Join the snowdrop celebrations!

1 – 28 February

Those pretty little harbingers of spring make their appearance in our Gardens this month. Come marvel at their delicate beauty in the clear winter light and celebrate the Snowdrop Festival with us. Discover a selection of specialist snowdrops at Edinburgh, Dawyck and Logan, and join one of our many events. Part of the VisitScotland Scottish Snowdrop Festival.

See a full list of Snowdrop Festival events on our website.

Register now for the Snowdrop Conference

Friday 20 February 2009

Join galanthophile experts and enthusiasts for a special day devoted to snowdrops at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. The day features an impressive line-up of speakers, guided tours of the Garden, an exhibition by the Scottish Rock Garden Club, plant stalls, refreshments and a buffet lunch.

Registration fee £35. See conference details on our website.

Gardening the Earth – pre-order your copy

In Gardening the Earth, Prof. Stephen Blackmore, RBGE's Regius Keeper, confronts the twin challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss and outlines the choices we face. The book is a call to action based on a passionate belief that a sustainable future rests with care of the planet as if it were a garden. In this highly readable narrative, the author combines hard science with a personal delight in the diversity of living things. He explores the achievable actions we can all take to secure the best outcome for all life on Earth.

Visit our website to pre-order your copy.

February events at Edinburgh

Dreams on Wheels

24 January – 21 March

Denmark has a unique and inspiring bicycle culture. This exhibition promotes urban cycling, showcasing innovative Danish-designed bicycles and city cycle routes. The accompanying events focus on cycling as green transport. Presented by the Danish Cultural Institute.

See exhibition details on our website and visit www.dancult.co.uk/dreamsonwheels

Mark Beamont: round the world by bike

Friday 20 February, 7pm

Mark Beaumont talks about his record-breaking journey around the globe by bike, in which he covered 18,000 miles in six-and-a-half months. Lecture Theatre, 20A Inverleith Row, 7pm. Tickets £7, £6.30 for Members. Part of the Dreams on Wheels events programme presented by the Danish Cultural Institute.

See event details on our website and book your tickets online.

The Lost World Read 2009 at the Botanics

1 – 28 February; reading Sun 1st

Edinburgh's residents will read local-born author Arthur Conan Doyle's tale of dinosaurs and exploration, The Lost World, in February as part of The Lost World Read 2009. Prose and poetry extracts relating to themes of the book are on display in the Temperate Palmhouse (with the Scottish Poetry Library). And join us for a reading of poetry and prose on Sunday 1 February, 1pm – 1.20pm, in the Temperate Palmhouse.

See reading and display details; visit www.cityofliterature.com

Lecture: A Celebration of Charles Darwin

Thursday 12 February, 7.30pm

On the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth, Dr David Harris, Curator of RBGE's Herbarium, will display and discuss some of the Darwin specimens in the herbarium collection and talk about Darwin Initiative projects at RGBE. Lecture Theatre, 20A Inverleith Row, 7.30pm. Tickets £5, £3 for Members. Call 0131 552 5339 to book. A Darwin200 event.

See event details; view all Darwin200 events; see www.darwin200.org

Family events in February

Keep the little ones entertained at weekends – bring them to the Botanics! Here's what's on for families:

Art-tastic, Sun 1 February: Create beautiful, delicate paper wall hangings to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Musical Roots, Sat 7 February: Make musical instruments from plants and recycled materials.

Sunday Science, Sun 8 February: The private life of snowdrops.

Talking Trees Storytelling, Sun 15 February: Tales of wonder and delight.

Real Life Science, Sat 21 February: Finding flowers in winter.

Last chance to see at Inverleith House...

Until Sunday 8 February

Rosita McKenzie with Camilla Adams – Two Voices III/Horticulture Behind the Scenes. Colour photographs of horticulture at the Garden, taken by Edinburgh-based artist Rosita McKenzie (who is blind), accompanied by raised drawings by Camilla Adams and audio commentaries.

See exhibition details on our website.

Inverleith House winter exhibitions programme

21 February to 19 April

Two exhibitions of new work created for Inverleith House by the Glasgow-based artists Hayley and Sue Tompkins, are accompanied by paintings made last year by Edinburgh-based painter Mary MacIver. Highly regarded at home and internationally, Hayley and Sue Tompkins’ exhibitions Autobuilding and P.T.O. are the artists’ first solo museum exhibitions in Scotland, taking place on the ground and first floors, whilst Mary MacIver’s exhibition Pilgrim Souls is shown in the lower gallery.

See Inverleith House details on our website.

February events at Dawyck and Logan

Dawyck re-opens with a new Curator

Sunday 1 February

Dawyck Botanic Garden near Peebles in the Scottish Borders re-opens this Sunday 1 February. Swathes of snowdrops will cover the banks of the Scrape Burn later this month, so do visit for the Snowdrop Festival. Dawyck's gates will be opened by a new Curator, Graham Stewart, who was the Garden Supervisor before taking the helm recently after former Curator David Knott moved to RBGE's headquarters in Edinburgh. Graham has worked at Dawyck for 13 years.

Visitor information for Dawyck Botanic Garden on our website.

Plants & Landscapes through the Lens

1 February – 19 April 2009

Dawyck's visitor centre studio space opens for the season with this exhibition by photographer David MacKinnon. Images range from plants and scenes at Dawyck to broader landscapes and scenery from the surrounding Borders and beyond. Limited edition framed prints available to order.

See exhibition details; visit www.davidmackinnon.co.uk

Logan opens on Sundays in February

Logan Botanic Garden near Stranraer in Dumfries & Galloway is open on Sundays in February as part of the Snowdrop Festival. This is a super opportunity to tour the Garden at a time of year when it's normally closed to the public. Visitors can see Logan's collection of snowdrops, plus early-flowering rhododendrons and camellias. Logan is open every Sunday between 1 and 22 February, 10am to 4pm, and opens daily from 1 March, 10am to 5pm.

Logan Botanic Garden on our website.

Courses & workshops in February & March

Places are still available for the following courses and workshops in February and March. Further details of all our courses and a booking form are available on the website or by contacting the Education Department on 0131 248 2937, education@rbge.org.uk.

Weekend workshops

Care of Orchids and House Plants, Sat 14 Feb, 10am – 4pm, £45 / £40.50.

Moss Identification Level 2, Sun 15 Feb, 10am – 4pm, £45 / £40.50.

Botanical Art Masterclass 4 – Lizzie Sanders, Sat 21 – Sun 22 Feb, 10am – 4pm, £100 / £90.

Uncovering Evolution (Phylogenetics for Beginners), Sat 21 Feb, 10am – 4pm, £40.

Painting with Fibres, Sat 7 Mar, 10am – 4pm, £45 / £40.50.

Digital Plant Photography Workshop I, Sat 7 & 14 Mar, 9.30am – 3.45pm, £75 / 67.50.

Lichen Identification, Sun 15 March, 10am – 4pm, £45 / £40.50.

Digital Plant Photography Workshop II, Sat 28 Mar, 9.30am – 3.45pm, £35 / £31.50.

Simple Art of Meditation, Sat 28 Mar, 10am – 4pm, £40 / £36.