Tributes paid to Logan Botanic Garden curator killed in Storm Boelo

Richard Baines, the long-serving curator of Logan Botanic Garden, has been remembered for his warmth and work promoting plants after he was killed by a falling tree during Storm Boelo.

Baines, 60, died on Sunday morning near his home in Mid Kelton, outside Castle Douglas. David Knott, director of horticulture at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, said colleagues were “desperately sad, devastated” by his death.

Knott described Baines as a supportive colleague who made time for others and helped create opportunities for younger horticulturists. He said Baines would be remembered for his enthusiasm for plants and for significantly expanding Logan’s collection.

Baines worked at the garden near Stranraer, one of four Scottish gardens run by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. During his tenure, he was chiefly responsible for developments including what the garden describes as the UK’s first public conservatory powered by green energy. He also took part in fieldwork in China, the Canary Islands and Vietnam, where seven plant species new to science were catalogued.

Dumfries and Galloway MSP Finlay Carson, a former school friend, called Baines “a remarkable gentleman and a good friend to many”. He said Baines’s work had brought recognition to Galloway as well as to his profession.

Baines died as Storm Boelo brought flooding, travel disruption and power cuts across Scotland. The storm’s wider effects followed disruption from Storm Austen earlier in the week.