This will be my final Chair’s report before I step down at our AGM on Monday 7th September. I have been Chair for three years and for six months prior to this I was heavily involved in setting up our Garden Guides Group. Full details of our AGM and my annual report to members has already been circulated by email to members by our Secretary, Caroline. I will try not to repeat too much of the detail therein in this article.
The last three years has included a number of challenges for our charity as well as the opportunity to develop new events and strengthen the services we provide. Friends of Glasgow Botanic Gardens has become the main provider of engagement with the public and the main provider of education to our members and the public. This deserves praise. This could only have been achieved with the hard work of your trustees, members, cooperation with Andrew and his splendid team of staff. We are grateful that several of our trustees give their professional services and opinions freely to our charity.
Andrew and his Gardens’ staff deserve praise as they expertly maintain the historical collections and develop modern contemporary features such as the wildflower meadows and the Mayors for Peace Garden. All this is accomplished by a diminishing number of staff. The Friends for their part have supported several developments and replanting activities financially.
Our ”hands on” garden volunteers have been working each Sunday over the summer under the supervision of our teachers/gardeners Billy and Nikki. This supervision is funded by Friends and adds substantially to the amenity we enjoy. The south facing beds in front of Main Range have been renovated as has much of the area and borders surrounding the CPH beds. Work has been carried out on the overgrown rose garden and our curator Hiro has labelled many of the great plants that are now visible in previously overgrown beds. We express our thanks to all involved.
Tours continue to be well attended and in October we are planning to offer once again tours of the arboretum during the many weeks that Glasglow makes touring in the main Gardens impossible. Details will be published in our next newsletter and on the website. Bat walks are back on 16th and 18th September with full details already sent by email to members. Thanks again to Alexandra, the Countryside Ranger with GCC.
Discussions are well advanced about setting up a “hands on” group of wildlife volunteers to improve wildlife along the Kelvin and other wilder areas within the Gardens. Members will be kept up to date at the AGM and in the next newsletter.
The future of Dundee University Botanic Gardens remains precarious. If you have not already done so please sign the petition.
Thank you for your continuing support of Friends, I look forward to meeting many of you at the AGM.
