Aug

This Week’s Guest Blogger is Connor Smith, a Horticulturist at The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

It will be of no surprise that an attractive plant has been found in this particular genus. One in which has been so highly regarded by the garden, the country and indeed the world. Rhododendron has seamlessly found a home in many of our hearts. In all the countries I have lived in, I am always asked about our sophisticated Scottish counterparts who scour for prized Rhododendron.
During a post-Christmas amble through the garden I decided to venture into the glasshouses; Pigs & blankets, turkey included. A safe haven within the warmth of the collection and less strenuous activity post-Christmas. Despite being based at the botanics for a few years now I always seem to find something new, hidden to me previously through inexperienced eyes or brought into focus when showing off. This day was no different.
Rhododendron himantodes was practically eye level when immersed within the cloud forests of Borneo. Tucked into a nearby tree the plant poked perfectly out catching my attention. The narrow strap foliage was complemented beautifully with an explosion of white flowers in the upper half of the plant. However, it was the back of the flowers which caught my eye. The backs matched my complexion, pasty white with freckles. The leopard print patterning permeated through the back of the flower, diffusing into the floral performance.

The backs of the flowers are painted with freckles

A close up of the inner markings

The unopened bud and the long strap like leaves

It would not be fair to mention this plant without paying tribute to the collector. The late George Argent who collected it in Sarawak, Malaysia, 1978. This plant resides in the Montane Tropics glasshouse at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

07

Aug

This Week’s Guest Blogger is Nigel Payne, a Horticultural and Landscape Professional.

Horticulture – Pass it on Blog

I was 17 and desperate for a job. At the time my older brother worked for the local council in the parks department and suggested that I apply for a job there. The council? No thank you, I have more ambition than that? However, in reality, I had no choice. I submitted my job application and waited to hear back from them. Within two weeks, I started work as a nurseryman working in the council glasshouses, helping to grow plants for the parks and gardens throughout the borough.

Within a number of days my line manager asked a question that would change and steer my career to this day: “Would you like to go to college and get some qualifications?” I was 17 of course not! I had only left school the previous year and didn’t fancy going back into a classroom. He continued “It would mean you would be at college every Thursday instead of coming to work”. Every Thursday off work? “Yes absolutely” I replied. The following September I embarked on my City & Guilds Amenity Horticulture course at Oaklands College in St Albans.

The Councils glasshouses

At the end of the academic year I passed the course with flying colours but more importantly I had loved every minute of it. Horticulture almost seemed to come naturally to me. Hey, I could make a career of this I thought? At the time no one in the council had ever chosen to progress further than the first year of college but with the council’s agreement I pushed on and three years later I had passed all the exams. With some further management qualifications, I went on to work for some of the country’s largest horticultural maintenance businesses.
Horticulture has given me the opportunity to develop a career that has brought enjoyment and reward as well as professional and personal growth. It is an industry that can offer many successes to those that join its ranks, with its diverse and long term opportunities and the obvious health and wellbeing benefits.
But for myself, my biggest joy has been that it has allowed me to pass on my skills, knowledge and life experience to others who have then gone on to achieve and succeed. Developing the teams and the people around me has been my biggest horticultural success and ensures that the next generation are well equipped to be the future of our industry. It doesn’t matter if you garden for leisure or professionally, do something worthwhile and ‘PASS IT ON’.

31

Jul

Starting to Plan Your Dream Garden by Primethorpe Paving

It’s many a homeowner’s dream to create the perfect garden space to go along with their dream home. A professionally landscaped garden can act as an extra room for the home and even add to the value of the property – but the scale of the project can often come as a surprise. Many internal design projects are straight forward in comparison.

While it might be tricky to select the perfect wallpaper for your snug, it’s easy enough to get it applied once it is selected. Even for projects as large as a kitchen, once you have designed and chosen your dream kitchen, getting it installed by a reputable company is often only as painful as being without your kitchen for the duration.

