A workshop with Alan Mitchell, Head Gardener at Dr Neils' Garden.

Learn to carve a spoon from a freshly felled birch log using professional quality carving tool axes, wood carving knives and spoon knives.

Meet at the Garden gate. Bring food for lunch and snacks. Tea & coffee provided. Children over 12 years welcome, accompanied by an adult.

> Cost: £90 (Early bird booking £80 before end September). All proceeds to Dr Neils’ Garden. To book a place email info@drneilsgarden.co.uk

Cavalry Park is fifty-plus acres of grass, trees and playing fields in the south of Edinburgh. These days it's a pleasant recreation area, but there's rather more to the story of this place. It had brief but important roles to play during both World Wars. But for over 10 years after WW2 it was the site of some of the most desperately needed but most deplorable housing in the city. This talk looks at the community of "tin huts" that briefly occupied the park, an address so undesirable that residents were reduced to denying they even lived there.

Andy Arthur is a local historian and founder of Threadinburgh, a project dedicated to exploring the more obscure, unusual, and irreverent historical stories of Edinburgh and Leith. Fragments of such tales are all around us: lurking in memories, hiding in old newspapers or the sheets of maps, commemorated in street names and any other number of unexpected places. From forgotten transport schemes and eccentric characters to architectural quirks and more sober social history, Threadinburgh re-assembles the pieces and brings these stories back to life.

This talk focuses on some of the interesting places in Scotland that are considered secret for one reason or another. Bruce Gittings has been undertaking extensive research to produce a new Gazetteer for Scotland. This is a vast geographical encyclopaedia featuring towns, villages, bens and glens from the Scottish Borders to the Northern Isles. It includes tourist attractions, industries and historical sites, together with histories of family names, clans, biographies of famous Scots and descriptions of historical events associated with Scotland.

The talk will be illustrated with maps and aerial photos.

Bruce is a senior lecturer in Geographical Information at Edinburgh Earth Observatory, School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh.

Brigid Collins is an artist, educator and author whose practice is deeply rooted in close and loving observation of the natural world. She makes paintings and drawings inspired by poetry as well as working in three dimensions and with the form of the book. She is most often drawn to the tactility and sensuousness of materials such as pastels, watercolour, porcelain, tissue, gauze, wire and wax, encapsulating fragility and strength in equal measure.

Brigid has collaborated and published books with poets and authors Seamus Heaney, Kathleen Jamie, Kirsty Gunn and Christine De Luca. Her collaboration with Christine evolved over a year which she spent as Artist in Residence at Dr. Neil’s Garden, where paintings, drawings, poems and a short film resulting from their collaboration went on to be exhibited in Playfair’s beautiful Thomson’s Tower, set deep in the gardens, on the shores of Duddingston Loch.

This talk will cover the fascinating life story of the medieval Trinity Collegiate church and include the heated 19th century debates regarding its demolition in the name of progress by the North British Railway in 1848. It will touch on Jill's current project to find the lost Trinity stones, now dispersed all over Edinburgh.

Jill Harrison is a social art historian with a particular interest in 15th century cultural exchange between Scotland and Burgundy. She is a Research Associate at the Open University and recently gave up her lecturing post to spend more time on writing and research. She leads the Trinity Network and the Adornes Network. She is an FSA Scot and is funded by the Old Edinburgh Club for the Reviving the Trinity Stones project and is curating a forthcoming exhibition on this at the Museum of Edinburgh next year. She very much enjoys spreading the word about the importance of preserving Edinburgh's medieval past.

The much-maligned stinging nettle has behind it a tale of extraordinary continent-hopping. It is part of the large family Urticaceae, not all of which are stingers. This plant family has crossed major ocean barriers at least 72 times since Dinosaurs died out, reaching all major landmasses and several remote islands. But how did they do it?

Dr Richard Milne, University of Edinburgh, introduces work he's been involved in, unravelling relationships in the nettle family, collecting them from remote parts of China, and finally addressing a major scientific question: how do plant species cross oceans?

Richard is a senior lecturer in evolutionary biology at the University of Edinburgh. His research work primarily focuses on plant geography and evolution, but he has strong interests in science communication, critical thinking, and how changes in how we produce our food could lead to a more sustainable future. Dr Milne's lectures are extremely popular with undergraduate students, and he has won four awards voted for by students across the University.

He is the creator of the plant identification resource Namethatplant.org, has written two novels, and is currently working on a book about Orchids for the New Naturalist series.

You are invited to join this botanical embroidery class for a relaxing afternoon in the Garden where you will create a beautiful botanically inspired piece of embroidery. During the workshop, you will master colour blending and learn how to use different stitches to create depth and realism while bringing botanical details to life with vibrant textures.

Everything you need will be set up and waiting for you and no experience is necessary, so just show up and switch off!

> Spaces limited - book your place here:

https://www.edinburghsewingclasses.uk/copy-of-botanical-embroidery

A first for Dr Neil's Garden, this unique creative workshop will combine Scottish storytelling and Polish papercutting (wycinanki). Through these two traditional art forms, this free session, run by  Beetroots Collective CIC, invites participants to explore trees, belonging and intercultural connection.

The workshop will begin with a storytelling walk led by Stephen McCabe, who’ll share tales inspired by the Garden’s trees and landscapes. His stories open a reflective space to think about nature, heritage - and how landscapes shape our sense of home.

After the walk, artist Robert Motyka will lead a hands‑on Polish paper cut‑out workshop, introducing participants to the colourful folk tradition of wycinanki. You’ll learn simple techniques, create your own nature‑inspired designs and experience how craft can connect cultures and communities.

This workshop is suitable for adults curious about traditional arts. No previous experience is needed. All materials will be provided.

>  Book free ticket on Eventbrite

Talking Trees: paper art and stories Tickets, Multiple dates | Eventbrite