New visitor centre at Dawyck

Dawyck’s new state-of-the-art visitor centre is now open. To celebrate its opening season, the centre plays host to 'With the Grain – The Life and Legacy of Tim Stead', a stunning exhibition in wood which pays tribute to the Borders artist and philosopher Tim Stead.

The centre also comprises a greatly expanded shop and plant sales area and a café serving refreshments and light lunches.

Dawyck Botanic Garden, near Peebles, Scottish Borders.

New exhibitions at Inverleith House

Come and see two new exhibitions which open at Inverleith House on 3 May.

The John Hutton Balfour Bicentenary Exhibition, featuring botanical teaching diagrams and models, celebrates one of RBGE’s most significant Regius Keepers. It portrays an extraordinary life devoted to botany and its teaching.

Artist Louise Bourgeois (b.1911) exhibits new gouaches on paper and sculpture selected for Inverleith House, where they are being shown for the first time. Her deeply personal drawings demonstrate her concern with the cycles of life and motherhood is central to the artist’s conception of herself.

Find out more on our website.

"Old Woody Fibre" Garden Walk

Sat 3 May, 2.30pm

Join this special tour celebrating John Hutton Balfour’s birth. Hear about an innovative 19th century Regius Keeper who was responsible for building the Palm House and developing the arboretum - hence the nickname! 

See event details on our website.

Rhododendron Show and Art Exhibition

Thurs 8 & Fri 9 May

Scotland’s National Rhododendron Show makes a visit to the Botanics this year as part of the International Rhododendron Conference.

The event, regarded as the world’s premier rhododendron show, promises magnificent displays of rhododendrons and azaleas – a must for all lovers of this astonishing plant family.

See also the Rhododendron Art Exhibition in the Caledonian Hall between 8-11 May.

Celebrating 500 Years of Printing

6 May - 30 June

Historic horticultural and natural history books including Hortus Medicus Edinburgensis (1683), believed to be the earliest horticultural book printed in Scotland, go on display until the end of June to celebrate 500 years of the printed word in Scotland. 

See exhibition details on our website

Scottish Biodiversity Week

Sat 17 - Sun 25 May

Explore and celebrate all things living. Take part in our programme of events for children and adults and find out a little bit more about biodiversity and why it matters.

Events include a Nature Tree Trail and a look at freshwater mini-beasts. See our website for details.

Member's Plant Sale

Sunday 18 May, 2 - 4pm

Make sure you don’t miss the annual plant sale at The Edinburgh Academy Junior School (Arboretum Road) if you want some bargains for your garden.

Admission is £1 (free for Members) with all proceeds going towards the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

See event details on our website.

Inspiring new gifts at the Botanics Shop

Visit the Botanics Shop and see our beautiful new range of rhododendron inspired gifts and stationery. Available in-store from May, prices start from as little as £1.99.

All profits from the Botanics Shop go directly to support the work of the Garden.
 

Courses and workshops in May

We still have places on some of our May workshops. 

Pests and Diseases
Sat 10 May, 10am – 4pm, £35

Grow Your Own Vegetables
Sat 17 May or Sun 18 May, 10am – 4pm, £35

The Simple Art of Meditation
Thursday evenings, 15 May – 5 June, 7pm – 9pm, £45

Lichen Identification at Dawyck
Sat 31 May, 10am - 4pm, £35

Further details of all our courses are available online or by contacting the Education Department on 0131 248 2937. 

Summer School

Don't miss the chance to sign up for our Summer School programme. Courses include: Introduction to Botanical Painting, Grass Identification, Chinese Ink Painting and many others..

Find out more

Logan open under Scotland's Garden Scheme

Sun 18 May, 10am - 5pm

Logan Botanic Garden is open to support Scotland’s Garden Scheme Charities. Come and enjoy the early summer colour that Logan’s spectacular collections of rhododendrons, peonies, echiums and blue poppies have to offer.

See event details on our website.

Guided Walk: Restoring the Benmore Fernery

Thurs 15 May, 2pm

Join this guided walk and hear about the restoration of the Victorian Fernery at Benmore. The project will see the Fernery, built in the 1870s and now a Grade B Listed Building, fully restored. 

Find out more about our fundraising appeal.

See event details on our website.

New Publications from RBGE

Three exciting new publications are released this month:

William Roxburgh: The Founding Father of Indian Botany by Tim Robinson. Considered to be ‘the greatest botanist since Linnaeus’, remarkably this is the first full biography of ‘The Founding Father of Indian Botany’.

Monkey Puzzle Man: Archibald Menzies, Plant Hunter by James McCarthy. One of the first full biographies of the influential 18th century Scottish botanist credited with introducing many plants to UK and continental gardens, including the monkey puzzle tree.

Growing Together: RBGE and China explores RBGE's long-standing relationship with China and explains the importance of the Jade Dragon Field Station and the Lijiang Alpine Botanic Garden and collaborations with the Kunming Institute of Botany.