Edinburgh Palm house restoration
The iconic A-listed Palm Houses at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, which have been closed since 2021 for major restoration work, are now almost ready to reopen.
800 plants including towering palms and tree ferns were removed and planted in Air-Pot containers, allowing them to continue to thrive and maintain healthy root structure.
The specialist renovation work included repairing 600m² of corroded ironwork, replacing 5,750 panes of glass and installing a new carbon neutral geothermal heating system.
Replanting has now started and the gardeners have been amazed at the speed of establishment. Within three weeks of replanting the tree ferns have put on significant growth.
“The use of the Air-Pot® system has been a complete gamechanger for our horticulture team, transforming how we cared for our largest plants during the Palm House restoration works.These statuesque palms and ferns are an important part of our Living Collection, so a system that protected both plants and root systems was essential.The Air-Pot® container delivered exactly what we needed. Their ingenious design kept the plants in excellent condition, even after years in containers, ready for their safe return home to the Palm Houses this year.”
Sadie Barber, Deputy Curator, Glasshouses, Indoor Living Collection at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.