Lakeside Primula by Howard Rice
Friends’ News Gardening supports: a Perennial partnership for horticultural training The September intake of six trainees to the prestigious Certificate in Practical Horticulture and Plantsmanship will be boosted to seven this year, thanks to a new funding partnership with Perennial, the UK’s only charity dedicated to helping all horticulturists in times of need. We have long been committed at the Botanic Garden to the training of horticulturists, and today, the provision of excellent training in horticulture and plantsmanship counts amongst our key roles. Director of the Botanic Garden, Professor Beverley Glover, said of the new funding partnership with Perennial: ‘We’re delighted that Perennial has joined with us to provide a fantastic training opportunity for an additional student on our one-year Certificate. With opportunities for horticultural training disappearing from many colleges and concern over the UK’s future horticultural skillbase, this partnership is both timely and vital.’ From the 1800s, the Garden employed journeymen who worked their way through the ranks from general garden assistants to skilled horticultural posts, but it was not until the 1950s that a formal Trainee Horticultural Technician scheme was introduced by John Gilmour (Director, 1951–1973). Since this time, many graduates of this demanding scheme have gone on to occupy senior positions in the horticultural industry and in gardens and botanic gardens world-wide, including, to name but a few, the widely acclaimed plantsman, Roy Lancaster, Jim Gardiner (Executive Vice President, Royal Horticultural Society), Peter Thoday (Lecturer and Horticultural Advisor, The Eden Project), and Jonathan Webster (Curator, RHS Rosemoor). In addition, graduates of the scheme serve on the Garden’s current horticultural staff, and their experience and understanding are invaluable in delivering a well-cultivated and well-curated Garden. The current scheme, the Cambridge Certificate in Practical Horticulture and Plantsmanship, was introduced in 2007 and is accredited by the Cambridge University
Institute of Continuing Education at Madingley Hall. Participants join us as University employees for one year, during which time they gain practical horticultural experience through working with a diverse collection of over 8,000 species alongside experienced staff, whilst also developing their plant knowledge. Practical work is supplemented by plant identifications, talks, practical demonstrations, and visits to gardens and sites of botanical significance. Last year’s trainee intake
With the funding from Perennial in place to support a seventh trainee for the next five years, Head of Horticulture at the Garden, Sally Petitt, said: ‘Trainees are vital to our delivery of horticultural work, and the addition of a seventh trainee means that each of our seven horticultural sections will now have a full-time team member, enabling us to continue to maintain and develop the Garden for the enjoyment of all.’ Speaking about the new funding agreement, Sheila Thomson, Director of Services at Perennial, said: ‘As part of Perennial’s ongoing commitment to horticulture training through our Lironi Training Fund, we have been looking for a traineeship to sponsor which
Trainees’ propagation lesson offers excellent training and a recognized qualification whilst giving the trainees a reasonable sum to live on. We know that horticultural students are looking for practical experience coupled with a recognized qualification that will further their employment prospects. This traineeship offers both, with the added bonus that trainees are actually employed by the Botanic Garden and enjoy the same terms and conditions as the permanent staff. We are really thrilled to be working with the Cambridge University Botanic Garden team and hope this partnership leads to further opportunities to fund traineeships in the future.’
Perennial celebrates its 175th anniversary this year. Established in 1839, The Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Fund or Perennial, as it is now known, helps everyone working in and retired from horticulture, including landscapers, gardeners, garden designers, green keepers, tree surgeons, groundsmen, seed and turf growers, those involved in intensive production horticulture, parks and gardens staff and many more, and their families during times of crisis. To find out more about the work of Perennial and ways to get involved with their £175 for 175 fundraising campaign during 2014, please visit www.perennial.org.uk Friends’ News – Issue 95 – May 2014
A new paper by Tim Rich et al, published in the New Journal of Botany by the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, has identified six new Sorbus species, including one named for Peter Sell (1930-2013). Peter began work at the Cambridge University Herbarium in 1944 and was often seen botanising around the Botanic Garden. Generations of horticultural trainees at the Garden will remember being halted in their weeding work as Peter wished to look more closely at the hawkweed - one of his specialist subjects – on the point of being uprooted. Amongst Peter’s many achievements is the five-volume Critical Flora of Great Britain and Ireland, which he co-authored with Gina Murrell – the last two volumes are close to publication. The complete work will give a definitive account of the native species, naturalised species, frequent garden escapees and casuals found in the British Isles. It is not only the broad coverage that makes Peter’s work stand out, but his detailed accounts of difficult plant groups such as, appropriately, Sorbus. The Sorbus microspecies, unique to the British Flora, have an unusual reproductive method. Originally arising through hybridisation, these Sorbus microspecies then set seed without the usual need for cross pollination
I hope you have had a chance to visit the Garden this spring. It has been a remarkable few months, with the mild winter giving way to bursts of glorious sunshine and regular enough showers to keep the plants well watered. As a result the Garden has bloomed early and vigorously, with the woodland areas, long grass, Limestone Rock Garden and Bog Garden all looking wonderful.
