RBG Dawyck

The Royal Botanic Garden Dawyck (pronounced ‘Doik”) stands as a monument to some of the greatest plant hunters of the 19^th and 20^th century. A living testament to the work of Wilson, Forrest, Farrer, and Kingdon Ward, Dawyck is situated on what would otherwise be a barren hillside on the river Tweed in one of the coldest regions of Britain (8 miles southwest of Peebles in the Scottish Borders).

Three families are solely responsible for creating this magnificent garden: the Veitches (1491-1691), the Naesmyths (1691-1897), and the Balfours (1897-1978). Their combined efforts produced over three hundred years of specialist tree plantings. The Vietches of Dawyck have the distinction of introducing Scotland’s very first exotic tree, the horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), in 1650. There are, in fact, silver firs (Abies alba) still growing at Dawyck planted by the Veitches in 1680.

Planting at Dawyck developed on a grand scale under the Naesmyth family. The 2^nd (Sir James) was a botanist who trained under Linnaeus, and who reportedly planted the great European Larches (Larix decidua) at Dawyck accompanied by the legendary botanist. Sir James’s grandson, Sir John, made even more of an impact on the Dawyck grounds by planting 2000 acres of mixed woodland. He also was attributed to the discovery of an oddly upright (fastigiate) beech which would later become the famed ‘Dawyck Beech’ (Larix decidua ‘Dawyck’). Sir John also invested in the lucrative plant-hunting expeditions of East Asia and North America sponsored by Veitch Nurseries.

In 1897, Dawyck was purchased by Mrs. Alexander Balfour, the mother of FRS Balfour who would later underplant the Naesmyth woodlands with hundreds of Rhododendrons, and (literally) tons of daffodils. The tree planting under the Balfours was much influenced by Fred Balfour’s trips to North America. In a constant search for new trees, he subscribed to plant-hunting expeditions of both the Far West and Far East, and was heavily influenced by the collections of EH Wilson. In 1927, he was awarded the Victoria Medal of Honor for his work in forestry and arboriculture.

In 1978, the Dawyck Estate was gifted to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh by Colonel AN Balfour, and has remained one of the most beautiful gardens in all of Scotland. On a personal note, I walked these gardens with a constant state of amazement. Along with Great Dixter, it was the highlight of my garden visits while in the UK, and a garden I desperately want to visit again. I hope I captured some of the breathtaking views around the gardens in my photographs. But I firmly believe Dawyck must be experienced first-hand to full appreciate it.