Notes from the Little Blue Shed

v: The Globe Physic Garden

Notes from the Little Blue Shed

Senga Bate

Almost one year to the day since Covid-19 forced the Diploma in Herbology students to abandon their physic garden plots at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, it was time to try to pick up where they’d left off. Lots of preparation had taken place behind the scenes to ensure that RBGE could comply with the new rules and regulations, so as to give all returning students the practical horticulture experience they require. The plots are a fundamental part of the course structure: each student must devise a theme for theirs, then plan, plant and tend to it before it is reviewed later in the year. After months of lockdown and green fingers growing rusty, they were raring to get back to work. But it was with some trepidation that we met for our first physic gardening session on Monday 15th March. Would the plans set in place actually work?

The little blue shed has become the hub of our activity. New tools, old boots, new tabards, lots of sprays for this and that… everything we require is stored there. Remember the rules, everyone— it’s one-in one-out; spray your hands; use blue nitrile gloves! After a few minutes of everyone getting used to the new regime, we were off to inspect the plots. The joy of being back to work in the gardens raised everyone’s spirits, despite the cold weather. All was well with the world after all.

At first, we cautiously left two weeks between each session, but after Easter it was decided to allow work on the plots every Monday afternoon. Progress indeed! Due to invaluable help from the skeleton Demonstration Garden Horticulture Team, who had continued to work through all the lockdowns of the past year, the plots were in reasonable condition. However, it was quickly noted that the students’ original planting plans might not work, and a change of theme might have to be made. The Herb Bed Reviews take place in late June, so the shortage of time was an important factor to take into consideration— as was the issue of indoor nursery space not being available to bring on seeds.

But by mid-May, we are beginning to see things coming together. Seeds have been sown, divisions and transplants have been made from the stockbed and from neighbouring student plots. Identification of seedlings, arriving unannounced, continues every week— to keep or not to keep? The students are maintaining the edges of their plot, weeding the little brick paths between them— and so the work goes on. One factor that has caused dismay, however, is the continuing cold weather. Usually by this time of year we find that seedlings are pushing through the soil at some speed and that the various transplants and divisions are filling out and growing strongly, but alas no. This particular Sprsing season must be one of the driest and coldest in recent years, so it’s no surprise that the plants are reluctant to show their faces. Sun, warmth and some rain, please!

At time of writing there are still no volunteers working at the RBGE, so the Globe Physic Garden is reverting to nature once again…