You might have noticed the continued and extensive tree works that took place across the autumn and winter. These actions were recommended by a survey of the health of our entire tree stock. We have finished major tree works for this season, but there will be a few more sad reductions and removals in the autumn. However, these are supplemented by new plantings to maintain the quality and diversity of our tree collection for future generations – we are always aware that we are privileged to be stewards of the Garden. As I write we are in the final preparations for the Festival of Plants on 17 May – I do hope many of you were able to come along to enjoy our day dedicated to bringing plants into focus. We also have our Sounds Green picnic proms to look forward to on Wednesday evenings throughout July, and we are going to trial evening openings on Wednesdays in June. Visitors often comment that the Garden is at its loveliest in the cooler evenings of high summer, so we hope you’ll take the opportunity to join us for a stroll after work, and perhaps bring friends or family along for a picnic. Professor Beverley Glover, Director Friends’ News – Issue 95 – May 2014
Peter Sell and Gina Murrell with another plant – a phenomenon known as apomixis (also manifested by the ubiquitous dandelion). The resultant genetically-identical seedlings become distinct populations, often very small in size, which can be readily recognised and named. The Avon Gorge and parts of Wales are well known for these Sorbus microspecies, and they attract botanical attention for their unusual reproductive system and conservation interest. One large tree in the Botanic Garden, previously named as Sorbus decipiens, long puzzled Peter and it has now finally been recognised to be a new and separate species, named Sorbus sellii or Sell’s whitebeam in Peter’s honour. The paper’s lead author, Tim Rich calls Peter ‘one of Britain’s greatest critical botanists’ and describes it as a great pleasure to be able to name the tree for him. Fittingly, the plant on which this new species is based (the holotype) has been selected from the large specimen which grows at the Botanic Garden close to the bricked-up wild pear on the South Walk, and is part of our valuable research collection of Sorbus microspecies. We will shortly be changing the label to accommodate the new name.
Discoveries in Cambridge Martin Hartley
Visitors in February reported that they enjoyed the Orchid Festival, which saw a collection of hybrid and species orchids installed in the Glasshouse range. The collection of Vanda cultivars suspended above the pool in the Tropical Wetlands House was particularly striking. We are now eagerly waiting for this year’s giant water lilies, the Victoria cruziana that our horticultural staff have grown from last year’s seed, to be planted out into the pool – watch out for their arrival in May! In the meantime our iconic jade vine, Strongylodon macrobotrys, has sent out a good number of dangling racemes of emerald green flowers. The jade vine is pollinated by bats in its native Philippines, and research has shown that bats which specialise on nectar collecting rather than insect-hunting often lose their ability to echolocate, but compensate with a greatly enhanced sense of smell!
Pippa Lacey
Sorbus sellii: a new whitebeam species to honour Peter Sell
Welcome
Drum Dancer by Thomas Akilak, 1987 from the Polar Museum collection. An edited selection from Discoveries: Art, Science and Exploration, a major exhibition that brought together the fascinating collections from the University of Cambridge for display at Two Temple Place, London, will come home to the Mellon Gallery of the Fitzwilliam Museum from 27 May – 27 July. Discoveries displays objects that span millennia; from artworks to scientific artefacts, historic instruments to rare zoological specimens, and for the Cambridge installation, the Botanic Garden has been invited to contribute. Herbarium
collections made by our founder, Professor John Stevens Henslow in the 1820s will be on display from the University Herbarium indicating his early exploration of species variation. In contrast we will also be submitting some short films inviting the onlooker to discover the Garden in a new way, including a specially commissioned animation, Growing pains: The Life and Times of Victoria Cruziana.
Discoveries runs from 27 May – 27 July and the Fitzwilliam Museum stays open late til 8pm on Thursday 3 July, for a unique early evening viewing. For more information, visit www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk
Living interpretation In partnership with the Sainsbury Laboratory and the Department of Plant Sciences, the Botanic Garden has succeeded in attracting nearly £50,000 from the University’s Higher Education Innovation Fund budget to fund a one-year project to develop and interpret plant displays at the Garden that engage our visiting public with current active plant science research interests at our three institutions. We will be recruiting an Interpretation Officer to take the lead in developing the displays, whose remit will also include working with Garden staff to develop a strategy for interpretation across our living collection.
