General Subjects > Wisley Alpine Log – Feedback Forum

Kew get in on the act......

(1/3) > >>

Maggi Young:
It seems that the alpine department at Kew have decided that they will do a bit of blogging, too..... Richard Wilford introduces the  concept here :
http://www.kew.org/news/kew-blogs/meet-alpine-and-rock-garden-teams.htm

They've a way to go to catch up with the Wisley Folks, but it will be interesting to be able to catch up on Kew happenings from our own far flung 'posts of the empire' !! ::) 8) ;) ;) ;D

Maren:
Hmmm, I'm a friend of Kew and love the place, but their Alpine department is very disappointing since they introduced that architects dream, the Davies house. The setting is great but there's nothing much in it. I rather go to Wisley for alpines. :-X

Maggi Young:
Your comment echoes what I have heard from lots of people,.... it seems the new building is not terribly popular....tough on the Staff who have to work with it and who love their alpines  :-X

Pascal B:
I spoke to Tony Hall just before he retired and he admitted that he was glad to be leaving on one hand because he said the internal rules from Kew made it near impossible to replace or enlarge the collections and make them more interesting. This frustrated him immensely. He already predicted that the collections would get poorer and poorer and that was what? 6-7 years ago? So I don't think it is only the building that makes Kew less interesting for alpines nowadays.

Lesley Cox:
Yes, Pascal, Tony, while distressed that he would be unable to look after his beloved Junos for much longer, was never-the-less aware, and stated, that he believed what he called "the golden age" of alpine gardening was past, with Kew unable to collect or even accept material any longer unless it was certified as being with the permission of the governments concerned, of those countries from whence the material came. He was sure that his own collection in particular, would gradually reduce as the rarer, more difficult species were left to their own devices or at least not cared for to his own high standards. It seems his words have come true.

Kew, like many another "botanical" garden, will gradually become what we know as "public" gardens where because of the need to bring in the mass public, for income purposes, displays are of bedding and massed plantings of "pretty" plants rather than any concentration on the scientific purpose of the institution. It will take time, but it will happen.

Likewise our private collections, if recent murmurings by governments of all colours are indicitive, plant movements around the world will become greatly curtailed - it has already happened in New Zealand and Australia - so that rare or lost material won't be able to be replaced. Our gardens will become shadows of their former selves with much of the thrill and excitement of a new plant in flower, lost to us forever.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page