Royal garden’s healing herbs

It was created in the 17th century to teach students about the healing properties of plants.

Now the physic garden at the Palace of Holyroodhouse will once again grow ancient cures and remedies.

the original was established in 1670 to boost education about plants’ medicinal properties, and to provide pharmacists with fresh materials.

It was the first of its kind in Scotland and only the second botanic garden in Britain.

the Royal Collection trust (RCt) yesterday announced plans to recreate the garden and it hopes to begin work at the end of this year, with completion expected in the spring of 2019. RCt director Jonathan Marsden said: ‘the return of scientific gardening to the place of its birth in Scotland will provide a new focus of interest for visitors to the Palace, for the local community and especially, we hope, for young people.’

the original garden was created by two founding members of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, Sir Robert Sibbald and Dr Andrew Balfour.

In 1820 it was moved to Edinburgh’s Inverleith area due to a lack of space – today this is the site of the Royal Botanic Garden, covering more than 70 acres.

the garden will be behind the Abbey Strand buildings, which will also house a new learning centre.

Year-round planting will include indigenous and exotic medicinal plants such as birthwort, said to aid childbirth.

Simon Milne, regius keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden, said: ‘We are thrilled RCt is creating a new physic garden at the Palace.

‘We look forward to even greater collaboration and the opportunity for more people to be inspired about the plants and their history.’