But landscaping your garden is an entirely different type of project affected by all sorts of variables that wouldn’t affect an internal project, such as weather or your local soil type. On top of this, the scale of the problems that can occur if the job is done to a poor standard can end up costing you thousands in the long run, so this is a project that you need to be ready to put a lot of effort into before committing to it.

Starting to Plan

It’s incredibly important that you know what you want your finished project to look like. Getting a garden rebuild isn’t like choosing what hairstyle you want at your next appointment. If you haven’t planned or designed your space properly, you are going to be disappointed and the mistakes are incredibly expensive to fix. The level of detail you want to go into doesn’t matter. You can get by with a rough drawing, or you can render a full 3D model with precise detail. Both approaches serve a purpose, but the important thing is you do something.

If the first time you are planning your project is when you sit down with your professional landscaper, it’s going to be a confusing conversation for everyone involved and the chances are you are going to end up with something you are not sure you want. A good professional is worth their weight in gold, but they aren’t going to magic a design from your own mind onto the paper for you. Preparation is essential in order to give them something to work with.

Quick Note: It’s important to remain flexible with your designs. You may have to compromise on a few things in order to make it work, but a clear idea of your ultimate goal is a great place to work from.

Design Goals

The first decision you need to make is to set the direction for the rest of the design. What kind of space to you want to create?

Do you want to create a private space to get lost in?
Do you want to design a space perfect for entertaining?
Do you need a manageable space that’s easy to maintain?
What about a child friendly garden?

The answers to all these questions are really important and will help you to plan the rest of the space effectively. Gardens for entertaining need more open spaces and flat surfaces; private gardens need tall plants and narrow pathways. If you know you want to entertain guests, but you design a garden with no patio space, you are going to be very disappointed in the result no matter the quality of craftsmanship.

Make sure you decide early the main function and purpose of your dream garden, so the remainder of the design stage is focused on those key points. Once you’ve decided on the purpose of the new space, you can move onto the physical design and make-up of the space.

Marking the Perimeter

Once you’ve decided on the purpose and function of your dream space, it’s time to begin planning how it is going to look. The easiest way to do this is to create a flat drawing outlining how you want to divide the space up. You should use a scale drawing of your space as a reference. You can simply get this from google maps – by using their new ‘measure distance’ feature you can easily mark out your garden on google and get all the accurate measurements before transferring these onto paper. We recommend using gridded paper such as graph paper, or even squared paper designed for maths workbooks!

This helps you keep your drawing to scale and allow you to really visualize the result much more accurately than a rough drawing. Mark out the perimeter using the squared paper to help keep it to scale. Remember to also include the position of your house, as well as ensuring any doors/windows are marked on the drawing also. These will come in handy later and allow you properly place paths and divide up your garden. Once the perimeter is drawn up accurately, you can begin to mark out the contents of your space.

Planning the Contents of Your Garden

This is finally where you can flex your creative muscles. Once you’ve accurately outlined the perimeter, it’s time to decide on the layout of your space and what it’s going to contain. This will completely depend on the desired purpose of your garden. As a rule, remember: Wide, open spaces are better for entertaining & lots of smaller nooks are better for a private, mindful space.

Entertaining spaces are going to need larger spaces for patio areas and garden furniture. Maybe space for a day bed?
More quaint spaces for you to enjoy on your own are going to need narrow paths, plenty of plants and high fences.

Spend lots of time thinking about exactly what you want from your space. Tweak and tweak and tweak! You want the overall layout to be perfect before moving onto any next stages. If you have this part nailed, it’s going to make working with your professional landscaper frictionless. Your professional will be able to advise on how realistic your vision is and give you an estimate on how much it is likely to cost.

Remember to be flexible – your perfect design may not always be possible so keep an open mind to avoid disappointment.

In Conclusion – You should have a clear picture now

This isn’t designed to be an exhaustive guide of how to get your garden renovated – but it should give a very clear idea of how to begin to visualise what you want your new garden to look like. By following all these steps, you should be ready to seek out a professional to help you complete your project.

