The gardener who founded an award-winning Fife bloom group will make a floral tribute to Scotland’s forces veterans.
Keith Jackson, who set up Falkland in Bloom almost 25 years ago, will plant a huge indoor garden for Poppyscotland. His work will go on show in June at Gardening Scotland 2011, a gardening and outdoor living show in Edinburgh.
Keith, a parks and community events officer, was part of the Fife Council team which entered a winning exhibit at last year’s show. He was approached by Poppyscotland, which supports ex-servicemen and women and their families, to create a dramatic display to mark 90 years of the Scottish Poppy Appeal.
The exhibit, featuring exotic flowers, native Scottish plant and a “grow-your-own” plot, will form the centrepiece of the Dobbies Hall and will be seen by more than 35,000 people in three days.
Keith said, “It is a great honour to be asked by Poppyscotland to create an indoor garden to mark the 90th anniversary of their iconic appeal. The work they do is of huge importance to ex-service personnel and along with Jon Wheatley, of Winchester Growers, I am determined to create something very special.”
Poppyscotland head of fund-raising Colin Flinn said the show garden was one of the highlights of activities to celebrate the anniversary and added, “We want to remind visitors to Gardening Scotland that while the Poppy Appeal is prominent in November, Poppyscotland’s vital work in supportingveterans continues all year round.”
Gardening Scotland show manager Jim Jermyn said, “We have many wonderful exhibits planned for this year’s show, but I am quite confident that the Poppyscotland display will be a spectacular and fitting tribute to the appeal’s 90th anniversary.”