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SAC Students Design Competition Garden To Bring Bees Off Their Knees

SAC News Release Ref. No: 10N36
Published: 20 May 2010

Three SAC students from Pencaitland, Falkirk and Edinburgh have chosen bees as the focus for their garden design entered in Gardening Scotland’s “College Show Garden” competition.

Worldwide, bees are under threat and disappearing in vast numbers. The three students are featuring the sort of garden that can help sustain healthy bee populations. During Gardening Scotland their show garden will be alongside other entries from SAC and Elmwood, Barony Borders and Dundee colleges.

Numerous reasons have been given for the phenomenon presently affecting bees, known as Colony Collapse Disorder, but it is known they are under stress from a parasite called Varroa.  Any additional challenge caused by habitat loss for example brings colonies to their knees. The students’ design rejects the contemporary decking and grass that can be a barren wasteland for the insects and have opted instead for planting flowers and shrubs bees love. Without bees to pollinate them many of the fruits and crops we rely on would be threatened.

Chief designer on the project is Sarah Curtis, in her second year of her Horticulture degree at SAC Edinburgh. She lives in Pentcaitland, East Lothian with her artist husband and is currently attending beekeeping classes. This proved the inspiration for her “Green Up and Bring Back the Bees” design.

Ably supporting her is a 2nd-year Garden Design student, Christa Scobie-Seiffert from Falkirk, Stirlingshire.  She is about to set up her own design company.  With her passion for creating attractive and environmentally-friendly green spaces in complex settings like roof gardens, Christa values the landscape architecture aspect of her course.

A second Christa completes the trio. Christa Duncan from Edinburgh is in her second year of a Higher National Diploma course in Horticulture. Her ambition is to work as a propagator and gardener in a community garden. She has a particular enthusiasm for promoting kitchen gardens.

The Garden Design and Horticulture courses the three students are completing are just two of a range of popular horticultural qualifications offered by SAC.  They range from Higher National Certificate and Diploma courses, to Degree and Honours Degrees in Horticulture, Landscape Management and Design. Activity is focussed on all three SAC’s campuses in Aberdeen, Ayr and Edinburgh.

The three students must have their garden ready for judging on the afternoon of Thursday, 3rd June, just before the show starts on the Friday. Then visitors to Gardening Scotland will have a chance to judge what the trio have done for themselves. 

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News Release Issued By

Mr Ken Rundle
Senior Communications Officer
SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) Work SAC, King's Buildings, West Mains Road,
Edinburgh
EH9 3JG
TelWork 0131 535 4196

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