John Hutton Balfour (1808 - 1884): A Text-book Botanist

1 - 30 September

John Hutton Balfour was Regius Keeper of RBGE from 1845 to 1879. This exhibition of books, artefacts and archival manuscripts illustrates his legacy to RBGE and marks the 200th anniversary of his birth.

See exhibtion details on our website.

Tales in the Gloaming

Fri 5 September, 7pm

Join the Talking Trees Storytellers for an evening of traditional songs and stories in the Botanics' very own corner of the Highlands.

See event details on our website.

Signs of Autumn

Sat 13 September, 3pm

How do plants and animals know when autumn is coming? What will happen to them if our climate changes? Join our Garden Rangers and find out as we explore signs of autumn in the Garden.

See event details on our website.

Wild Food Scotland

Sun 14 September, 12 noon - 4pm

Join this drop-in Sunday Science session to find out which wild foods are at their most abundant during autumn. Discover what tasty delights are available free in a hedgerow near you.

See event details on our website.

Scotland and China: Twins or Complete Strangers?

Thurs 18 September, 7pm

Scotland and China are two countries so different in scale that they might seem to have little in common. Despite the differences, or perhaps because of them, RBGE has had a long relationship with China. Don’t miss this interesting talk by RBGE Regius Keeper, Professor Stephen Blackmore.

Tickets £3 (£2 members). See event details on our website.

Getting to Grips with Plant Names

Sun 21 September

If you’ve ever been puzzled, infuriated or intrigued by the difference between families, genera, subspecies etc and how they fit together, join this one-day workshop to unravel the mystery of plant names, their history and their ongoing importance in the work of RBGE.

£40 (£36 for members). See event details on our website.

Developing the Jade Dragon Field Station

Thurs 25 September, 7pm

Hear how the Botanics has built on its long legacy of links with China and more recent collaboration with the Kunming Institute of Botany to create a new botanic garden in the Yunnan province of China - the Lijiang Alpine Botanic Garden. With David Paterson, RBGE.

Tickets £3 (£2 members). See event details on our website.

Doors Open Day

Sat 27 September, 10am - 3.30pm

The Herbarium and Library building, opened in 1964, houses one of Europe’s largest botanical libraries and a collection of around three million preserved plant specimens. See behind the scenes on a tour of the collections.

See events details on our website.

Close

27 September - 11 January

Acclaimed photographer Allan Pollock-Morris takes visitors on a journey documenting contemporary Scottish heritage in works by garden designers, architects, plants people and artists within the country’s varied landscape.

See exhibition details on our website.

Richard Hamilton - Protest Pictures

Until 12 October

Winner of the 2008 Herald Angel Award.

Don't miss this much-acclaimed exhibition. One of the founders of Pop Art, British artist Richard Hamilton (b.1922) continues to influence artists today and this exhibition brings together for the first time paintings, collages and prints from a life-long interest in political figures and movements.

See exhibition details on our website.

Courses and Workshops – places still available

The new academic year begins in the next few weeks and we still have spaces on many of our forthcoming courses:

One Year Part-Time Courses

RBGE Diploma in Botanical Illustration - starts Tues 9 Sept
RBGE Diploma in Herbology - starts Tues 16 Sept
RBGE Diploma in Garden Design - starts Sat 20 Sept

Ten-Week Courses

Foliage, Watercolour and Landscape
Mondays, 22 Sept – 8 Dec, £100 (£90)

Paper Sculpture and Watercolour
Mondays, 22 Sept – 8 Dec, 6.30-9pm £100 (£90)

Going Green – Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Mondays, 22 Sept – 8 Dec, £70 (£63)

Digital Plants in Focus
Saturdays, 27 Sept – 6 Dec, £100 (£90) 

Beginning Botany
Wednesdays, 24 Sept – 19 Nov, £70 (£63)

Weekend Workshops

The Simple Art of Meditation
Saturday 27 Sept, 10am – 4pm, £40

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

Jan Ferguson Exhibition at Benmore

Don’t miss this exhibition of wildlife and domestic animal paintings by renowned local artist Jan Ferguson. The exhibition is part of the “Cowal Open Studios’’ event.

Benmore Botanic Garden, Dunoon, Argyll

Free afternoon tea at Logan!

In celebration of local produce, visit Logan Cafe and get two afternoon teas for the price of one when you bring a print out of this email. So treat your friend and enjoy delicious home baking after a walk around 'Scotland's Most Exotic Garden'.

Offer valid until 31 October 2008.

Logan Botanic Garden, Nr Stranraer, Dumfries & Galloway

Scotland's Gardens Scheme at Dawyck

Sun 7 September

Dawyck will be open as part of Scotland's Gardens Scheme. Created in 1931, SGS raises funds for other worthy charities by facilitating the opening of gardens of horticultural interest throughout Scotland to the public.

Free guided walk at 2pm. Normal Garden admission applies.

Dawyck Botanic Garden, Nr Peebles, Scottish Borders

Fungi Foray

Sun 28 September, 2pm

Find out more about the wonders of fungi. Join Professor Roy Watling in his quest to find some of the finest examples of fungi at Dawyck.

Tickets £3. See event details on our website.

Dawyck Botanic Garden, Nr Peebles, Scottish Borders