Peter Baxter, Curator of Benmore Botanic Garden, has been awarded RHS Associate of Honour 2022 for outstanding services to horticulture. The Associate of Honour is given for life with only 100 people holding the award at any one time.  

With over 20 years’ experience as Curator at Benmore, Peter has undertaken significant fieldwork in Bhutan, Chile, Japan, Australia and North America. He has successfully introduced considerable numbers of conservation plants to Benmore and widely within RBGE’s Living Collection.   

A major achievement of his work at home has been the successful restoration of the Victorian Fernery at Benmore, initially constructed in 1870’s. The transformation of this exceptional construction has created a major new focus in the Garden. It is a unique building in a remarkable setting, occupying a remote site at Benmore, on a steep south-west facing hillside, with a cliff on the eastern side forming an integral part of the structure. The ferns on display are from many parts of the world, all from temperate or warm temperate regions. 

More recently, Peter has overseen the successful external fundraising and restoration of the Grade A listed Golden Gates, initially made in Berlin in 1870 for the then owner of Benmore, the sugar refiner and philanthropist James Duncan. Today, they sit resplendent as the entrance from Glen Massan to Benmore House. 

Benmore Botanic Garden has been a Regional Garden of RBGE since 1928. It is the largest of the four Gardens and specialises in plants from cool and wet temperature regions, particularly from the Himalaya, Bhutan, Japan, Chile and western USA. Rhododendrons, conifers and ferns are well represented throughout the Garden. Notably, is home to the 150 year old Redwood Avenue, one of the finest entrances to any botanic garden. The Benmore team work tirelessly maintaining and developing Benmore and their support is greatly appreciated by Peter. 

ENDS 

For further information, interviews or images, please respond to this email or contact Caitlin Paterson on 07958510634 Shauna Hay on 07824 529 028  

EDITOR’S NOTES 

Benmore Botanic Garden is one of the three Regional Gardens of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. The 120 acre site, north of Dunoon on the Cowal Peninsula is home to the famous Redwood Avenue, “probably the greatest entrance to any botanic garden” and an internationally important collection of wild origin rhododendrons. Other features include conservation plantings from Chile, Japan and Tasmania. 

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) is a leading international research organisation delivering knowledge, education and plant conservation action around the world. In Scotland its four Gardens at Edinburgh, Benmore, Dawyck and Logan attract nearly a million visitors each year. It operates as a Non Departmental Public Body established under the National Heritage (Scotland) Act 1985, principally funded by the Scottish Government. It is also a registered charity, managed by a Board of Trustees appointed by Ministers. Its mission is “To explore, conserve and explain the world of plants for a better future.”