The Anstruther Rotary Club’s meeting of May 3rd heard a most interesting talk by Bob Mitchell about the history of the St Andrews Botanic Garden.
Owned by St Andrews University the Garden was from 1889 sited near the Bute building close to the centre of town, and primarily served as a teaching resource for botany students; it was also concerned with plant experimentation, including the breeding of blight-resistant potatoes. In 1962, when Bob was appointed as curator, the university removed the Garden to its current location in the Canongate area, where it was redeveloped from scratch from three virgin fields, eventually to extend over 18 acres.
The Garden was again laid out in ‘teaching beds’, and generally supplied the needs of teaching, research and training. A rock garden and a peat garden supplied different types of soil quality, and there were ample herbaceous borders, along with ponds, waterfalls and glasshouses. The Garden’s remit was in particular to display specimens representing widely ranging geographical origins, such as magnolias from China and eastern North America. Throughout this time Bob pursued his own research, most recently specialising in peonies, and indeed he carries on with this work in retirement.
The Botanic Garden has continued to evolve over the years, especially from 1987 when running it became the responsibility of Fife Regional Council. Following the closure of the university’s botany department the Garden has come to play vital roles relating to public education and leisure. It currently boasts around 1200 Friends, there is a junior botanical club, and its educational trust oversees the visits of some two thousand primary school pupils every year.
A sensitively landscaped area of enormous beauty and interest the Garden is open every day and there are regular plant sales. Club vice-president John Wood proposed the vote of thanks.
