Who we are
The Friends first met in December 1982 to provide a forum for those interested in promoting the well-being of the Garden.
The idea for a Friends organisation was suggested because the very existence of the Garden was threatened by financial shortages.
Friends Committee 2022
Back Row L-R: David Burslem, Adrienne Brocklebank, Edna May Pyle, Marion Hart
Front Row L-R: Julie Young, Martin Barker, Heather Dale, Andy Roberts
Dr Noel Pritchard, the Garden’s Curator, gave a talk at the first meeting to highlight the need for support.
Over the last 40 years, the work of the Friends has helped to sustain and develop the Cruickshank.
We raise funds from subscriptions, donations, bequests, fund-raising events and the sale of calendars and cards.
We are led by a Committee, who meet at least quarterly, and are responsible for administering funds. Its officers and members are elected at our AGM. The Keeper and Curator of the Garden and a member of the Cruickshank Botanic Garden Trust also serve on the Committee.
Committee Members 2022 and their Roles
President
Dr Martin Barker, University of Aberdeen
Secretary
Andy Roberts
Treasurer and Membership Secretary
Julie Young
Committee Members
Marion Hart
Heather Dale
Edna May Pyle
Adrienne Brocklebank
Keeper of the Garden
Dr David Burslem, University of Aberdeen
Curator
Mark Paterson
Cruickshank Botanic Gardens Trust
David Atkinson (not pictured)
Meet some of the Friends
Heather Dale
I really loved the garden whilst I was a student having my lunch there most days, sitting in the Friends’ summerhouse when the weather wasn't great, so much so that my parents bought me Life Membership of the Friends as a graduation present. Not the usual sort of graduation gift perhaps.
Almost 30 years later I am still involved with the Friends and joined the committee earlier this year. As a professional garden designer I hope to be able to provide advice regarding the new outside covered space which the Friends plan to part finance in the near future.
My favourite part of the garden is the long herbaceous border, and seeing it grow each year from ground level to a 2m tall flower bonanza, with so much variety.
Over the years I have enjoyed the garden visits organised by the Friends, and am happy that many of the plants I propagate can find a good home at the plant sales.
Paul Kohn
I found the Friends of the Cruickshank page on Facebook many years ago, and we've attended the Spring and Autumn plant sales for many years too. My interest grew around five years ago, when I helped a neighbour run a plant sale in aid of the Cruickshank, and provided some house plants. She was a member of the Friends, and shared her newsletter with me for a couple of years, before I joined in my own right.
The main attraction of the Friends for me was the house plant giveaway. I've been donating around eighty plants a year for a few years now. It's a good way to keep my own house plants in check, without throwing away good plant material. It's also a good way to utilise our greenhouse space from late May onward, when my wife's seedlings start to find their way into the ground via our cold frame.
I've enjoyed reading the regular newsletters, although we tend not to have attended the meetings and online sessions. My wife and I both love visiting the Cruickshank, as well as other wonderful gardens in this part of the world.