Award to clean up Captain Fryatt
Writhlington workshops win prize Writhlington students also ran a micropropagation workshop for Garden staff covering the various methods of sowing orchid seed. Unlike most other plants, orchids produce millions of tiny seeds without any food reserves to get them started. In the wild they depend on fungi in the environment to facilitate germination through parasitism. This can be done artificially, by supplying all the nutrients required for germination via a growth medium in a sterile environment. The students were able to show that this technique is far simpler than often described and that anyone can master it, even grubby gardeners – at least once they have sterilised their hands!
A sixth form student gets to grips with orchid micropropagation At the end of February half term students and staff from the Writhlington School Orchid Project travelled up to Cambridge to run workshops as part of the Garden’s Orchid Festival. Aided by the loan of a portable laminar flow cabinet from BigNeat, the workshop gave attendees from Sawston Village College and Hills Road Sixth Form College the opportunity to have a go at micro-propagation of orchids in a sterile environment. Lab coats and goggles were donned and the Writhlington students expertly demonstrated the correct techniques and then patiently guided everyone through the process. Lots of concentration but well worth it for the end result – Prosthechea cochleata seedlings to take home! As well as having a go at micro-propagation, the ‘Orchid in a Box’ activity demonstrated the need for botanical nomenclature and use of correct terminology. The group was divided into two teams with one team member drawing unseen the orchid their team mates were describing. At first the results were rather wild and bore little resemblance to the real thing, but after a brief lesson on the correct terminology for the parts of a flower and a few orchid-specific terms, the results improved and were much more readily identifiable. Students put their newfound knowledge to the test in the final activity, an orchid hunt in the Glasshouse Range. Taking photos of orchids spotted in the displays, they then identified the different species with help from the Writhlington students, and found out where in the world they came from using an online database. The photos were printed out and pinned onto a world map highlighting the incredible diversity and cosmopolitan distribution of Orchidaceae.
As well as being greatly enjoyed, the workshops, along with the associated orchid interpretation and design of the two bespoke orchid trees created for the February festival, were a key part of Writhlington’s submission, From Rainforest to Botanic Garden, entered for the National Science and Engineering Competition in March. Our congratulations go to Matt Bell, Zoe Barnes, Heather Limond, Devin Read and Ike Shackleton, who won first prize (Science and Maths) for their year group at this prestigious competition held each year to find the best of the UK’s young scientists and engineers. Our thanks also to Simon Pugh-Jones, who has led Writhlington Orchid Project from its beginnings 20 years ago, for making this collaboration possible. We very much look forward to working together in the future. For more information about the Writhlington School Orchid Project, visit wsbeorchids.org
Bronwen Richards, Schools Officer, and Alex Summers, Glasshouse Supervisor
Sixth formers identify and plot orchids in the Glasshouse Range
Juliet Day
From Rainforest to Botanic Garden:
Tulipa Captain Fryatt in the Mountains House The Alpine and Woodland team is thrilled to be in receipt of a £400 bursary award from Brother UK, who, for the last six years, has made funds available to holders of National Collections through the scheme's administrators, Plant Heritage. The National Collections initiative seeks to conserve and promote garden-worthy species and cultivars. This vital bursary will be used to micropropagate clean stock of Tulipa 'Captain Fryatt' in our National Collection of Tulipa, which has become infected by virus and caused some rather sensational, yet undesirable colour breaks. The process involves identifying and isolating tiny pieces of uninfected meristem tissue which can then be cultured up in a sterile environment to return Captain Fryatt to its original splendour.
