• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Sun 12 Aug 2007

A seed merchant anxious to wish the Edinburgh International Festival a happy 60th birthday decided to say it with flowers – so his message would be visible to visitors arriving by plane.

Johnny Watson who farms near Dunbar, and runs John Watson Seeds, had the giant greeting planted in a field on the approach to Edinburgh Airport.

“It will be the first impression many visitors and artists get as they arrive,” said Mr Watson.

“You will know from the very off that you are in The Festival City.”

“I very much feel that it is not just Edinburgh’s Festival, it belongs to the whole of Scotland and that includes people in the countryside like me. Scots should be proud of our quality produce and our quality Festival of the arts.”

Johnny is no stranger to the art world. His farm at Skateraw hosts the Richard Demarco archive.

The giant “60” takes up 5 acres and is in a field of purple phacelia. The flowers were chosen not only to look good from the air, but because they are a conservation crop benefiting bees and other insects. The seeds were planted several weeks ago and have been timed to bloom for the duration of the Festival. They will later be ploughed in as a green manure.

Johnny concluded: “There are clear links between Scottish farming and the Edinburgh International Festival. They both enjoy world class reputations that everyone in Scotland should be proud of. We hope that visitors to the Festival will enjoy outstanding local Scottish produce during their stay in Scotland.”