Botanic Garden News - Harcourt Arboretum - University of Oxford

Botanic Garden News | No. 785The jewel of the rainforestbyGuillaumele TexierGuillaume le Texier is currently one of our two Horticultural Traineesat the Botanic Garden, though he will be starting a permanent job asGlasshouse Gardener with us in August. He comes originally fromFrance, where he designed urban gardens in the centre of Bordeaux city.He then worked in the glasshouses at the National Botanic Garden of Belgiumin Brussels before coming to Oxford in the Summer of 2010.This spring in the Lily House you may haveadmired what to me is the most beautiful offlowers: that of the Jade Vine (Strongylodonmacrobotrys), part of the Fabaceae or legumefamily. It is easy to recognize: the sight ofthis trifoliate climber with its cascadinginflorescences of blue-green to jadecolouredflowers looks like a dream from theGarden of Eden. Its colour is one of the rarestflower colours; a recent study has shownthat the characteristic luminous blue-greenis developed by co-pigmentationof two chemicals, malvinwith saponarin, in a slightlyalkaline cell sap (pH 7.9). Insuch conditions, saponarinexhibits a strong yellowcolour, which causes theunique blue-green todevelop. However, otherchemicals may also take partin this process, and the entiresecret is not yet revealed.The pea-like (or butterfly-like) flowersof the Jade Vine are modified to encouragepollination by birds...and by bats! This floralmodification is characteristic of papilionoidlegumes within the Fabaceae. The vine doesnot fruit well when it has been artificiallypollinated; it seems that only a natural pollinatoris able to manipulate the pollinationmechanism so as to allow successful fertilizationto occur. And, as with many tropicallegumes, the seeds have a short viability, soEuropean botanic gardens have difficultyin managing sexual propagation in order torenew the genetic material.Another Strongylodon species, S.craveniae, a liana from the eastern forest ofMadagascar, is adapted exclusively to pollinationby flower-feeding lemurs. Lemur-pollinatedplants may be the only angiospermsthat have successfully evolved to exploitprimates as pollinators. This demonstrateshow vital pollinators are for plants – and howeach species, each organism, is linked toanother in an ecosystem. It is also a reminderof how important it is to keep and maintainnatural habitats; and it shows the limit ofex-situ conservation (though here in Oxfordour main aim in cultivating the Jade Vine isone of education).The Fabaceae is one of the largest andmost diverse families of plants. Economicallyit is very important, containing plants withedible seeds like peas and beans, lentil andgroundnut; tamarind which is grown forits fruit; and fodder plants including clover,lucerne and sainfoin. Many genera, especiallythose which flourish in warm regions,provide timber, fibre, dyes, gums and resins.In temperate areas we grow ornamentalplants like lupins and the Judas Tree.A key aspect of this family is thatthe roots of most plants havetubercules containing bacteriawhich can fix atmosphericnitrogen. Nitrogen is a majorand essential nutritiveelement for both plants andanimals, but they are unableto assimilate it directly fromthe atmosphere, so nitrogenfixingplants and bacteria arecrucial.Nitrogen is also a major fertilizerfor agriculture. Thanks to the Haber-Boschchemical process, we are able artificially toproduce chemicals that contain nitrogen andcan be assimilated by plants. Previously, inthe nineteenth century, guano was importedfrom the Chincha islands (off the southwestcoast of Peru) in order to increase theproductivity of agriculture. Today, nitrogenpollution is a serious matter. A large amountof nitrogenous fertilizer is washed away andgoes into rivers, the sea and other aquaticecosystems. This pollution has a huge impacton public health.A solution to the problem would befor us as humans to eat less protein fromanimals i.e. less meat. According to the Food& Agriculture Organisation of the UnitedNations (FAO), a third of arable land is used toproduce cattle feed. Livestock farming is alsoresponsible for 18 per cent of greenhouse gasemissions related to human activities. This iswhy FAO encourages the world to considerinsects as a daily food (they eat fewer plantsto produce good protein).The Jade Vine is one of eight endemicspecies of the genus Strongylodon in thePhilippines and can be found on the islandsof Luzon, Catanduanas and Mindoro. Itsnatural habitat is beside streams in dampforest ravines, from near sea level up to300m. It used to be abundant, but since thedestruction of much tropical rainforest, it isnow under threat.Tropical rainforest is generally cleared foragriculture, for example for the monocultureof palm to produce oil for biodiesel and thefood industry. Rainforest is also destroyedfor the exploitation of its natural resources aswell as for the timber industry. But rainforestsoil has a particular characteristic: it isvery poor and unable to retain the nutritiveelements that plants need. So how can sucha weak soil support such luxuriant life? Infact the rainforest is an incredible recyclingsystem of biological and nutritive elements;so when the forest is burned the soil is leftsterile for a very long time afterwards.A few hundred years ago, at least 95per cent of the Philippines was covered byrainforest; now it’s around only 7 per cent. Soas well as having probably the highest densityof both unique and endangered species in theworld, the decline of the Philippines’ rainforestis probably the most rapid and severe inthe world. The degradation is responsible forincreasing floods and droughts in the country,as well as massive erosion, coral reef siltation,and groundwater depletion.The stunning flowers of the Jade Vinegive great pleasure to visitors to our LilyHouse here in Oxford. Other members of theeconomically-important legume family thatyou can find growing in our Glasshousesare Tamarindus indica (tamarind), Arachishypogaea (peanut) and Derris elliptica whichis cultivated for its roots, a source of the insecticideRotenone.

