The Fruit Garden project was instigated by an RBGE student, to contain an educational display, from which to engage the public.
The purpose of the Fruit Garden is to provide a display area about fruit cultivation to be used as an educational resource for RBGEs professional and leisure courses but also to demonstrate good horticultural practices for fruit growing, to inspire visitors. The garden will also complement the Student Plots and the Edible Gardening project which currently exist in the RBGE Demonstration Garden, showing how easy it is to ‘Grow Your Own’.
The Fruit Garden has been designed to grow a wide range of soft and top fruits. This will include: plants and cultivars suitable for the Edinburgh climate; heritage apples; unusual and shade tolerant fruits; plus more familiar produce like raspberries and strawberries. The garden will also show techniques for growing fruit in any size of garden, whether large or small, through use of rootstock selection and training methods.
The project has been financed by a private benefactor and implemented through a one year student placement awarded by the Royal Horticultural Society to project manage the new area. All work in the garden has been carried out by RBGE staff, students and volunteers. Additional support, materials and advice were given by the following organisations:
Gripple Ltd. – wire tensioning devices for the support systems.
Scottish Crop Research Institute – donation of soft fruits.
NTS Fyvie Castle Garden – supplied plant material.
RHS Wisley – supplied plant material and advice.
Planting November 2011
From left to right: Terry, Erica, John and our benefactor, Celia planting the first fruit tree.
Students and volunteers planting.