Going to a pro without a clear idea is like going to a hairdresser without knowing what you want. You could end up with something you are disappointed with, with no way to rectify it. But this is simply a much more expensive mistake to make than a haircut. So follow these steps and you should be good to go!

Written by Kelsey Brace at Primethorpe Paving

24

Jul

This Weeks Guest Blogger is Guy Watts, the Co-owner and Managing Director of Architectural Plants

Architectural Plants refers to plants with shape and form. This comes naturally to some plants and some need it thrust upon them and that’s where we come in.

Natural Form:

Sequoidendron giganteum (Giant redwood) has a naturally architectural form and we love them. They require little to no work to keep their statuesque form – clear their lower branches when they’re 15 years or older and that’s it. We all know redwoods for their spongy red bark and massive scale but the foliage is also incredibly tactile. The very Mediterranean Pinus pinea holds its shape in a similar way.

Thrusting Form:

We like adding drama to a garden with Trachycarpus wagnerianu s . Use the common bread knife to cut the hairy bark away, layer by layer, and reveal the shiny, coppery striped bark beneath. It’s a labour of love but well worth the effort. For the more maverick gardener we recommend burning the stem with a blow torch and rubbing with a wire brush to remove all of the fibrous growth left. Keep the hose handy and prepare for fireworks, it’s horticulture at its wildest.

We are especially good at transforming the common shrub into something particularly beautiful. Remove the lower foliage with secateurs to uncover the hidden structure below. With shears shape the top and level off the bottom. If well-proportioned it should look like an open parachute. Getting the right proportions is essential.

To find out more on the subject visit our website and / or our nursery. We also offer tours and courses or if you want to leave it to the experts we can come and do any of the above for you as part of our Creative Maintenance Service.

Stane Street, Pulborough, West Sussex, RH20 1DJ

01798 879213

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17

Jul

This Week’s Guest Blogger is Alison Hepworth

I am the regional manager covering Kent Surrey and London for the WFGA. There are 18 regional managers covering the length and breadth of the UK.

The WFGA is a registered charity, founded by women in 1899 concerned by the lack of education and employment opportunities for woman working on the land.

These days, the scheme is open to men and women looking to change careers or develop their horticultural knowledge. Alongside workshops and skill days, it operates a trainee scheme called WRAGs which has propelled many trainees to successful careers in horticulture. Currently we work with around 170 gardens across the United Kingdom. The majority have a WRAGs trainee, and there are many more hoping for a placement.

It is a brilliant scheme and I should know: it changed my life. This is my story:

I joined the police in 1986. This photo shows me sitting on a World War II Hermann Bomb weighing 2,200lb in 1987, which was unearthed by construction workers in Bermondsey, London. It was one of the largest types of bombs the Germans dropped on Britain during the Blitz. I was 21 years old.

I spent 30 happy years in the police, spending the last 11 years as a Detective inspector on a murder squad in South London before retiring in 2017. It was definitely time for a change.

I had always loved gardening and decided to do an RHS level 2 gardening course at Hever Castle. There I heard about the amazing, life-changing, WRAG scheme. I learnt that trainees are placed in a garden and trained by the head gardener or owner for two days week for 12 months and paid the national living wage.

I signed up and was very lucky to get a place within six months in a garden originally designed by the renowned horticulturalist Sir Harold Hillier. Significant features of the Hillier garden remain including box parterres, yew hedges, terracing and signature plants including Scots pine and camellias.

My first day of training was in February 2018. It was freezing cold and, by the end of the day, I was exhausted and barely able to move! Gradually my body got used to the physical work as I learnt about the garden throughout the seasons. The scheme ensures that trainees cover a variety of topics including pruning, pest disease and weed control, soil cultivation, propagation, and management of herbaceous borders. I was taught by two gardeners Helen McCready and Serena Crighton-Stuart. Both were very patient with me, guiding carefully at all times, even letting me loose on box balls which I tried very hard not to turn into a cube. Here is a picture of me pruning Jasminum. Probably just as risky as sitting on the bomb!