6 Botanic Garden News | No. 78Artists in theBotanicGardenbyStephenHarrisStephen Harris is Druce Curator of the Oxford University Herbaria and a University ResearchLecturer. His research concentrates on the use of molecular markers in evolutionary andconservation biology. He is also interested in the problems of using herbarium specimens asa source of DNA for evolutionary studies, and in the history of botany. His most recent publicationis the beautifully-illustrated book Planting Paradise: Cultivating the Garden 1501-1900.Galactitestomentosus,watercolour byFerdinand BauerThe University of Oxford Botanic Gardenhas been associated with botanicalresearch and teaching for nearly 400years. During this period, approachesto research and teaching have changed,research questions have been refined andthe ability (and desire) to engage withever-wider publics have increased. In theseventeenth and eighteenth centuries,plant description and classification weremajor research concerns; lectures werefilled with discussions about the medicinaland economic importance of plants. Asthe nineteenth century waned and thetwentieth century advanced, researchand teaching became concerned withthe function, development, evolutionand ecology of plants. Effectiveresearch means publicationand presentation of oftencomplex information in waysthat are acceptable to theintended audiences. Highquality illustrations, bytalented artists, workingin collaboration withresearchers and teachers,often provide the linkbetween the researcherand audience. The Gardenhas been fortunate,throughout its history,in being associated withinspirational botanical artists.The seventeenth centuryEnglish naturalist John Ray (1627-1705) had vast numbers of pressed,dried plants at his disposal when hewas classifying the plants in his HistoriaPlantarum (1686-1704). What he lackedOphrystenthredinifera,watercolourby FerdinandBauerwas a garden and the funds to pay forartists to illustrate his work. Consequently,he, and his audience, had difficulty inlinking the structures on dried specimenswith the appearance of the living plant.Ray’s academic rival, Robert Morison(1620–83), the first Professor of Botanyin the University of Oxford, had no suchrestrictions when it came to his own fruitbasedclassification system presentedin the incomplete Plantarum HistoriaeUniversalis Oxoniensis (1680, 1699).Morison had the facilities of the BotanicGarden for growing plants and, importantly,patronage for funding the folio-sizedcopper plates that illustrate his work. Eachof the plates bears the patron’s arms,and a collection of finely executedbotanical illustrations. Most ofthe plates were engraved byDavid Loggan (1634–92) andMichael Burghers (c.1647-1727), engravers for theClarendon Press. Surprisingly,all of the originalplates survive despitetheir use for a period aslift counterweights in theRadcliffe Science Library.Morison’s work may havebeen more beautifullyillustrated, but it is Ray’sthat has survived as thestandard English synthesis ofseventeenth century botanicalknowledge.Morison hired artists to illustrate andetch his books. Other more impoverishedacademics illustrated and etched theirown works. This was how Johann Dillenius(1684–1747), the first Sherardian Professorof Botany in Oxford, worked. Dillenius isperhaps best known for his work on theHortus Elthamensis (1732), a full-colour,illustrated folio of the plants growingin James Sherard’s (1666-1737) gardenat Eltham in Kent. Dillenius drew andengraved all the illustrations and copperplates, although he regretted the time andmoney he ‘wasted’ on this project. Dillenius’most scientifically important work, theHistoria Muscorum (1741), where all the‘lower plants’ were described, illustratedand etched by Dillenius, was a financialfailure.Dillenius was succeeded as SherardianProfessor by Humphrey Sibthorp (1713–97).Sibthorp was one of the most ineffectualbotany professors in the University; he heldthe Chair for nearly 40 years, publishednothing and gave one, unsuccessful, lecture.In 1750, persuaded by ‘flattering letters’, theGerman botanical artist Georg DionysusEhret (1708–70) came to the Garden underthe assumption that he could pursue hisinterests in illustration and teaching flowerpainting to young, noble ladies. Sibthorphad other ideas and was officious in keepingto the absolute terms of Ehret’s employmentcontract; he cannot have been pleasedthat Ehret was a popular teacher amongthe students and academics, given hisown (in)abilities. Ehret was annoyed withSibthorp’s ‘Tyranny’ and ‘Arbitrary Power’,the refusal to allow new plants into theGarden and Sibthorp’s use of the Garden forhis own profit. Ehret left the Garden in late1751, with the parting conviction that ‘goodDr. Sibthorp will always remember me’.Oxford’s brush with the foremost botanical

Botanic Garden News | No. 787illustrator of the mid-eighteenth centuryhad come to an acrimonious end.The eighteenth century was a rich periodfor the investigation of the natural worldas scientists tried to cope with the tremendousdiversity of species being discovered.Explorers were bringing new species back toEurope from across the globe and scientistswere trying to record them, explain theirdiversity and understand how they couldbe classified. However, whatever formsexpeditions took, if they were to have thescientific impact their leaders often desired,travelling artists became essential. Thescientific results of these expeditions wereoften presented to an elite public throughelaborately illustrated tomes.Ground-breaking exploration of theeastern Mediterranean took place at the endof the eighteenth century (1786-87; 1794-95)and was led, inspired and funded by JohnSibthorp (1758-96), son of Humphrey, whosucceeded his father as the third SherardianProfessor of Botany. The results of thisexpedition were eventually published asthe Flora Graeca (1806-40), which hasbeen described as the most magnificentFlora ever published. Sibthorp’s expeditionswere fundamental to the opening upof the eastern Mediterranean to botanicalresearch. Because of Sibthorp’s early deathand the dilatory treatment of his field notes,the scientific value of the Flora Graeca restson the botanical illustrations that FerdinandBauer (1760-1826), the ‘Leonardo of botanicalillustration’, prepared over eight years.During the expedition Sibthorp collectedall manner of natural history and archaeologicalobjects. It was therefore necessaryfor Bauer to devise a means to minimisethe amount of drawing materials he carried.Bauer’s strategy was to make only pencilsketches in the field, on locally acquiredpaper, and annotate each sketch withnumbers that corresponded to a colourcode of his own devising. Although botanicalartists had used systematic shorthandmethods for recording colour before, it hadnever been carried out to the extent seenin Bauer’s work. These numbers were used,when Bauer returned to Oxford, to produce966 finished botanical and 248 finishedzoological watercolours; all of which werecompleted before 1795. Bauer’s work ischaracterised by his attention to detail, thespeed at which he worked and his apparentmemory for colour. On his death, Sibthorpleft provision to complete the publication ofthe Flora Graeca, based on Bauer’s botanicalwatercolours. The costs of the project werevast but eventually the Flora was publishedin ten volumes, of which there are only 25copies of the first printing.As scientific trends in botany changedin Oxford during the nineteenth century,there was a fallow period for the Gardenand botanical illustration. Charles Daubeny(1795-1867), one of the most dynamicprofessors of the Natural Sciences theUniversity boasted during the century, wasclear that good collections of living anddead plants produced good research andteaching. John Sibthorp had used Bauer’soriginal watercolours in his undergraduatelectures at the end of the eighteenthcentury. From the 1850s until the 1930s,poster-sized colour illustrations of plantstructure became popular in botanicalteaching, including a set of nine posters,drawn by Walter Fitch (1817-92), andpublished in 1857 as Prof. Henslow’s BotanicalDiagrams. Such commercial postersFritillaries from Robert Morison’s Plantarum Historiae Universalis Oxoniensis (1680),drawing by William SonmansDr Stephen Harriswere augmented by more specializedteaching aids prepared for specific courses.Among the most successful and distinctivewere the illustrations of floral dissectionsmade by the Oxford academic ArthurHarry Church (1865-1937). Unlike JohnSibthorp, Church used his own skills asan artist to illustrate his own publicationsand teaching.The late twentieth and twenty firstcenturies saw the Garden once againassociated with a highly skilled botanicalillustrator, Rosemary Wise. In collaborationwith researchers in the Departmentof Plant Sciences, Rosemary has becomesynonymous with scientific botanicalillustration, using both living and deadplants. Although physically separated,the Garden and the Herbarium have cometogether through Rosemary to producemagnificent botanical illustrations ofenduring scientific value.Now, the link between science andhigh-quality scientific botanical illustrationis to be maintained through theformation of a Florilegium Society.‘Florilegium’, from the Latin flor (flower)and legere (to gather), means a collectionor selection of flowers, and botanicalartists of this new Florilegium Societywill contribute towards a collection ofplant illustrations, a visual record of plantsgrowing in the Oxford Botanic Garden.The importance of such a collectioncannot be overestimated. It continuesthe historical connections between livingplants in the Garden and specimens in theOxford University Herbaria. In time, and asthe collection grows, it will provide a mineof information for the researcher, evena basis for the study of species variationand evolutionary trends. The FlorilegiumSociety with its remit to illustrate scientifically,and with clarity, species growing inthe Garden, will contribute enormously tobotanical science in Oxford.