New Chair for the Syndicate We are delighted that Dame Fiona Reynolds, Master of Emmanuel College and former Director General of the National Trust, has become Chair of the Garden’s governing body, taking over from Professor Keith Richards who has stepped down after almost 15 years in the role. Dame Fiona says of the appointment, ‘I was delighted to be invited to chair the Botanic Garden Syndicate. I have happy memories of being a regular visitor to the Garden in my student days: I lived in Norwich Street so it was very close, and I appreciated its calm beauty and tranquillity when revising for exams and working on my MPhil dissertation. Today the Garden is even more impressive: it has retained and expanded its excellent research reputation while providing a joyful experience for an ever-growing number of visitors. I have much to learn about the Garden in my new role, but I come to it with great enthusiasm and just a little - I hope useful - experience derived from my responsibility for the National Trust’s wonderful gardens.’ Friends’ News – Issue 95 – May 2014
The old beech tree Trees have always been an important part of the Garden collection, and, since they have been grown on site since the Garden’s establishment in 1846, we for the most part know their ages. Although details of the early plantings were not kept, we can be confident that many of the mature trees, such as those grown on each side of the Main Walk, will have been some of the earliest planted on the site. But of all the trees in the Garden, a common beech tree (Fagus sylvatica) growing on the southern boundary with the Bowls Club stands out due to its size. The tree is large, with a trunk girth of 4.79m (1.52m diameter) and a height of over 20m, larger than might be expected for a specimen purposefully grown as part of the Garden’s collection and therefore postdating 1846. The tree’s stature begs the question could it once have been growing in the barley fields of Reverend Bullen, who tenant farmed the land before it was sold by Trinity Hall to become the University Botanic Garden. Beech trees are native to the south of England and prefer well drained, moderately chalky soils. They have shallow spreading root systems making them susceptible to being blown over as they get older. Woodland specimens often have very tall slender trunks and high canopies that knit together to create dark woodland with very little understory vegetation, while those growing in the open generally have thicker trunks and a more spreading crown. Beech typically live for 150 to 200 years and only occasionally to 300 years. The only accurate way to determine the age of a tree is to count tree growth rings, either from cut stumps or from a core. The alternative is to take measurements and use these to compare the tree to other trees of known ages growing in similar condition to get a best estimate of age. Trunk girth is the most reliable indication of age due to the
way trees increase in girth each year while the height or spread of the canopy can be very variable and subject to damage such as limb loss. By using the calculations and tables published in a paper by the Forestry Commission (White, J. 1998, Estimating the age of large and veteran trees in Britain) it is possible to estimate the age of our tree. Following White’s protocol, the trunk of the southern boundary beech (accession number 10005619) was measured at chest height to produce a girth of 4.79m. Comparison with White’s tables gives an approximate age range of 294 years old (if growing in poor conditions) to 333 years old (if growing in good conditions). This suggests the tree put down roots sometime between 1680-1718 making it not only easily the oldest in the Garden, but also old for any beech. This is a very interesting conclusion, but could it really be true? To try to establish further if the calculations used are a good reflection of the age of the tree, we then measured all the Garden’s beech trees and compared the ages arrived at using White’s protocol with the accurate age information held in our plant records database, where known, and where not known best guess ages made using archive information.
Above: The girth of this beech measures 479cm at chest height Below: The four lobed cup around the pair of upright female flowers will lignify to hold two beechnuts. The male catkins dangle in clusters below the leaves
The following table compares the estimated age of all the Garden beech trees arrived at using White’s formula with the known or approximated age. Accession number
Name
Girth (cm)
Estimated age range using White. Bracketed years show correspondent plant range.
Known age
10005619
Fagus sylvatica
479
294-333 yrs old (1680-1718)
?
10006059
Fagus sylvatica (grafted weeping beech)
285
127-137 yrs old (1885-1875)
Post 1846
10005788
Fagus sylvatica
307
142-155 yrs old (1857-1870)
Post 1846
10005610
Fagus sylvatica ‘Laciniata’
420
235-264 yrs old (1748-1777)
Post 1846
195604286
Fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea’
215
87-91 yrs old (1921-1924)
56 (1956)
10005964
Fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea’
268
116-125 yrs old (1887-1896)
Approx. 56 (1956)
10006325
Fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea’
224
91-96 yrs old (1916-1921)
Post 1956
Friends’ News – Issue 95 – May 2014
How old is the beech? From the calculations and our records we can be fairly certain the old beech tree predates the establishment of the Garden in 1846. The White estimate of 294-333 years old would be very old for a beech tree, and while the calculations do take into account the growing conditions, the protocol can’t take into account the genetics of individual trees. It may be the calculations are correct and the tree is around 300 years old, and the calculation check against other old beeches in the Garden would support this. What we can say with some certainty is that the tree is older than 200 years and would once have stood in open farmland. But is it 300 years old? We can’t be sure. Whatever its age, the old beech is still one of the finest trees in the Garden, and certainly the oldest.
As we can see from the table those trees which are cultivars such as the ‘Laciniata’ and the ‘Purpurea’ are calculated as being far older than their true age. ‘Laciniata’ is originally from the Czech Republic and first identified from a branch sport while ‘Purpurea’ is a naturally occurring cultivar originally from Germany. The White calculation, being based on native British trees, does not give an accurate reflection of their true age. The weeping beech (10006059) growing near the Custodian’s Hut is grafted onto rootstock of our native beech and from the figures seems to have an estimated age consistent with White’s calculations as does the tree 10005788 also growing near the Custodian’s Hut. This would indicate that the White calculations do give a reasonable estimation of ages for native beech trees growing in the Garden.
