Forres Tolbooth to host Scottish Rhododendron Society talk for Friends of the Falconer Museum

A woody plant specialist is to give a talk on his recent visit to India, following in the footsteps of Forres’ most celebrated botanist.

Matt Heasman’s ‘From Scotland to the Himalayas - Finding Falconer's Rhododendron’ on Saturday, November 22, 7pm at the Tolbooth is the final event planned by the Friends of the Falconer Museum in celebration of the group’s 30th year.

“I will discuss my journeys through Bhutan and the north of India to, eventually, find Rhododendron falconeri. This summer, I was trying to find some of the places where Hugh Falconer worked in India. There is still a lot to dig up!”

The Scottish Rhododendron Society member, now in his sixties, was inspired as a young boy working in the garden with his father until the age of 10.

Other matters caught his attention as the boy became a man, and 15 years went by before his fascination for plants took hold again.

Aged 25, Matt got involved with rhododendrons and, now in his sixties, has never looked back.

“I’ve been a postman most of my life,” he said. “I’m now looking forward to retiring and becoming a full-time specialist.

“Part of the joy of studying rhododendrons is the fact that they originate in far-away places.”

Matt will report from his recent visit to Asia where he was on a mission to find the plant named in honour of Forres-born natural scientist and museum founder, Hugh Falconer.

The Friends of the Falconer Museum planted a specimen of Rhododendron falconeri - named in his honour - in Grant Park to commemorate their 30th anniversary.

One of the highlights of Matt’s travels was the invitation to the coronation ceremony of the king of Bhutan in 2008.

“Wearing a kilt made all the difference,” she said. “It was my first-class ticket to the king’s coronation. Apparently, the kilt bears a striking resemblance to the traditional men’s dress of Bhutan, with plaid designs nicely draped around the waist.”

Scotland is home to numerous collections of rhododendrons, including at Blackhills east of Forres, close to Elgin.

Tickets for the talk are available via https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/forres-heritage-trust

The talk will mark the end of our 30th anniversary year. We began it by planting the Rhododendron falconeri in Grant Park, with accompanying plaque and will end with a talk by a Scotsman about travelling in India in search of plants related to Hugh Falconer.

Christiane

From Scotland to the Himalayas Finding Falconer's Rhododendron and other plants in the wild - A talk with refreshments by Matt Heasman of The Scottish Rhododendron Society, Saturday, November, 7pm at the Tolbooth. Doors open 6.30pm.

Scan QR code or book via www.ticketsource.co.uk/forres-heritage-trust

Volunteers to celebrate 30 years of supporting the Falconer Museum with talk honouring Hugh Falconer’s legacy

“My talk is about my journeys through Bhutan and the north of India to eventually find Rhododendron falconeri.

“This summer, I was trying to find some of the places where Hugh Falconer worked in India.

“There is still a lot to dig up.” says rhododendron expert Matt Heasman from Glasgow.

Matt, now in his sixties, was inspired as a young boy by his gardening father, working in the garden until the age of 10.

Other matters caught his attention and 15 years went by before the fascination for plants took hold of him again.

Aged 25, Matt got involved with rhododendrons and never looked back. Having worked as a postman most of his life, he now looks forward to retiring to become a full-time specialist.

Part of the joy of studying rhododendrons is the fact that they originate in far-away places. Matt will report from his most recent visit to Asia where he was on a mission to find the plant named in honour of Forres-born natural scientist Hugh Falconer.

Local volunteer group Friends of the Falconer Museum planted a specimen of this Rhododendron falconeri in Grant Park to commemorate their 30th anniversary.

The talk will be a highlight in this year’s celebration of three decades of support for the museum.

One of the highlights of Matt Heasman’s travels was the invitation to the coronation ceremony of the king of Bhutan in 2008.

“Wearing a kilt made all the difference,” said Matt. “It was “my first-class ticket to the king’s coronation. Apparently, the kilt bears a striking resemblance to the traditional men’s dress of Bhutan, with plaid designs nicely draped around the waist.”

Scotland is home to numerous gardens with collections of rhododendrons, a famous one, Blackhills, lying east of Forres and close to Elgin.

Only one of the more than 1000 rhododendron species, Rhododendron ponticum, is invasive in the UK and Ireland. It can cause trouble and thus has somewhat unfairly damaged the image of rhododendrons in general.

Tickets for the talk on November 22 are available via https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/forres-heritage-trust