8 Botanic Garden News | No. 78Recent developments at theUniversity of Oxford Botanic Gardenand Harcourt ArboretumbyTimothyWalkerMagnolia lobeneriHarcourt Arboretum atNuneham CourtenayThe damage inflicted on the Arboretum plantcollection by the coldest winter in 28 yearsis becoming apparent. The Crinodendronhookerianum has been reduced back to theground if not completely killed. Generallyspeaking a death certificate is not issued to aplant until the beginning of July, to give thevictim a fair chance at regeneration from itsbase. The phormiums are looking very sickbut losses appear to be fewer than initiallyfeared. Following the heavy snow and freezingtemperatures of December 2010 there wasvery little in flower in January but the almostcomplete absence of frosts thereafter resultedin an extraordinary spring.In February the usual stars such asChimonanthus praecox and Hamamelis xintermedia ‘Winter Beauty’ were joined byRhododendron dauricum ‘Midwinter’ andRhododendron sutchuenense. The latter looksfar too exotic for a winter flowering shrub butit is particularly useful for teaching becausethe pores in the anthers, through which thepollen is released, are clearly visible with thenaked eye.In March the stars were the drifts ofnaturalised daffodils which, like many bulbs,thought that they were back in their naturalhabitat where the snow melts providing lotsNaturalised daffodilsof water to support spring growth stimulatedby the sun and warmer weather. Equallyhappy were the magnolias from China. Thesequence of severe cold followed by mildspring mimicked the spring in continentalregions. Particularly floriferous were theMagnolia campbellii ssp. mollicomata andMagnolia x lobeneri ‘Leonard Messel’. A newacquisition to the Arboretum in March whichwas not entirely welcome was a badger whichshowed far too much interest in the collapsedculvert in the area designated for the newcar parking area. There has been a satellitebadger sett under an old oak tree in this areafor several years but never any activity in theculvert. Following several nights of recordingwith infrared cameras it was confirmed thatwhile the badger was active in the area, thereal damage was being done by rabbits. Thesehave now been persuaded to dig elsewhere.In April the exotics continued to put ona fine display, especially the Rhododendronluteum, Halesia carolina ‘Rosea’, Cercissiliquastrum, Amelanchier x grandiflora,and Berberis darwinii. The latter SouthAmerican species was very popular with theOxfordshire bees. However, the exotics werefinally put into the shadows by the bluebellwood which looked as good as it ever gets.The bluebells, along with other natives suchas the greater stitchwort (Stellaria holostea),hit their peak on April 23rd, more than a weekearlier than a normal year three decades ago,and 2011 is a late year.The canopy of oak trees has openedup in the past ten years, and attempts topromote natural regeneration of the oakshave failed. Hence fifty maiden whip treeshave been planted, complete with birchtrees as “nurses”. By and in the pond at thebottom of Pylon Meadow two other Britishplants have had a good year: the nativebog bean (Menyanthes trifoliata) floweredprofusely across the pond while underneaththe willows upon which they are parasitic,the purple toothwort (Lathraea clandestina)flourished.By the middle of May the rhododendronswere in full flow along with the Embrothriumcoccineum var lanceolatum which stillclashes wonderfully with the Rhododendronponticum. Much more subtle and beautifulwas the Styrax hemsleyana which drewa great deal of attention from visitors. Inaddition to the exotics, the meadows haveflowered very well, the pignut (Conopodiummajus) in Pylon Meadow being particularlyfecund. The lower third of Palmer’s Leyscontinues to mature rapidly.The Hardy Collectionat the Botanic GardenThe weather affected the Botanic Garden inthe same way as it did the Arboretum andso the spring started late and slowly butthen it sprinted for the summer. The firstoutstanding plant was the Abeliophyllumdistichum which still deserves to be morewidely known. It is closely related toforsythia but it is white flushed pink andbeautifully scented. Other shrubs thatdid very well in March included Magnoliadenudata, Stachyurus praecox, Ribeslaurifolium, and the native Cornus maswhich flowered so profusely that it rivalledHamamelis mollis. The cornus, like manytrees & shrubs in the collection, has anincreasing amount of lichen growing onits branches and even on small twigs. Itis often stated that healthy lichens are aRibes laurifoliumsign of clean air but there is no informationas to whether this build up on the outside ofwoody plants is detrimental to the plant.Another yellow-flowered shrub that didwell this year was Edgeworthia chrysantha.This is one of those species that looks muchbetter in pictures than in reality. It is almost ayellow daphne but flowers before its leavesemerge on thin bare stalks. It just looks as if itreally isn’t trying hard enough to impress andto earn a place in the border.Herbs, as opposed to woody plants,enjoyed the weather. The most modestwas Adoxa moschatellina, also known astown-hall clock and five-faced bishop. Thegenus has given its name to the super-familythat includes the viburnums et al which is anaffiliation that is not immediately obvious.It thrives in shade alongside Pachyphragma

