockdown to preserve precious plants at the Royal Botanic Garden.

Horticulturist Andy Towll at work in the grounds of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

The 350-year-old scientific garden in Edinburgh closed a week before the lockdown but is now ready for today’s reopening.

The garden is home to ten ornate glasshouses, with the oldest dating from 1834, which contain rare plants from around the world – including the largest collection of Chinese plants outside of China.

Exotic plants from countries such as Nepal and Chile have to be painstakingly cared for as they are not in their natural habitat.

Day-to-day maintenance has continued during lockdown, but the “living collection” plants are the main
passion for horticulturists.

Curator David Knott said:“We have had to work out how we would look after our living collections in the glass houses while looking after the health and safety of our staff and doing social distancing.”

There will be additional signage and one way systems will operate on some narrower paths today.

Staff will be wearing PPE and portable toilets have been brought on site.