The year flew by and I was lucky enough to be taken on by the garden owners. I now work there two days a week. In addition, I was also employed by the WFGA as a regional manager. The garden has also taken on a new WRAGS trainee and plan to take more in future years.

The moral of my story is never be afraid to take a leap of faith. I left the police not knowing what I was going to do next, afraid of all the spare time I would have. Now I am occupied pretty much all of the time and have met some fantastic and interesting people along the way.

If you would like to join the WFGA and the WRAGS then the following link will give you all the information. We are also always on the lookout for extra gardens to place our growing list of hard-working and enthusiastic trainees.

www.wfga.org.uk

A potted history of the WFGA

Originally, membership was open to anyone connected in any way with the land, in farming, gardening and allied industries, or those with a keen interest in these matters. Many of the founder members were professional women working in education, gardening, farming and small holdings.

At the outbreak of the First World War, a founder member Louisa Wilkins realised that there would be a shortage of labour on the land and the Women’s National Land Service Corps was launched offering work placements to women, both rural and urban. This movement was so successful that it soon outgrew a small voluntary organisation and was taken up by the Government and the first Women’s Land Army was born.

Between the wars there were difficult years of recession and the Association worked hard to improve the working conditions and status of women in land work and to open up employment opportunities to qualified trainees. The first training scheme in practical skills was set up during the Second World War giving valuable service to those seeking to work on the land. A Garden Apprentice Scheme for school leavers was set – this led to the development of Government Youth Training Schemes.

In 1993 the Association, established the ‘Women Returners to Amenity Gardening Scheme’. Designed to offer ‘returners’ who were considering a career in horticulture, training in practical gardening skills, within private and public gardens throughout the United Kingdom.

In 2014 the name was changed to reflect the change in the type of applicants applying – Work and Retrain As a Gardener Scheme.’

10

Jul

This Weeks Guest Blogger is Connor Smith, a Horticulturist at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh

Seeds are phenomenal structures which have adapted incredible ways to disperse. One of the of the most eye catching seed pods in the garden at this time of year are the long, drooping blue fingers of Decaisnea insignis. The common name “Dead Man’s Fingers” originates from the supposed similarity of the fruit or ‘fruitlet’ feeling like a cold human finger.

These exotic fruits are in the Lardizabalaceae family, a rather small family of mostly climbers. Decaisnea insignis is native to China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar with a small population in India. It grows at a range of altitudes and has a respectable hardiness of around -15C. It is a popular ornamental plant. Specimens can be seen in the Chinese Hillside and the west of the Rock Garden.

Now the exciting bit. The unusual seeds intrigued me when peeled open they reveal an odd translucent pulp which is surrounding the small flat black seeds. It reminded me of a jelly snake sweets you would purchase as a child. The pulp is edible although I did not find it particularly inviting to try i did, tasting of melon/ cucumber. The inner seed of the seed pod was also covered in a fascinating mosaic patterning.

Inside the seed

The small flat black seeds

A rather incredible pattern in the inners of the seed pod

Now the question, why did this plant evolve to have these incredible blue fruits and what animal dispersed it? The lure of edible pulp meant it must be an animal of some sort. A bird would be a valid option but red is the normal colour of attraction and plants know this. Many of the birds i looked at (Birds of China; Birds of the Himalaya) were very small and the 7-12 cm long fruit would present a big problem.

Why blue? Blue is rather scare in the plant kingdom, we have some familiar examples in the garden of Mahonia species, Vaccinium, Viburnum and Clerodendron trichotomum var. fargesii with its large red sepals. But it is still a relatively unusual trait to adopt, even more so in tropical parts of the world.

