Sibbaldia - the Journal of Botanic Garden Horticulture (Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Journals)
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Cultivating Alpines at Utrecht University Botanic Garden
Get PDFThe rock garden at the Utrecht University Botanic Garden was built between 1967 and 1976 and is considered to be the best of its type in the Netherlands. As well as traditional rock garden beds there are a number of special constructions such as raised beds, spheres and walls. This paper describes the history of the rock garden and the cultivation of the plants in it. The construction of the raised beds, spheres and walls are described along with some of the plants cultivated on them
Indices Seminum: : Are They Really Worth the Effort?
Get PDFThis manuscript investigates whether indices seminum are currently aiding conservation or whether they require modernisation. It is widely assumed that the proportion of wild-collected seeds has increased within botanical seed lists. Through a number of studies we found the reverse to be true. Our paper also found that very widespread taxa were needlessly offered from garden origin. More worrying is that taxa well known for their invasiveness were also freely available for distribution. Another concern was the failure to supply or request associated data for wild-collected seeds despite its availability, a neglect counter-intuitive to botanic gardens. We highlight that in their present form indices seminum are a waste of resources and offer little to legitimate conservation. A range of recommendations is provided for modernising this activity in order to prioritise conservation, one of our biggest challenges of the 21st century
The Winter Garden at Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Get PDFThe history of the Winter Gardens at Cambridge University Botanic Garden is described with particular reference to the one planted in 1978–79 with discussion of the design philosophy, planting and current management practices needed to maintain this maturing garden
Plant Health and How it Affects Private Gardens: Experience from a Botanic Garden Pathologist
No full textLike many other botanic gardens the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) provides advice about plant pests and diseases to amateur gardeners. This paper summarises the main problem plant categories (such as trees and vegetables), plant problems (such as pests or fungal infection) and other observations, such as number of enquiries by month noted by pathology staff at the Garden over the last twenty years
The Value of Record Keeping: a Case Study from Four Elderly Orchid Accessions
No full textThe history of four orchids growing at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), some of the oldest accessions still in cultivation in the Indoor Department, is outlined. Records from the time of their arrival have been invaluable in providing an insight into the history of plant collecting, introduction and cultivation methods from the 1890s. They demonstrate the importance of accurate record keeping and the potential for species conservation in botanic gardens
Preliminary Advice on Fruit Handling, Seed Pretreatment and \u27Germination\u27 of Embryos of Prumnopitys andina
No full textPrumnopitys andina is a member of the Podocarpaceae native to Chile and Argentina. It is known to be relatively easy to propagate vegetatively, but germination from seeds is poor and can be spread over at least four years. This paper describes the methods that were used to raise 89 seedlings from 262 seeds (=34%) in less than 1 year. The sequence involves i) completely removing the fleshy sarcotesta; ii) thoroughly washing the seed-coat; iii) `pretreating\u27 the imbibed seeds by incubating them in moist peat and sand at a daily alternating 10/15°C for several months (to allow \u27maturation\u27 or `after-ripening\u27 / \u27dormancy breakage\u27 at present we do not know which); iv) carefully cracking the seed-coat in a vice and extracting the embryo; v) culturing clean, firm, healthy (=-`viable\u27) embryos on moist filter paper at a daily alternating 20/30°C (with lights during the 30°C phase); [vi) where necessary, freeing the cotyledons of all seedlings that become trapped in the female gametophyte]; vii) transplanting seedlings to conventional nursery practice. A further 1008 seeds are continuing \u27pretreatment\u27 to investigate whether this will increase the proportion of seedlings per viable embryo or better still lead to a much less labour intensive seedling emergence from intact seeds
The Cultivation of Victoria amazonica Sowerby in Northern Latitudes
No full textVictoria amazonica Sowerby has been cultivated in Britain since the 1830s. In this paper the cultivation of this species at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is outlined with reference to its native environment, including propagation, planting out, general maintenance, flowering and pollination
Tropical Ginger Cultivation in North American Temperate Climes
No full textThe popularity of gingers, in the family Zingiberaceae and many native to Southeast Asia, is increasing as more species are brought into cultivation by botanists and as botanic gardens increase their public displays in glasshouses and outside beds. Not only are the foliage and flowers striking in appearance with bright colors and unusual forms, but many have medicinal uses as well. Some species are evergreen while others go dormant during the winter months. Gingers are relatively easy to cultivate and are not prone to insect pests. In regions with freezing temperatures during the winter a glasshouse is required. With proper care and planning, a great variety of species can be successfully cultivated and put on view for the public
A Changing Role for the Arboretum of the Universidad Austral de Chile (UACH)
No full textThe Arboretum of Universidad Austral de Chile is playing an important role in cultivating some of Chile\u27s most threatened woody plant species in order to establish ex situ conservation collections for research, education and to assist the restoration of depleted wild populations. Changing the way in which the Arboretum manages its plant collections, so that it can play a more effective role in conservation, has been an important output of a Darwin Initiative funded project run in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. The three year project, \u27An Integrated Programme for the Conservation of Chilean Threatened Endemic Plants\u27 was started in 2002. This paper describes how the project has assisted in developing facilities in the Arboretum to propagate and grow some of Chile\u27s most threatened plant species and includes details of six lesser known, threatened narrow endemics