Could this common beech have been growing in the open farmland that became the Botanic Garden?
Peter Atkinson, Plant Records Officer
The Tree Register resource helps to build a picture of where different tree species thrive, how big they can get and how long they will live. As trees generally live longer than the people who record them, the database is key to mapping notable species over long periods of time. It can also be used to check on the whereabouts of rare trees in cultivation – some of which are also endangered in the wild. Owen Johnson picked out the pair of Sophora species flowering profusely this spring on the south wall of Cory Lodge for particular mention. Other highlights include the Cambridge oak, Quercus 'Warburgii', described as the ‘most august’ tree at the Garden, the huge grove of suckers of Caucasian wingnut, Pterocarya fraxinifolia, close to the Brookside Gate and the Chilgoza or Gerard’s pine, Pinus gerardiana, as a superb example of a species which is both extremely rare in cultivation, and strikingly beautiful. In the very first article published about the trees of the Botanic Garden in 1915, the Curator,
Juliet Day
A honeybee bites through the base of the Sophora microphylla flower to steal nectar Howard Rice
A March visit from Owen Johnson of the Tree Register, a UK charity whose aim is to curate records of the size and location of any exceptional tree in Britain and Ireland, has seen our list of champion trees at the Garden lengthen considerably. Owen notes that there have been remarkably few losses since his last visit a decade ago and various ‘rare youngsters’ were now big enough to qualify. Over 250 of our specimens are now recorded as local, Cambridgeshire champions. Of these, 61 are accorded UK & Ireland champion status for either height or girth with nearly half coming top in both dimensions.
Owen Johnson
New champions for the Tree Register
Sophora microphylla and Sophora cassioides Richard Lynch, identified the 5.4m high specimen of Gerard’s pine as being unique and very important. Now over 14.4m in height, no other specimen in the British Isles appears to have grown so well. Among the younger additions, Owen singled out the pink siris, Albizia julibrissin, at the Bateman Street bicycle park: although generally considered tender, it seems to be enjoying our rather continental climate and reliably produces masses of tropicallooking pink powderpuff flowers against beautiful lacy foliage late each summer. For more information about the Tree Register, please visit www.treeregister.org
Albizia julibrissin 'Rosea' , the pink siris Friends’ News – Issue 95 – May 2014
Horticulture Big-tree splendour Of the impressive selection of conifers lining the Main Walk, the Sequoiadendron giganteum standing sentry along its length ranks amongst the most revered. Commonly referred to as the big-tree, giant redwood or wellingtonia, Sequoiadendron giganteum is an evergreen tree originating in the foothills of the western Sierra Nevada in California. The short branches are clothed in fibrous, coarse, blue-green leaves, and in trees over 100 years old, these give the impression of a mop-head. The trunk is covered in a distinctive reddish-brown bark, is relatively soft and can be up to 30cm thick. This giant of the natural world is recorded as being the most voluminous of the living trees, and in its homeland, big-tree can reach heights of 90m (three times the height of our tallest specimen) while the trunk can measure nine metres in diameter. This awe-inspiring tree has a captivating history in science and cultivation. It remained unknown to science until the age of the great plant hunters, who travelled the world – often in conditions of great discomfort and danger – in search of new species. One such plant hunter, William Lobb was appointed by the renowned Chelsea nurserymen, Messrs Veitch, to explore the American continent. Lobb
Clippings & Cuttings
I The team on the Experimental Section are trying to establish the crested cow wheat, Melampyrum cristatum, in the Cambridgeshire Hedgerow in order to study how it might grow and spread. A rather pretty, sprawling annual hemiparasite (a plant which makes some of its own food but steals the rest from others), crested cow wheat grows in a distribution arc from Suffolk/Essex to Northamptonshire, mostly on roadside verges. It is nationally rare and a UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority species which, despite statutory protection, is still declining in the wild. I A good colony of a seldom seen annual grass, Poa infirma, has sprung up spontaneously beneath the beech in the triangle at the north eastern edge of the Autumn Garden. Poa infirma was originally recorded in cliff-top turf at the far tip of Cornwall but has recently been recorded further along the south coast and has been turning up in various places as a ‘pavement crack weed’. Does the Cambridge record mark a real extension of its range or is it simply enjoying its 15 minutes of fame suddenly in the botanist's spotlight? Horticultural practice recommends we Friends’ News – Issue 95 – May 2014
ventured to the Sierra Nevada in search of bigtree having heard of a chance discovery in 1852 of a grove of gigantic trees at Calaveras by a hunter by the name of A T Dowd. On successfully finding this same location, Lobb noted: ‘from 80 to 90 trees, all within the circuit of a mile, and these varying from 250 feet to 320 feet in height and from 10 to 20 feet in diameter.’ Such was the thrill of finding what he knew to be an exceptional plant with great commercial potential, Lobb cut short his trip and returned immediately to England with herbarium specimens and seed. Upon his return, Veitch’s nursery offered seedlings at the price of two guineas each. Meanwhile, the type specimen (the original specimen from which new species descriptions are based) was passed on to the botanist John Lindley, who initially named this new discovery Wellingtonia gigantea to commemorate the Duke of Wellington. This caused great offence to American officials who considered the tree should be called Washingtonia gigantea, and after much debate the name Sequoiadendron giganteum was settled upon. Today, Lobb remains credited with the introduction of this magnificent tree because he had the plant classified by Lindley, but it was in fact first introduced into cultivation by a Scotsman, John Matthew, who distributed seed amongst his friends four months before Lobb returned to England.
