Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has installed 5,750 panels of toughened glass over five years to protect hundreds of plants from Scottish winter weather, the garden said.
The new glass replaces older panels that have repeatedly failed during storms and high winds. On the windiest days, when wind speeds exceed 30mph, staff close greenhouses entirely because glass panels can crash to the floor. Nobody is permitted inside during such conditions.
The garden houses tropical ferns, cycads and rare alpine heathers that depend on controlled greenhouse environments. The harsh Scottish winters have historically damaged these collections. Staff describe plants as "decapitated" by falling glass during severe weather events.
The toughened glass panels represent a significant infrastructure upgrade, though the garden indicates more work remains to be completed. The project spans the garden's extensive collection of plant species, many of which are rare or difficult to cultivate outside tropical or alpine climates.
The timing of the upgrades is deliberate. The work has been completed before September transitions into the autumn and winter storm season when conditions become most hazardous for both plants and staff.