Botanic Garden News | No. 789macrophyllum, a choice member of theBrassicaceae and Helleborus orientalishybrids. The oddest of these at the Gardenis a member of the anemone-centred groupwhere the corolla has mutated and insteadof being present as nectaries it is trying to bea whorl of petals but failing. It just looks sillyand a candidate for glyphosate. Perhaps thechoicest plant in the shady mulberry borderwas the Synthyris missurica ssp stellata. Atfirst sight it resembles a grape hyacinth butcloser inspection reveals that it is similar to ahebe or veronica and some taxonomists havedumped it in the latter along with 500 otherspecies.One of the most beautiful but fleetingmembers of the buttercup family (theRanunculaceae) is Adonis amurensis andsome years it does nothing but this year therewere many of the big deep yellow flowersabove the feathery ferny leaves. A muchlarger and perhaps coarser plant is Cardaminequinquefolia but it is still a very goodherbaceous perennial for dappled shade withmasses of strong purple flowers. A strikingcombination was created by Ophiopogonplaniscapus ‘Nigrescens’ and Ranunculusficaria ‘Brazen Hussy’. This was as vulgar asthe Euphorbia myrsinites and Iris bucharicawere beautiful.The indisputable highlight of April wasthe Xanthoceras sorbifolium. This is a bigshrub growing up to 5m or more and inflower it is exquisite. Pure white flowers withscarlet throats are borne in many floweredinflorescences. This is an expensive plant tobuy because it is very difficult to propagate.However, our plant is suckering profusely thisyear, perhaps as a result of the roots beingwounded as the border around the plant hasbeen enlarged. Other great garden plantsthat flowered very well this year includedExochorda x macrantha ‘The Bride’, Cydoniaoblonga, Choisya dumosa and Poncirustrifoliata, planted in 1920. In May othershrubs such as Aesculus octandra, Kolkwitziaamabilis ‘Pink Cloud’ and Philadelphuscoronarius ‘Aureus’ put on a great show.By May the shrubs had been joined bymany more herbaceous plants. The beardediris collection that was moved from the LowerGarden to the monocot quarter looked everybit as good in its new home as it did by the bigherbaceous border, especially the sumptuousIris ‘Black Swan’. Some old favouriteslike Geranium renardii, Amsonia salicifolia,Dictamnus albus and Dictamnus albus‘Purpureus’ looked perfect, but they wereupstaged this year by Rehmannia glutinosaon the Rock Garden under the Pinus mugo.It is sometimes known as Chinese foxgloveand it comes with various medicinal propertiesincluding the treatment of diabetes. Thefoxgloves in the new medicinal plant gardenlooked very stately but perhaps not quite assophisticated as the burnt orange Isoplexiscanariensis from Tenerife.The GlasshousesThe Glasshouse displays are a vitalresource through the winter for teaching,particularly of local schoolchildren,and the collection of aroids (membersof the arum family or Araceae) is veryheavily used in the tutorial teaching ofundergraduates. If the flowers of ouraroids appear to be sparse it is becausethey are regularly pulled apart toinvestigate whether the tiny flowers onthe spadix are monoecious or bisexual.Other monocot species such as orchidsand the Clivia miniata are also regularlyused (abused) in this way. One of thecharacteristics that holds the monocotstogether is the fact that they produce newroots from the bottom of the stem eachyear (so-called adventitious roots). A veryclear example of this can be seen at thebase of stems of the Strelitzia nicolai inBananas in the Lily HouseBotanic Garden andHarcourt ArboretumwebfilmsAs part of the development of the Gardenand Arboretum’s web presence and theincreasing demand for moving images inaddition to photographs, the Garden hasundertaken to produce its own in-housefilms for publication on the web. We haveenlisted the help of Clare Holt from NiceTree Films who has a wealth of experiencein filming and editing. With her assistancewe aim to create a moving image archive ofthe Garden and Arboretum and also to makeour own films which will range from generalintroductions to those on more specifictopics such as the bluebell wood at thethe middle of the Palm House. Another ofthe monocots’ defining features is parallelveins in their leaves and this is easy tosee in the leaves of bananas. In Marchthe plant of Musa x cavendishii in the LilyHouse produced an especially big anddelicious hand of bananas.Elsewhere in the Lily House the jadevine (Strongylodon macrobotrys) startedflowering in May. In the pond the Victoriacruziana leaves have developed nicely.Despite all this tropical exuberanceperhaps the highlight of the spring underglass was the Callistemon viminalis orweeping bottlebrush. It was smotheredin the brush-like inflorescences of scarletflowers but let down slightly by the mustysmell. That being said, their odour wasnothing compared with that the flowers ofDeherainia smaragdina which smell likethe inside of a 12 year-old’s gym shoes.Arboretum, medicinal plants and thenew plantings in the Lower Garden.It has been a steep learning curve butluckily we already have a resident frontof-camera‘expert’ (the Director) and withClare’s help we aim eventually to be ableto make these films using the Garden andArboretum staff’s talents. Since we havestarted this project in the last few monthswe have already posted a few films on theVimeo website which can be viewed by goingto http://vimeo.com/ and then searchingfor Oxford Botanic Garden. We hope that infuture these will appear on our own websiteand will be easier to access, but for the timebeing we thought that you might enjoyseeing the early fruits of our labours!