mulch under the beech, but this would smother this unusual grass out of existence, whereas botany requires us to accession the arrival and put a label on it. Just occasionally at the Botanic Garden, horticulture and botany are not in harmony! I An Alpine and Woodland display focused on alpine adaptations won an unexpected award at the Alpine Garden Society’s spring show at Harlow this March. Persuaded on the day by the show organiser to submit it for judging, the display was awarded a silver medal and one of the plants, Bergenia emeiensis, was such a stunner that it was awarded an AGS Certificate of Merit, along with fewer than ten others among the 200-300 plants exhibited.
Above: Sequoiadendron giganteum Left: The original Sequoidendron giganteum herbarium sheet, prepared by Lindley from the material collected by Lobb. The seed packet is shown bottom left.
It is believed that our earliest plantings of Sequoiadendron giganteum along the Main Walk originated from Lobb’s 1853 seed collection, and Lindley’s type specimen for Sequoiadendron giganteum is housed in the Cambridge University Herbarium. It is hard to imagine our landscape without them, but what of their future? Records suggest that plants have been found in California which are 4,000 years old. So, ours may continue to have an impact on the Cambridge landscape not just for the coming decades, but for many centuries, even millennia, to come. Sally Petitt, Head of Horticulture
managed decline, borne witness by the impressive bracket fungus that appears each autumn. While we do not anticipate having to fell the tree for many years to come, we have installed the cleft oak fence to keep visitors at a short distance from the trunk and so create a clear zone under the canopy, which will help us prolong the life of this magnificent tree. I The Trees and Shrubs team have re-sown the beautiful annual meadow under the silver limes establishing beautifully along the Hills Road boundary. This long flowering mix of annuals includes cornflower, fairy toadflax, bishop’s flower, tickseed and corn marigold, red orache and larkspur, and an extra kilo of scarlet poppy seed has been mixed in to acknowledge the centenary of the start of First World War.
Award-winning Bergenia emeiensis I A cleft oak fence has been installed around the base of the Cambridge oak, Quercus x warburgii, at the heart of the Gilbert-Carter area. This mature champion tree is in a long,
This year's annual meadow has been enriched with poppies
Education
First Saturday Family Fun
A Growing Community As well as working with schools, families and adult visitors, the Education Team is embarking on more and more projects that involve the local community. Projects include helping local groups with community gardening such as ‘veggies on the veranda’ at CB1 and new planting plans for the Centre at St Paul’s and for a new community space at closeby Hanover Court. The St Paul’s Thursday group for people with learning difficulties and mental health service users has been visiting the Garden regularly for 18 months. We have learnt about moths, captured the springtime beauty of the Fairway in pastel works, and greatly enjoyed this year’s stunning orchid display. We are all becoming experts in spotting the best pink plants in the Garden as we have one lady in the group who absolutely loves anything pink! The cherryblossom that got stuck to the wheels of a walker was a special highlight. The Cambridge Young Carers have been participating in art workshops at the Garden for the past four years, providing an opportunity to spend time outdoors connecting with nature while catching up with friends. This Easter
No need to book, just drop-in anytime between 11am – 3pm on the first Saturday of every month for plant-inspired fun. £3 per child, plus normal Garden admission for accompanying adults.
