Speakers

Ian Young has had a lifelong interest in plants and, along with his wife Margaret, has developed a well-stocked garden in Aberdeen. Over more than forty years the

trees and shrubs have matured and Ian has developed a rich under planting of bulbs and woodland plants which provides a progression of seasonal colour texture and form. Most of the plants, including bulbs, trees and shrubs, have been raised from seed.

Ian is also experienced in alpines and rock gardens. It was he who developed various innovative ways of making troughs including the method of turning Styrofoam fish boxes into troughs that mimic the appearance of real stone - a method that he shared around the world. 

For twenty years Ian has written a weekly online diary, The Bulb Log, where he shares his enthusiasm for growing and propagating bulbs. In 2015 he also started a YouTube channel where there are over 180 videos from his garden. 

He has published an electronic book ‘Erythroniums in Cultivation’ which is available for free download at SRGC.net

Ian has lectured widely in the UK, Europe, Scandinavia, New Zealand, USA and Canada including at many prestigious international conferences. For over 15 years he was a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio Scotland.

Ian is also an artist and photographer and uses both these skills in the garden and his presentations.

In 2007 he and Margaret were honoured to be (jointly) awarded the Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother Medal by the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society for outstanding service to Scottish horticulture.

In 2008 Ian was awarded the SRGC Golden Jubilee Salver for outstanding service to the SRGC.

In 2020 Ian was awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal by the Royal Horticultural Society for ‘exceptional involvement in the advancement of the science art and practice of horticulture’.