10 Botanic Garden News | No. 78Friends’ newsThe Friends’ twentieth anniversaryand our 3,000th memberThree hundred Friends and a number ofUniversity and other guests gathered for awonderful twentieth anniversary party at theArboretum on 21st May. We enjoyed drinks,1,200 canapes, a splendid band, The Hornsof Plenty, and a marquee in the azalea grove.Our President Lord Patten gave an elegantand entertaining congratulatory address.Just two weeks before the celebrationswe recruited our 3,000th member, Lori vanThe Chairman of the Friends Richard Mayouwith our 3,000th member, Lori van HandelThe Arboretum car parkWe heard at the 20th anniversary party thatwork on the new Arboretum car park, whichhas been made possible by Friends’ support,will start very soon (depending on whatwill suit great crested newts and badgers).Based on Kim Wilkie’s Arboretum landscapeplan, it will be a splendid replacement forthe present inadequate obstacle course,and will feature many specimen trees andseveral copses. “England’s most beautifulcar park” (in Timothy Walker’s words) willbe fundamental to attracting visitors, toWalter SawyerWalter, a member of the founding Council ofthe Friends, has stood down because of hisheavy commitments as Superintendent ofthe University Parks. The Friends, the Gardenand the Arboretum will continue to benefitfrom his advice, practical help and hospitality,but we would like to take this opportunity tothank him. He has done a great deal for theArboretum and the Garden (where he trainedat the same time as Timothy Walker) andfor Friends, whilst splendidly restoring andimproving the Parks and many other collegeand university gardens.Handel, who gracefully accepted a presentationof a celebratory copy of The Flora ofOxfordshire at the party. Our greatly increasedmembership means we can give even moreregular and assured support to the Gardenand Arboretum. It also means that we have anew recruitment target: 3,500 members!Some of The Horns of Plentythe education programme and to realisingthe vision set out when we launched thePalmer’s Leys appeal five years ago.The Friends made an initial donationof £50,000 and a recent further gift of£100,000 towards the development ofthe car park. It is an outstandingexample of a large essential project thatdid not appeal to the usual Trusts andother donors but which the Friends (inconjunction with the University) havebeen able to make possible.byRichardMayouFriends’ coffeemornings10.30am on the first Friday of each monthin the Garden’s Conservatory. After coffee amember of the Garden staff leads a tour ofthe Garden:≠≠≠≠Fridays 2nd September, 7th October,4th November, 2nd December(there is no coffee morning in August)No charge and no booking required,just turn upSunday plant toursat the GardenThese tours are with the Director TimothyWalker, structured around plants of particularinterest for the time of year. They arecrammed with botanical information andhorticultural tips and are great fun. A plantlist is provided. 10.00am until 11.30am:≠≠Sundays 11th September,13th November≠≠Friends £2.00, guests £6.00(includes entry to the Garden)≠≠No booking required, just turn upLegacies anddonationsLegacies from Friends make a bigdifference. Our contribution to theArboretum car park includes a verygenerous legacy of £62,000 from Mrs DorisLloyd Thomas. The Arboretum will alsobenefit from a donation by a member ofthe Friends which will enable two furtherfenced roundels of trees to be planted inPalmer’s Leys. If you would like to considerleaving a legacy or giving a donation, we canadvise on tax-efficient giving. Please contactthe Friends’ Administrator, Liz Woolley,secretary@fobg.org, 01865 286690.Annual GeneralMeetingWe hope to see a good many Friends at ourAGM on 4th October which will be followedby a further installment of Timothy Walker’shistory of the Botanic Garden. Please see theflyer accompanying this newsletter for theAGM agenda. It is helpful if you can let usknow that you plan to attend by indicatingthis on the enclosed events booking form.We have had another good financial year; theaccounts and financial report are availableon the Friends’ section of the Gardenwebsite www.botanic-garden.ox.ac.uk/friends/obg-friends-financial.html.

Botanic Garden News | No. 7811Garden visits andevents for Friendsby Jane Annett, Harriet Brethertonand Pauline CoombesPlease book using the accompanying bookingform. Visits and events tend to get bookedup fairly quickly so to avoid disappointmentplease send in your form as soon as possible.If you have any queries, please contactthe Friends’ Administrator, Liz Woolley,secretary@fobg.org, 01865 286690.Visit to the GroveThursday 1st SeptemberUpperton, Brightwell Baldon,Oxfordshire OX49 5PFFirst group at 11.00am;second group at 2.30pmBy kind permission of Lady Pamela HicksFamed interior designer David Hicks createdthis extraordinary garden at his Oxfordshirehome from 1980 until his death in 1998.Taking inspiration from the Anglo-Frenchgardens of the early 18th century, he laid outavenues and vistas great and small, formingan intricate sequence of green ‘rooms’. Itis a place of rigid formality coupled with alush romanticism that makes it genuinelyunique. Ashley Hicks, son of Lady Pamela,will lead a tour of the garden. The morninggroup will have refreshments before thevisit and the afternoon group after the visit.≠≠Tickets £15, guests £18≠≠Maximum of 25 in each groupThe Friends’Plant SaleSunday 3rd June 2012Please think of our biennialPlant Sale if you take cuttings ordivide perennials as the summerprogresses. We rely entirely upondonations for all our plant stockand the efforts of Friends makesan enormous contribution.For further information contact:Maura Allenmea@armtistead.com01865 311711Ros DiamondFriends’ Summer Receptionin the Botanic GardenThursday 8th September, 6.00 – 8.00pmJoin us for our annual drinks reception, achance for Friends to explore the Garden ata time when it is closed to the public and tofind out more about recent developments.≠≠Friends only (sorry, no guests)≠≠Tickets free, but please book onthe accompanying booking formVisit to Stowell ParkThursday 15th September at 2.30pmNorthleach, Gloucestershire GL54 3LEBy kind permission of the Lord and Lady VesteyStowell Park contains magnificent lawnedterraces with stunning views over theColn Valley. There are fine collections ofold-fashioned roses and herbaceous plantswith a pleached lime approach to the14th century house (not open). Two largewalled gardens contain vegetables, fruit,cut flowers and a range of greenhouses.There is a rose pergola and wide plantfilledborders divided into colour sections.A new feature this year is a magnificentwater garden. Neil Hewertson, HeadGardener, will lead our tour. Please notethat the garden includes uneven steps andpaths and that the visit will entail a walk ofabout one mile. There will be refreshmentsafter the visit at Yanworth Village Hall,about a mile’s drive from Stowell Park.