IT grew out of an idea of former council recreation director Arroll Winning and then curator Don Williams.
A voluntary group was created to give a helping hand in looking after one of Sheffield's most distinguished parks.
Now the Friends of the Botanical Gardens are celebrating their 25th birthday, appropriately with a tree-planting ceremony on Wednesd
ay.
Lord Mayor Coun Graham Oxley will also open a part of the Robert Marnock garden, named after the designer who laid out the gardens in the 1830s.
Even though the bulk of the restoration of the gardens is finished thanks to a £5m heritage lottery grant, work continues on the Robert Marnock garden and the 'evolution garden', which is designed to show how plants have evolved over millions of years.
It was the enthusiasm and commitment of the Friends that helped to drive the trust that secured the grant, part of a pioneering partnership of the council, university and voluntary sector.
FOBs did their bit towards the 'match funding' for the lottery money through the sale of plants and craft items, conducting tours and performing other activities.
When the group was formed in 1984 its aims were to promote general gardening in Sheffield as well as to support the Botanical Gardens. However, it was only six years ago that members could get their hands dirty, after the council changed its policy so that community groups could work in council-managed public open spaces.
Although the gardens are vastly improved on the tired layout of pre-lottery days, the FOBs say there is always the need for new planting, fresh interpretations and publicity material.
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