Sibbaldia - the Journal of Botanic Garden Horticulture (Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Journals)
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GUEST ESSAY Vive l\u27horticulture de conservation
No full textConservation horticulture is an emerging and increasingly important function for all botanic gardens, but it is an activity that can be difficult to explain and to promote. Part of that difficulty lies in its name, and a few alternatives are suggested in this Guest Essay – such as Care for the Rare, Raising Rarity, and Plant Rescue and Care Unit – all currently in use at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (RBGV) for more narrowly scoped but pioneering projects. In reimagining conservation horticulture at RBGV we want to draw on the public’s intrinsic interest in and affinity with plants, rather than taking a defensive stand against what is often called ‘plant blindness’. Raising Rarity 2.0 is likely to combine commercialisation of rare species, innovative blending of amenity and conservation horticulture, and even stronger partnerships with schools and local government. As I prepare to leave RBGV after 25 years in senior management of botanic gardens, I’m supporting a grassroots push from horticultural and research staff to add conservation horticulture (whatever we call it) to our already potent mix of nature, culture and science
GUEST ESSAY A lesson for Botanic Gardens from the Covid-19 pandemic: reaching wider audiences through online activity
Get PDFThe power of botanic gardens to connect people to plants has traditionally stemmed from the physical interaction between visitors and living collections. However, the Covid-19 pandemic forced many botanic gardens to consider alternative, online programmes of engagement. Here I argue that this experience has been revelatory, showing us that digital approaches provide the power not only to reach a wider audience, but to connect more deeply with that audience if the content is carefully designed. The new opportunities provided for connecting people to plants will be an important part of botanic garden engagement programmes in the years ahead
SHORT NOTE Propagation of Bambusa vulgaris: a simplified method for use in display glasshouses
Get PDFHorticulture staff at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh have experimented with the propagation of Bambusa vulgaris by planting pieces of stem directly into the bed in which the plant is to grow. The success of the method means that both transportation time and space are saved by removing the stage where these large propagules are in the propagation unit
Plant evaluations for living roofs in Auckland, New Zealand
Get PDFAn extensive living roof is constructed with load bearing structures with a deep layer of soil media that supports a range of plants. Living roofs have environmental benefits, particularly in an urban setting, such as slowing water runoff and promoting evapotranspiration. Auckland Botanic Gardens (ABG) has been trialling different native and exotic plant species on living roofs to identify top performing plants for these unique growing conditions. The living roofs at ABG were constructed and planted in 2010, so after 10 years of observations, we are able to provide plant lists of what has worked well, challenges with the type of roofs we have, and the adventive species observed
Publication Ethics Statement
Get PDFThe document provides the detail of Sibbaldia\u27s Publication Ethics Statement including links to relevant publications organisations and references to key documents. 
Where have all the heathers gone?
Get PDFHeathers have been cultivated for several centuries, both the hardy heaths (Calluna, Daboecia and Erica) from the northern hemisphere and the more frost-tender species of Erica from southern Africa known as Cape heaths. In the late 19th century, a number of heather gardens were created, especially in Britain, and the popularity of heathers as long-lasting garden plants reached its zenith in western Europe and temperate North America in the late 20th century. At about the same time, deliberate breeding and selecting of Calluna vulgaris (ling) for flowers that lack normal sexual parts and remain bud-like led to a revolution in heather production with tens of millions of these bud-bloomer Calluna propagated each year for an ephemeral trade dominated by throwaway plants. Concomitantly, the diversity of hardy heathers offered by the trade has declined sharply with a small number of artificially raised clones, protected by plant breeders’ rights, now dominating the market. In contrast, the discovery of living lineages of a few Erica species that are extinct in the wild in South Africa has led to successful reintroduction programmes, particularly of Erica verticillata. The Erica Conservation Consortium, inaugurated in 2020, aims to coordinate and prioritise ex situ conservation of endangered Cape heaths
The historic greenhouses of the Greifswald Botanic Garden (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany) – rescued in the nick of time
Get PDFThe historic greenhouses of the University of Greifswald, built between 1884 and 1886 and covering an area of almost 300 m², are characterised by their riveted frame construction typical of the era. After almost 130 years of uninterrupted use, they were briefly on the brink of collapse in 2014 because damage caused by corrosion had reached a critical level. The State Monument Preservation Office campaigned strongly for the greenhouses, so that the university, with the support of the State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and other sponsors, was ultimately able to successfully carry out the restoration. The costs are expected to amount to around €4.3 million. The construction work undertaken on the tropical, palm and cycad houses guarantees that valuable plant collections will be preserved and that more extensive growth phenomena and ecological relationships can be demonstrated in the future
Foreword
Get PDFWith thanks to reviewers of papers in this volume:
Ted Chapman, Alan Elliott, Dusty Gedge, Suzanne Hermiston, Rebecca Hilgenhof, Ben Jones, Phil Lusby, Clare Morter, Katherine O’Donnell, Michael Pirie, David Rae, Fred Rumsey, Paul Smith, John Wood, Ella May Wulff and anonymous reviewers
STUDENT PROJECT Missing Maddenia: A review of Rhododendron subsection Maddenia at Logan Botanic Garden
Get PDFRhododendron subsection Maddenia has long been cultivated at Logan Botanic Garden, an outpost of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh (RBGE). It is noted in RBGE’s Collection Policy as one of Logan’s representation themes. Half of RBGE’s Maddenia accessions grow there outdoors in the relatively mild climate that suits these tender plants. It was known that Logan’s collection did not represent the entire Subsection. Therefore, this study’s aim was to investigate how completion might be achieved. Existing literature and known specialists were consulted to compile a list of taxa, although this remains unresolved. Using RBGE’s BG-BASE data and an observational survey of Logan’s living collection, it is suggested that 24 taxa may be absent from the collection. Their native occurrence, ex-situ cultivation and IUCN Red List criteria were researched. Using this information, a simple value system was created in order to prioritise acquisitions that might best serve conservation. This article is abridged and revised from the author’s specialist project, completed in candidature for the HND Horticulture with Plantsmanship
Growing roses without chemicals: transitioning the collection at Auckland Botanic Gardens (New Zealand) 2000–2020
Get PDFThe Rose Garden at Auckland Botanic Gardens displays rose cultivars which perform well and remain healthy in Auckland, New Zealand, without pesticide applications. Miticides, insecticides and fungicides are not used. Suitable cultivars are chosen for public display to inspire gardeners and encourage visitors to make their own rose selections based on personal preferences from an array of proven performers. These are identified to the public as ‘Star Performers’. Here the process of trialling, identifying and displaying old shrub and modern rose cultivars that have achieved Star Performer status over the past 20 years is presented. This work demonstrates the role that botanic gardens can play in promoting sustainable horticultural practices