≠≠Tickets £12, guests £15≠≠Maximum 80 peopleVisit to Batsford ArboretumSunday 23rd OctoberBatsford Park, Moreton in Marsh,Gloucestershire GL56 9ABFirst group at 11.00am;second group at 1.30pmFrom late September the Japanese Maplesare like bonfires alight throughout thearboretum and the flowering cherrieswill be ending their season with theirleaves turning to a blaze of colour. Also ofgreat importance is the Sorbus collection,displaying brightly coloured autumnfoliage and berries. Each tour will last1½ hours and sensible walking shoes arerecommended.≠≠Tickets £10, guests £13≠≠Maximum of 28 in each groupAn evening ofmusic in MertonCollege Chapel,OxfordThursday 13th October,7.15pm for 7.45pmBy kind permission of the Warden and Scholars ofthe House or College of Scholars of Merton in theUniversity of OxfordWine and canapés followed bymusic performed by MichaelChance, the internationallydistinguished counter tenor,the Hildegard Choir and theclassical solo saxophonist NaomiSullivan, in one of Oxford’s mostexceptional buildings. In aid ofconservation work at the HarcourtArboretum.≠≠Tickets £20, guests £25

12 Botanic Garden News | No. 78Garden andArboretumeventsExhibitions at the Botanic GardenThe BobartsGroup of theFriendsby Jennie TurnerThe Bobarts Group was set up six years ago to provide extrafinancial support to the Garden and Arboretum; so far we haveraised an extra £46,000. Members of the Group enjoy all thebenefits that the Friends receive but in addition have their ownspecial programme of exclusive visits to private gardens in smallgroups. This booking period we shall visit:Home CloseFriday 22nd JulyThis two-acre garden hasbeen designed with terraces,walls and hedges to divideit into ten distinct areasto reflect a Mediterraneaninterest. Trees, shrubs andperennials are planted forall-year effect. Drinks andcanopés after the tour.Radcot HouseThursday 25th AugustAn exuberant new 2.5-acregarden with harmoniousplanting in sixteen largecolourful beds. Calm areas oflawn are bisected by a canaland enclosed by high beechhedges. There is extensiveuse of grasses, unusualperennials and interestingsculptural surprises. We havebeen invited to stay for aglass of wine.Campden HouseTuesday 6th SeptemberSet in fine parkland in ahidden valley with lakes andponds. A woodland walk,vegetable garden and mixedborders of interesting plantshave been created by theowners.Bobarts Dayat HarcourtArboretumMonday 19th SeptemberJoin us for a wine reception,a talk and a tour of theGarden with DirectorTimothy Walker and SeniorCurator Alison Foster.Bobarts members should book for these events usingthe booking form sent to you in May. If you are not amember of the Bobarts, but are interested in becomingone, please contact the Friends’ Administrator,Liz Woolley, secretary@fobg.org, 01865 286690.Dionne Barber,Bringing theOutside In8th – 31st July,during Gardenopening hours,9am–6pmAn exhibition ofnew works by artistDionne Barber,encapsulating themagic of the BotanicGarden and recordingits importance,uniqueness andidentity as a place ofhistory, education,and scientific research.Dionne Barberwill transform theexhibition space intoan exploration of the senses, using painting, drawing and soundto transport the viewer into another way of experiencing Oxford’sown secret garden.≠≠Free with Garden entryOneOak1st – 31st August, during Gardenopening hours, 9am–6pmIn January 2010 a 222 yearold oak tree was felled for itstimber. It was an ordinary oaktree, until its selection as thefocus for an education projectby the Sylva Foundation madeit famous.The OneOak project aims tobring people closer to growingtrees for wood, by followingthe full life story of this oneoak tree. It is now the mostscientifically studied tree inBritain and has also inspiredartists, film makers andAlice’s Day at the Botanic GardenSaturday 9th July, 1-4pmmusicians. Its timber is beingused in dozens of ways, tomake beams in buildings, finefurniture and everyday items,and to produce energy to heathomes and smoke to flavourfood. In 2011 children planted250 oak trees to replace theOneOak tree.Visitors to the exhibitionwill see artwork and film, learnabout the tree’s history and thepeople involved, and can evenenter a free competition.www.OneOak.info≠≠Free with Garden entryBring a picnic, enjoy live music and family friendly activities.The performance this year is a series of dangerous liaisons withLewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky, courtesy of Shiplake College’s MadDogs theatre company. www.storymuseum.org.uk/alice≠≠Free with Garden entry

Botanic Garden News | No. 7813Family friendly eventscelebrating theInternational Year of ForestsFree with entry to the Garden or Arboretum;no need to book.At the GardenForest PicnicafternoonSaturday 23rd July, 1-4pmCelebrate forests from aroundthe world with stories, games,activities and music. Don’tforget to bring your picnic.Hot ArtThurs 18th August, 1-4pmRainforests are full of differentplants. Track some down andcreate a colourful fabric wallhanging.Wonderful WoodThurs 25th August, 1-4pmRainforest LayersThurs 4th August, 1-4pmFind out about different plantlayers in the rainforest; thenmake a pop-up model.Really Useful ForestsThurs 11th August, 1-4pmFind out about the day-todayitems that come fromrainforests and sow atropical pip.Find out what logos to look outfor on forest-friendly produceand have a go at makingrecycled paper.At the ArboretumTrees for Habitatsand FoodTuesday 2nd August, 1-4pmLearn about the life our forestssupport, and find out aboutyour favourite forest foods.Trees for Materialsand ShelterTuesday 9th August, 1-4pmCreate beautiful naturalsculptures, and have a go atmaking your own mini-den.Trees Inspire StoriesTuesday 16th August, 1-4pmListen to our forest stories, andcreate some forest characters ofyour own.Trees are Great forExploringTuesday 23rd August, 1-4pmCome and explore the treesat the Arboretum, and collectyour own tree treasures.Trees Need Our HelpTuesday 30th August, 1-4pmCome and learn what you cando to help, and add your pledgeto our pledge tree.The PublicEducationProgrammeThe 2011-2012 Public EducationProgramme will offer some oldfavourites as well as some newfeatures.2010-2011 has been a time ofsignificant change at the BotanicGarden and Harcourt Arboretumand so we will start the newprogramme in October with ameet the staff evening. Membersof our curatorial team will introducethemselves and their plansfor the future and there will bean opportunity for questions andmingling over refreshments.2011 has been designated bythe United Nations as both theInternational Year of Forestsand the International Year ofChemistry, and we will havespecial lectures to celebrateboth. We will be delighted towelcome