Young carers with their Easter artwork holiday, they worked with local artist, John Wiltshire, experimenting with Indian inks and water sprays to create images of imaginary landscapes. Each month, we are now taking the best of the Garden out to residents at the Hope Residential and Nursing Care Home and at St George’s Court Care Centre, who find it challenging to visit. We have taken along branches of beautiful autumn leaves, a selection of different orchids, plants from the Winter Garden and carnivorous plants. At the sessions, we enjoy the different shapes, colours, textures and scents and learn about where the plants come from. Some of the residents have good plant knowledge, and it is great to be able to take along plants that stimulate memories and rekindle their passion for plants.
Dr Sally Lee, Community Education Officer
The year ahead in the Schools Garden Riotous tulip colour combinations, quite possibly against the better judgment of our own horticultural staff, have been brightening up the Schools’ Garden raised beds! The point? Well it is all about getting children and teachers to experiment , give gardening a go and enjoy the results, whatever they may be. Once the tulips have faded, they will be replaced with a sowing of ‘Flanders Poppies’ in recognition of the many First World War commemorations taking place – our thanks to Thompson & Morgan who have supplied 50 packets of poppy seeds for projects. We are also developing some mini gardens to become settings for some pint-sized (Playmobil and Lego) visitors to explore the outsize plant worlds, an exemplar new way to grow plants in restricted spaces for creative use with pre-school and early years children.
for exploring the use and meanings of plants through history. The final bed will become a vibrant pictorial meadow of long-lasting, easy and cheap to grow annuals, ideal for tight school budgets. As well as learning how to grow a pictorial meadow, we want the children to examine the range of flower forms and seed dispersal mechanisms, to use them to decorate classrooms or to sell as cut flowers for enterprise and fundraising projects. We’ll be using this mini-meadow to inspire teachers on the continuing professional development courses we run on behalf of the RHS’s Campaign for School Gardening that focus on creative ways to use plants grown in school grounds across the Curriculum.
Flis Plent, Head of Education In two of the four large growing beds, we will be growing a range of vegetables with local primary schools, including a selection of colourful climbing beans to cover the central pergola and other quick-growing vegetables that will crop before the school holidays. A third bed at the front will be planted up with culinary herbs and edible flowers to demonstrate how herbs can be used for enterprise projects as well as flavourings, and
A plot-size pictorial meadow will be used for teacher training
Smashing Plants Saturday 7 June Have a go at plant printing techniques with rubber hammers, pestle and mortar and plants. BG at the Big Weekend Saturday 5 July Join us this time on Parker’s Piece for the Big Weekend, where we will be celebrating petal power as the Tour de France cycles into town. Bear Hunting Saturday 2 August Make a bear mask and go on your very own bear hunt out in the Garden. ‘You can't go over it, you can't go under it, oh no you'll have to go through it... ‘ Name that tree Saturday 6 September Discover more about the trees at the Garden and make a tree ID poster to take home.
For the half-term and summer hols… Mad about moths Wednesday 28 May, 11am-12.30pm As part of a moth monitoring project, we regularly set an overnight moth trap in the Garden. Join us to help release the trap and learn more about moths in the Garden. £5 per child, pre-booking essential on 01223 331875 Planet Botanic Available from 24 July On Planet Botanic, different families of plants do battle to be the best! Pick up a backpack and trail from the ticket office to find out about plant families and hunt for their secrets hidden in the Garden. No need to book, just drop in. Go Batty Saturday 23 August, 8-10pm Join bat expert Nick Crumpton for a nighttime family bat walk at the Botanic Garden. We should find common pipistrelle bats hunting the insects attracted to nightflowering plants and, if lucky, we might find Daubenton’s bats fishing over the Lake! For children aged 8+; all children must be accompanied by an adult. £5 per person, pre-booking essential on 01223 331875
Friends’ News – Issue 95 – May 2014
Dear Friend We have some lovely events this summer for our Friends. There are more outings on offer and, due to popular demand, we have organised two dates for one of these trips so that we can accommodate more people wishing to participate. Please read the cancellation and refund policy before booking. We are also delighted to offer Friends a special summer Evening Highlights Tour with refreshments on Friday 20 June. This tour will be open to Friends’ guests, too, so we hope that many of you will take advantage of the offer. Early evening, when all other visitors have left, is a magical time in the Garden. If it’s wet outside we will retire to the Glasshouse Range. Another specialist tour developed by two of our Guides, Pam Newman and Pam Dansie, is also on offer. ‘Gardening for Drought’ was conceived in 2012 during one of the longest dry periods on record. Since then we’ve had more than our fair share of rain! Cambridgeshire, however, remains one of the driest parts of the country and ’Gardening for Drought’ is full of interesting facts and helpful advice for gardening in this region and takes place on 16 July 2014. Details for all events are in the enclosed booking form.