Interestingly when opening the fruit it did split like a banana which had a similar type of reward inside. A deal of dexterity would be required to open the fruit which i had almost failed at when I attempted opening it the first time. Sure enough, after some research it is reported in ‘Dispersal of Plants’ (RBGE Library FCVV) that some tropical trees with blueish fruits – Elaeocarpus, Symplocos fasciculatus & Eugenia acuminatissima have drupes dispersed by bats and monkeys. I then later found a paper on the dietary profile of the Snub nosed Monkey (Rhinopithecus spp.) which confirmed Decaisnea insignis in the diet.

However this still does not explain the need for the blue colour. Monkeys see just like us and don’t require an attractive blue colour to attract them in. Decaisnea insignis has previously been spilt into two distinct species with Decaisnea fargesii having yellow to green fruit.

We may have just not found the true missing link in this Decaisnea insignis partnership or I fear we may have lost this pair forever.

03

Jul

This Week’s Guest Blogger is Alexander Herbert

Our Blogger this week is Alexander Herbert from Archery Edge who is based in the USA so Tim Reeves who is in the UK has written the introduction for us just because our gardens in the UK tend to be smaller and crossbows may be unsuitable to use in them.

“Personally I would recommend people use a light (not powerful) traditional bow and arrows, bought from a reputable specialist shop after having taken a beginners course with a local club to learn the basics. A good shop won’t sell inappropriate gear to a customer.

In a good sized garden or one neighbouring arable fields a crossbow could be used, but it’s easy to miss a target and lose bolts (arrows) safety is important when using any bow and arrows.

At my various clubs, I have shot with various people with disabilities, so as mentioned archery is inclusive. For example one lady used a wheelchair and shot a compound bow, another chap had a prosthetic leg below the knee, another had PTSD, and others were old, struggled with arthritis, and one chap also took part in the transplant games. So give archery a go”

Tim Reeves

Alexander Herbert writes If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, then you should make the most of it. There are many things you can do in a garden, from gardening to various different outdoor sports.

One sport that most gardens can accommodate is archery – the sport of using a bow to shoot arrows to hit a target. It’s a very inclusive sport that pretty much anybody can take part in – so keep reading for some tips on how you can play archery in your garden.

Equipment

Archery can be an expensive sport, so it’s best to start out with the bare necessities. Luckily, there are some things you can do yourself to enhance the game.

The first step to having archery fun in your garden is getting the equipment. If you’re a beginner, there’s no point buying expensive equipment – you may not end up liking the sport (unlikely, but still a possibility), or you might want to build up your skills before splashing the cash.

Crossbow + Arrows

The main thing you need is a crossbow. A crossbow can set you back anything from $15 to $2000 – it all depends on the brand, quality, and the specs. If you’re a beginner, it’s best to get a crossbow that’s easy to operate – the lighter the better.

Some of the easiest crossbows to operate are pistol crossbows – they’re generally lightweight and they require a lot less effort to cock, but they tend to be less powerful.

Most crossbows tend to come with arrows, but if not, be sure the arrows you purchase are compatible with your choice of crossbow.

Crossbows are great for people who have disabilities because some of them have self-cocking devices and require less physical strength to use.

Target

Targets tend to be cheaper than crossbows, but can still set you back a few dollars. If you have the time, it may be worth making your own target.

To make your own target, just fill a woven bag with plants or sawdust, tape it together, and paint a bullseye. This can be hung from your fence, or trees – and adjusted to match the height most convenient for you.

If you don’t fancy making your own, you can purchase one from your local archery supplies store, or online. If you’re purchasing one online, it’s best to get a durable target that can withstand the elements.

Getting Started

There are some things you should consider before you get shooting. At the end of the day, crossbows are weapons – and should be treated as such.

Make sure that the area around the target doesn’t have any valuables or animals nearby – you don’t want the target right next to the birdfeeder, as that won’t end well.

It’s probably best to make sure your next-door neighbors aren’t sunbathing in the garden next door too! Consider positioning your target at the end of your garden – especially if it backs up onto private land, woods, or fields.

Now you have the necessities, it’s time to start shooting some arrows!