Tony Kirkham, Headof the Arboretum at the RoyalBotanic Gardens, Kew, to talkon Trees – a Cut Above theRest. Dr John Emsley will talkabout his new book A Healthy,Wealthy, Sustainable World andthe importance of plants andchemistry for a sustainablefuture. Both are excellent andentertaining speakers.The Science Lecture Seriestheme will be Plant Geneticsfor a Sustainable Future withspeakers from both the Universityof Oxford’s Departmentof Plant Sciences and fromother UK research institutions.The Winter Lecture Series hasan excellent line-up and tocelebrate 2012 as Olympic yearour theme will be Gardens FromAround the World with speakersincludin g the RHS PresidentElizabeth Banks DL and gardendesigner Dan Pearson.Throughout the year therewill also be horticultural coursesled by the Garden staff, botanicalstudy mornings led by theever-popular Stephen Harrisand the return of botanical illustrationcourses with RosemaryWise.Throughout summer 2012we will be giving entertainingguided walks around ourcollections - both at the Gardenand at the Arboretum. TimothyWalker will lead walks onselected plant families, BenJones will lead walks with ageographical theme and AlisonFoster will lead walks with achemistry twist!The full programme will besent to Friends in August andthis year bookings can be madeonline as well as in the usualways (post or phone). Full detailswill be sent with the programme.Exploring the ArboretumArboretum explorers’ backpacksUntil NovemberBorrow one of our family-friendly Arboretum explorers’ backpacksand a world of exploration and investigation will open up toyou. Use the activities inside to help focus your walk around ourbeautiful 130-acre site. This year we have two brand new backpacksavailable: Finding and Playing. They contain a selection of activitiessuitable for a range of ages, and are packed full of ideas to help youget the most from your visit to the Arboretum.Quest geocaching trails23rd July – 5th SeptemberGeocaching is an outdoor treasure-hunt style activity for familygroups, in which participants use a Global Positioning System(GPS) receiver to locate boxes or “caches” which are hidden aroundthe Arboretum. The Quest trail takes you on a unique tour of theArboretum as you locate each cache in turn. The caches containa range of tree- and physics-related activities to do along the way.Funded by the Institute of Physics.≠≠Free with entry to the Arboretum, but a £40 refundabledeposit is required to borrow the GPS units (availablefrom the ticket office on a first-come first-served basis)

14 Botanic Garden News | No. 78Education updateby Kate Castleden, Lynn Daley,Emma Williams and Sarah LloydLynn DaleyWe’re delighted to report that the ArboretumEducation and Outreach Officer KateCastleden had a baby boy, Lewis, in May. Wewelcome Lynn Daley who is covering Kate’smaternity leave. Lynn is a qualified teacherwith extensive education experience bothinside and outside the classroom. Previouslyshe has taught in schools in Ireland andScotland and has worked on educationteams for organisations such as the FieldStudies Council, Forestry Commission andIrish Natural Forestry Foundation. For thelast three years she has worked as a part-timelecturer at University College Cork.The schools provision for thisacademic year has been veryvaried. As well as our usualintensive programmeof activities for primary and secondaryschools, we have organised a number ofnew initiatives. In the spring term childrenenjoyed Discover Plants sessions whichwere developed by Emma Williams andKate Castleden for National Science andEngineering Week. Pupils had the chance tobe botanists for the day, doing “fieldwork”whilst exploring the glasshouses, and“labwork” looking at weird and wonderfulseeds. During their time as taxonomists theymade their own herbarium specimens totake home. The pupils also thought aboutplants providing important habitats, andplanted mini wildflower meadow pots totake back to school.In March schools in the West OxfordSchools Partnership visited the BotanicGarden as part of Metamorphosis, a newproject involving students in year 6, the lastyear of primary school. Each class visited theBotanic Garden and the University Museumof Natural History to take part in a range ofactivities that used the University collectionsto engage young people with the naturalenvironment. The Garden’s Education OfficerSarah Lloyd and science teachers at MatthewArnold School devised activities that focusedon the relationship between plants andinsects, and the scientific skills necessary tostudy them and to draw valid conclusions.Students went back to school armed with labequipment to enable them to study theirschool environment during theMaking a herbarium specimen,just like a taxonomistsummer term. Students are using theinternet to share results and to collaboratewith other schools in the partnership,and will present theirfindings at an event atMatthew ArnoldSchool in July.“Why is there a washingline in the Palm House?”was a question frequentlyheard throughout thisyear’s Fairtrade Fortnightin March. Emma Williams,Education Officer at theGarden, installed a display ofFairtrade clothing that tiedin with the festival’s themeof Fairtrade cotton. Theevent was kindly supportedby Fairtrade clothingcompanies which lent itemsshowcasing the diversity ofFairtrade products available.There were comfortableyoga trousers, flamboyanthats, delicate dresses anddelightful children’s clothes.The serious message behindthe campaign’s festivalwas that commerciallygrowncotton can beincredibly damaging to localenvironments as well as topeople’s heath, and can limita community’s ability to workits way out of poverty. Forexample, to grow 1 kilo ofconventional cotton a farmermight need to use 300g offertiliser, a pricey addition.Although organic yieldsmay be lower, prices paid fororganic and Fairtrade cottonare much higher. Uzbeckistanis the world’s second largestcotton producer and duringthe autumn schools areoften closed and children asyoung as seven bring in thecotton harvest. Fairtrade ofcourse prohibits child labourand promotes fair workingpractices. It’s very tellingthat as a rule we have no ideawhere the regular cottonfor our clothes is grown anddepressingly there appearsto be very little organic orFairtrade cotton available inour high street shops. If youwould like to see some onlineFairtrade fashions, follow thelinks below:www.bishopstontrading.co.uk www.tradingfordevelopment.co.uk www.rubyplum.co.uk www.gossypium.co.uk

