Photos of a small derelict garden in Attard dedicated to a "forgotten" father of Maltese botany on Monday spurred calls to keep alive the legacy of the late John Borg.

The pictures of Ġardina John Borg were sent to independent candidate Arnold Cassola by one of his Facebook followers, who described the garden as "practically a dump".

Reacting, Cassola's social media followers called for a better memorial in remembrance of the botanist, or, at the very least, better upkeep of the garden.

Borg was born in 1873 in Balzan. A doctor by profession, he dedicated his life to botany and agriculture and went on to become Superintendent of Agriculture, a University of Malta professor of natural history and Botanical Garden Director.

Senior curator at the National History Museum John J Borg described the late botanist as "instrumental in creating new public gardens and rearranging existing ones".

Borg also wrote a series of publications in Maltese and English, choosing not to use Italian or Latin, the languages of the professional and academic classes.

Prof Sandro Lanfranco, from the Faculty of Science, described one of his publications - The Descriptive Flora of the Maltese Islands - as his "landmark work".

Stamp dedicated to the legacy of John Borg. Photo: Antlantipedia Website

Published in 1927, the 846-page book outlines Malta's botanical history, geology, and flora. It remains a crucial text for botany enthusiasts.

Lanfranco also believes that Borg deserves a better memorial.

“Why not create something more long-lasting, tangible and useful? A small botanical garden featuring Maltese plants would be great. “

Borg suggested a garden commemorating a number of Maltese naturalists: "Unfortunately, John Borg is not the only Maltese naturalist who has been forgotten".

"This is why the Museum of Natural History displays try to feature the names of the naturalists who helped contribute to the relevant fields.”

Other notable people include Giuseppe Despott, who was the first natural history museum curator, George Zammit Maempel - curator of geology and palaeontology at Għar Dalam - and ornithologist Joe Sultana.