BACKHOUSE ROSSIE ESTATE DAFFODIL FESTIVAL

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That this House congratulates the Backhouse Rossie Estate in North East Fife in hosting Scotland's first daffodil festival over the weekend of 15 and 16 April 2017; notes the festival featured heritage, modern and field-grown daffodils as well as activities including horticulture education, floristry, gardening opportunities and family-friendly events; further notes that the estate, which is now an RHS Partner Garden and home to the National Collection of Narcissus Backhouse, has been growing daffodils since the mid-1800s, the estate's Backhouse Centre provides an excellent facility for horticultural education and that the specimens play an important role in medicine with their alkaloid chains used as the basis of Alzheimer's drugs and other mental health medicines; further congratulates owners Caroline and Andrew Thomson on their hard work and dedication to nurturing and ensuring the future of some very important species of daffodil as well as their staff, Business Gateway and Fife Council for all of their work and support in organising the festival; is pleased to hear the festival was well received by visitors; and wishes the festival well as it continues to raise awareness of and provide visitors with the opportunity to engage with these important plants.