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Tangible Evidence Of SAC's Commitment To Horticulture
Opening of new teaching glasshouse (opens in new window)
At what he described as "a very happy event", SAC Chairman Lord Jamie Lindsay inaugurated the new teaching glasshouse, costing some £200,000, sited beside SAC's King's Buildings headquarters in Edinburgh. The 260 sq m building will play a key role in the Horticulture Degree courses run at Edinburgh.
Speaking at a special lunchtime reception in the new unit, Lord Lindsay said, "It is tangible proof of SAC's commitment to horticulture, in the last three years our student numbers in Edinburgh have increased 46%, from 64 to 94 and rising."
The SAC chairman explained that horticulture was an important subject area which offered a lot to society. It had a key role in greening urban environments and skills like plantsmanship or design were increasingly valued.
The new facility, installed by Cambridge HOK, has rolling benches on one side, making maximum use of capacity, while hard standing in the other half provides flexibility for teaching and research projects. The climate inside the house is computer-controlled using data from a roof-mounted weather station. Outside are student garden plots and space for plant trials.
The new unit had played a vital role in the supply of plants for the successful show gardens designed and built by SAC students. A silver medal at Chelsea, followed by a gold and two silver gilts had been outstanding results.
In congratulating everyone, Jamie Lindsay described the events of the previous few weeks as "stunning" and expressed the Board's thanks to SAC students, staff and sponsors like Strutt and Parker who had helped make things happen.
Horticultural lecturer Dr. Colin Norton described the new facilities as having absolutely immense value to the horticultural teaching programme at SAC. He explained that, apart from winning prizes, Garden Design students had made significant contributions to various garden projects around Scotland. However he also made clear that valuable relationships established with Edinburgh City Council and the National Trust for Scotland at Inveresk Gardens would continue.