TMBotanic Garden News | No. 7815Nicholson generic Ad revised.colour.qxd:Nicholsons A5 portrait b&w copy 2 15/12/10 13:36 Page 2N I C H O L S O N SPlant CentreFor quality plants andindividual serviceOpenMonday - Friday7.30am to 4.00pmSaturdaysin Sept, Oct, Novand Decfrom 9.00am to12 noon onlywww.nicholsons.gb.comNorth Aston, Oxfordshire OX25 6HL Tel: 01869 340342Waterperry Gardens – eight acres of inspirationalgardens steeped in horticultural history. Choosefrom a huge range of Waterperry grown plants,enjoy some retail therapy in the gift barn andgallery and treat yourself to a sumptuous homebaked lunch, cake or patisserie in the teashop.Waterperry Gardens – one of Oxfordshire’s mostbeautiful gardens and so much more.Open every day from 10 til 5pm.Visit www.waterperrygardens.co.ukor call us on 01844 339254Waterperry Gardens, Waterperry,Near Wheatley, Oxford OX33 1JZ.We are onIntroduce a newmember to theFriends and earnyourself a thank you!Introduce a family member, friendor colleague to the Friends of OxfordBotanic Garden and HarcourtArboretum and we will send you a£5 voucher for each new memberyou introduce, to be redeemedagainst tickets for Friends’ eventsand visits or the Garden’s PublicEducation Programme.There’s no maximum number –for every new member you introduce,we will send you a £5 voucher.Enter your details in this form, cutit out and give it to the new Friend tocomplete and return to us; then we’llsend you your voucher. Vouchersmust be redeemed within 12 monthsof the date of issue.When complete, pleasesend this form to:The Secretary, Friends ofOxford Botanic Garden,Rose Lane, Oxford OX1 4AZ,secretary@fobg.org,01865 286690Your details (the Friend introducing a new Friend)NameMembership categoryAnnual single membership @ £28 p.a.Single life membership @ £560Bobarts Group single membership @ £140 p.a.1 Joint membership is open to two people living at the same addressMembership number (on your membership card)Details of the new Friend(s)I wish to become a member of the Friends of Oxford Botanic Garden in the category indicated.Title Given name SurnameTitle & name of second member (if any)AddressPost townEmail addressTelephone(please tick) I can be contacted by email about membership, ticket or other queries.Postcode(please tick) I would like to receive copies of Botanic Garden News by email (three times a year).(please tick) I would like to receive occasional extra news updates by email.Payment of annual membership feesIt is very helpful to the Friends if annual membership fees are paid by Direct Debit.You will receive an initial 15 months’ membership for the price of 12 if you pay by Direct Debit.Please send me a Direct Debit mandate; orI enclose a cheque for £ ________ (payable to The Friends of Oxford Botanic Garden)Gift AidPlease sign and date below if you are a UK tax payer. This will allow the Friendsto recover tax amounting to 25% of your subscription at absolutely no cost to yourself.I wish the Friends of Oxford Botanic Garden to reclaim tax on all subscriptions and donations I have made tothe organisation in the last four years. I confirm that I pay Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax at least equal to theamount of tax which will be reclaimed on my subscription or on any donation.SignedAnnual joint 1 membership @ £45 p.a.Joint 1 life membership @ £900Bobarts Group joint 1 membership @ £225 p.a.Date

16Botanic Garden News | No. 78The last wordbyTimothyWalkerThere are a lot of plant species out therein the world. At the last estimate therewere 352,828 legitimately named anddistinct species of flowering plants.It has recently been proposed by RobertScotland and colleagues that there are another50,000 species waiting to be described inboxes of pressed and dried specimens inJacob Bobart (1599-1680)the world’s herbaria. The lack of funding fortaxonomic work means that these plants willprobably stay in the boxes for years to come.Botanic gardens come in many shapesand sizes and some, like the Harcourt Arboretum,change their shape and size. A botanicgarden or arboretum can be described as awell-documented collection of plants thatare grown for education, research, conservationand spiritual reasons. The vision of ourfounding father, Jacob Bobart, was to create agarden to promote learning and to glorify thework of God.However, the question has to be asked:which species does one try to cultivate? -because no garden will have the space orconditions to grow all 400,000 species.We are spoilt for choice. Like many botanicgardens and arboreta, Oxford has an accessionpolicy. This sets out a number of criteriathat a plant must fulfil before it is grown.These criteria may evolve over the years: itwould be true to say that plant conservationwas not high on Jacob Bobart’s to-do list inthe middle of the 17th century. Likewise,if a collection is being grown for researchthen it will only be grown for as long as thatresearch interest exists.We are currently reviewing the Gardenand Arboretum’s accession policy to checkthat the collection is as good as it possiblycan be in support of our many users. Abotanic garden and arboretum collectionwill be as diverse as its user-groups. One ofthese groups of users is of course the payingvisitors, who wish to be inspired horticulturally,and so do not expect the ornamentalbeds to disappear under a blanket of thalecress just yet (and hopefully never).There may be 120 species of EchinopsUniversity of Oxford Botanic GardenNovember to February:open daily 9.00am to 4.30pm,last admission 4.15pmMarch, April, September & October:open daily 9.00am to 5.00pm,last admission 4.15pmMay to August:open daily 9.00am to 6.00pm,last admission 5.15pmWe are closed on Christmas Dayand Good FridayNo dogs allowed in the Garden(except assistance dogs)University of Oxford Botanic GardenRose Lane, Oxford OX1 4AZTel: 01865 286690E-mail: postmaster@obg.ox.ac.ukWeb: www.botanic-garden.ox.ac.uk/Garden/obg-intro.htmlUniversity of Oxford Harcourt ArboretumDecember to March:open Monday to Friday 10.00am to 4.00pm,last admission 3.30pm; closed weekendsApril to November:open daily 10.00am to 5.00pm,last admission 4.15pmWe are closed 22nd December to 3rd JanuaryNo dogs allowed in the Arboretum(except assistance dogs)University of Oxford Harcourt ArboretumNuneham Courtenay OX44 9PXTel: 01865 343501E-mail: postmaster@obg.ox.ac.ukWeb: www.botanic-garden.ox.ac.uk/Harcourt/obg-harcourt-intro.htmlThe Friends of Oxford Botanic GardenRose Lane, Oxford OX1 4AZAll Friends’ enquiries, including those aboutFriends’ events, should be made to LizWoolley, the Friends’ AdministratorTel: 01865 286690E-mail: secretary@fobg.orgWeb: www.botanic-garden.ox.ac.uk/FriendsPlease note that the Friends’ office is staffedonly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, between9.00am and 4.00pm. At other times urgentFriends’ enquiries will be dealt with byGarden staff.The newsletter is published by the University of Oxford Botanic Garden and is edited by Liz Woolleyand Timothy Walker. The views expressed in articles are those of the authors and do not necessarilyreflect the policy or views of the Visitors of the Botanic Garden.Design by Richard Boxall Design Associates