Remember, stay safe and be aware of your surroundings.

Happy shooting!

Website: https://archeryedge.com

Email: alexander@archeryedge.com

26

Jun

This Week’s Guest Blogger is Lou Nicholls

Lou Nicholls is Head Gardener at Ulting Wick Garden and a Blogger that has worked in Horticulture for over 20 years. She gives talks around the country on Organic, vegetable growing and Ornamental plants and is a member of the Garden Media Guild and the Professional Gardeners Guild.

Twitter: @loujnicholls

Website: loujnicholls.blog

To Peat or not to Peat?

I’ll make this short, don’t use Peat!

But why not? When it’s been successfully used for generations why change?

The answers is because you don’t need to, in the past we’ve used it for convenience. It’s lighter than loam and has better moisture retentive capabilities and that’s where its benefits end. However over the last 25 years various companies with an eye to the future, climate change, habitat loss and just generally caring about the environment and sustainability, have developed various Peat free composts that do exactly the same job without long term impact into our Peat wetlands.

Gardeners aren’t the most significant consumers of Peat I’ll grant you but it’s our attitudes that change the world as well as our actions. By rejecting Peat in your compost you are making a small but important stand to companies. It’s our pressure, our buying habits that change how companies work.

I’ve never used Peat in my professional career, I worked for Garden Organic and at that point Peat free was just starting to become an option. Since then the options available to the home gardener are so varied and easily available there is literally no reason to use Peat. You can even buy Vegan compost these days! That’s right Vegan, this is a brilliant example of how for the first time in history consumers are leading manufacturers in what they want to see and use as opposed to the other way round.

Peat wetlands are home to sundews, marsh violets and many species of wild orchids, plants that can’t grow anywhere else. This is an area we really can make a difference to and very quickly, by allowing water to re-flood peat wetlands the damage done by draining it can be quickly reversed.

So take a moment to check the bag of compost you’re thinking of picking up, make sure it says Peat free and know that in your own small way you are helping to save the planet.

I recommend in random order and in no way an indication of preference!

Dalefoot – their peat free range is excellent and has great moisture retention capabilities. They have also introduced a vegan compost.

Melcourt – They now have a reusable compost bag for people trying to avoid single use plastic.

New horizon – they do a lovely John Innis loam based compost now too.

Marshalls – recently introduced a peat free compost for vegetable growing.

T&M – Launched their own brand at the garden press event this spring which I haven’t yet tried but I’m sure will be of a good quality.

Fertile fibre – has a coir based range and has been producing for a decent amount of time.

19

Jun

This Week’s Guest Blogger is Mark Lamey

Mark trained in horticulture at the RHS Gardens Wisley and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He has been a Head Gardener to a large country estate and Gardens Adviser to the National Trust during which time he studied for and gained a Masters in the Conservation of Historic Gardens and Cultural Landscapes at University of Bath. He is now working freelance in the design of gardens for private and commercial clients and as a mentor to professional horticulturists.

Gardening must surely vie for a place as one of the oldest professions in the world. In the UK there is a deep heritage of gardening, evident today in the many gardens associated with historic houses and country estates. It is possible, as a visitor to an historic garden or as an owner, to experience and tread the ground upon which the activity of over five centuries of gardening, as far back as the medieval and monastic period, has occurred.

A common thread that weaves through this gardening heritage, is the skill of a gardener. With a gentle and creative hand, skilled gardeners have built, cultivated and maintained gardens to meet the needs and desires of their owners for centuries. Whether it was as a show case of the latest gardening taste, to cultivate a collection of rare plants or to reflect the owners own personality.

The gardens at Sissinghurst Castle in Kent, now in the ownership of the National Trust for over fifty years, were created together by Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicholson between 1930 and 1962. They can be said to run through the veins of any gardener for their beauty and application of high horticultural practice.