On 1 March 2014 we launched the new plastic Friends’ membership cards, so over the next 12 months we will be gradually phasing out the cardboard cards. Please remember that there is now a charge of £10 for replacing any lost card. Please also remember that if you choose to renew your membership by Direct Debit you must complete all sections of the membership application form and pay for the current year by cash/card/cheque at the time of renewal. Your new Direct Debit will take effect in the following year. If you have any questions regarding your Friends’ membership, please contact the Outreach Office on 01223 336271 or email friends@botanic.cam.ac.uk. Thank you for your valued support. Wishing you all a lovely spring and summer.
Emma Daintrey Outreach Administrator
Late nights this summer In June we will be staying open late ‘til 8pm on Wednesday evenings to make the most of the light evenings. The Café will be open until 7.30pm so why not come and unwind after work with a drink, and stretch the legs with a wander of wonder. And in July, thanks to the continuing support of Mills & Reeve, we are delighted that Sounds Green proms from the Cambridge Summer Music Festival return once more to the Garden every Wednesday. These very informal and sociable affairs when children (and sometimes even the adults!) get up to dance are delivered by up-and-coming ensembles. Do bring along a small folding chair or cushion to sit on, and a picnic if you wish – and check the weather forecast to see if a brolly may be required! Sounds Green I: Bella Tromba Wednesday 2 July, 6.15pm The Guardian describes Bella Tromba as a glamorous all-trumpet girl band, dedicated to exploring and expanding the instrument's potential. Sounds Green II: Cymbiotic Percussion Wednesday 9 July, 6.15pm This dynamic duo brings their ‘hooligan’ drumming style to the Garden performing on a range of instruments from marimba to djembe. Friends’ News – Issue 95 – May 2014
Sounds Green III: PerKelt Wednesday 16 July, 6.15pm PerKelt unleash the passion and energy of strong melodic Celtic sounds, pioneering their original powerful ‘speed folk’ style.
Sounds Green IV: Steppin’ Out Wednesday 23 July, 6.15pm Vibrant jazz quintet, Steppin’ Out deliver traditional New Orleans music, imaginatively arranged jazz standards and original compositions. Sounds Green V: Simply Reeds Wednesday 30 July, 6.15pm Enjoy the finely-honed sax and clarinet combination perform a fluent mix of classical and baroque music through to swing, jazz, and modern pop. The Garden closes at 8pm on Sounds Green evenings. For more on the Cambridge Summer Music Festival please visit www.cambridgesummermusic.com
Friends’ Events and dates for the diary A booking form with full descriptions, details, times and prices is enclosed. Outings will be allocated by ballot. To register for the ballot please complete and return the enclosed booking form by the given closing date. Please take care to note the new cancellation and refund policy outlined on the booking form. Friends’ Evening Highlights Tour Friday 20 June 2014, 6.45pm start at the Brookside Gate Enjoy the pleasure of a one-hour after-hours tour in the company of one of our expert guides followed by a drink on the Main Lawn. Outing to Elton Hall & Gardens Tuesday 1 July 2014 The Elton estate has been in the Proby family since1595 when they acquired the land; they built the main Hall in 1666. A morning tour of the fascinating house is followed in the afternoon by a grounds and gardens tour with the Head Gardener, including to the family’s private garden, not normally open to the public. Highlights of the largely early 20th century garden include a box parterre, lily pond, sunken garden, flower borders and shrub garden. A Gothic orangery was created to celebrate the Millennium, joined by a Gothic arbour to mark the Jubilee celebrations.
Outing to RHS Wisley Wednesday 16 July or Thursday 31 July 2014 Wisley is the flagship garden of the RHS, covering a site of more than 240 acres. It is one of the world’s greatest gardens with both formal and walled gardens, mixed herbaceous and grass borders, a rose garden, a rock garden, alpine gardens, a fruit field and an arboretum. Of special interest is the cathedral-like glasshouse, opened in 2007, with three distinct climatic zones which recreate tropical, moist temperate and dry temperate habitats. Gardening for Drought Wednesday 16 July 2014 Join our expert guides for a tour that highlights plants and garden techniques suitable for gardening in a dry climate. Tours start from the main Brookside Gate at 10.30 am and end at the Garden Café.