The Orchard at Sissinghurst

But the gardens at Sissinghurst maintained by professionals were perhaps not the gardens that amateur gardener Vita created. When Troy Scott-Smith took the role of Head Gardener for Sissinghurst in 2013, he started to question how closely the gardens reflected Vita. He commissioned research to better understand her original vision and found that the gardens had evolved overtime as a series of small projects undertaken in-house and when finances allowed.

This reminder prompted a project to re-imagine the gardens as if Vita and Harold still owned them. It has involved the completion of garden projects, such as Delos, a garden of Mediterranean plants inspired by their visit to Greece, which had been abandoned due to the cold aspect of the site and lack of available plants at the time.

Planting of Delos at Sissinghurst October 2019. Designed by Dan Pearson Studio

Meadows around the Oast houses have been re-introduced, as have over a hundred rose cultivars that Vita had grown in the rose garden. Most significant was the change that Troy had to instil in his garden team about how to garden at Sissinghurst. This was to create the sense of a garden with plants that had colonised a ruin rather than one that had plants being cultivated within one. Allowing rambling roses to billow with apparent freedom over walls, loosening the cutting regime of the box hedges and encouraging seedlings to grow in wall crevices and paving joints.

It had taken fifty years of Trust ownership, more than Harold and Vita’s 30-year tenure and three Head Gardeners for the decision at Sissinghurst to reinstate the gardens as a closer representation of their ownership, the significance of which had sparked their original acquisition for conservation by the Trust.

Renovation pruning of the weeping pear in the white garden Sissinghurst.

This doesn’t suggest that maintenance of the gardens during the intervening years had been wrong, as they were maintained to an exception standard of presentation. It does highlight the role that research has in making informed decisions about a garden, the responsibility of any owner to carefully manage change and evidences the art and creativity of gardening in historic gardens.

To learn more about gardening in historic gardens or to find a gardener with experience of and training in historic gardens you might like to contact the following:

Garden Masterclasses – https://www.gardenmasterclass.org

Learning from the Experts – https://www.learningwithexperts.com/experts/dr-audrey-gerber

Professional Gardeners Guild traineeship – https://www.pgg.org.uk/the-professional-gardeners-guild-traineeship/

Historic and Botanic Garden Bursary Scheme – https://hbgtp.org.uk

This Week’s Guest Blogger is Connor Smith, a Horticulturist at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh

All plants have stories. The Botanics over its 350 years has managed to create many, from intrepid tales of plant hunters to discovering plants new to science. Some you hear these stories during walk rounds as a student, others across the canteen table, uncovered in the library and latterly the internet with increasing ease.

One of the rather unassuming plants newly planted by the monkey puzzles is Berberis empetrifolia. If you haven’t heard of it you are not missing much to be perfectly honest. Phenotypically it is distinctly lacking ornamental prowess to catch the eye. It’s low growing, prostrate habit shows a tough life of having to live in the subalpine to alpine areas in the rocky Andes. However, when you dig a little deeper you unveil a rather interesting story.

A recently planted wild collected specimen of Berberis empetrifolia

B. empetrifolia is often overshadowed by its distant cousin. Berberis darwinii. Which was found by Charles Darwin in 1835 during ‘the voyage of the Beagle’ and subsequently named after him by Joseph Hooker (Icones plantarum 7, 1844). The two species are naturally found in Chile although geographically separated. Therefore a possible hybrid could only be formed in artificial environment. Some say the two have crossed paths in some localities but this is not agreed upon.

Berberis x stenophylla is the resulting hybrid of the two species B. darwinii and B. empetrifolia. After some digging into how the hybrid happen, the story got even more interesting. In this case a nursery owned by Messrs Fisher & Holmes of Handsworth near Sheffield in the 1860’s, it was Messrs who introduced B. empetrifolia into the trade in 1827 (International dendrological society, no date). His son found the hybrid 30+ years later in the garden.

They are rather “boring” species individually however, these two species have been hybridized to form a very ornamental, popular plant which can be easily grown, interpreted and of significance to the botanic garden.