Oxford Botanical Garden

In 2014, July 31 with London International Youth Science Forum (LIYSF) group I visited Oxford Botanical Garden. I want to share my memories from that place now.

It is worth to see. This botanical garden is small. But each corner is clean and organized. So it pay for space. I think, that they might need more, but it is each gardener dilemma of garden space, which is never enough. Unless you move to too big garden and can't maintain it. Better to grow from small, and always need for more, than destroy yourself in too big space. Each have to organize their minds, and heads of this botanical garden did all the best.

The Botanic Garden has been a Plant Heritage National Plant Collection holder of hardy Euphorbias since 1983. This was my first National collection I have visited. And I feel nice. Lot's of species, few varieties let to see how this plant look in different species context. Each specie is interesting, and I could find a room for it. But I am not sure how they act in my garden. So do careful with my wishes.

 This garden has even more interesting points, but I note those, that was interesting for my point. Family beds are very unusual, because they used new system of molecular data. Created Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG). Guide pointed, that this garden was first to adopt this new classification system. I saw some interesting plants, some of those classified beds create nice combinations of plants. Some times, using same family plants, is a risk to get never ending diseases. So I point to myself to use mixed families and only those, that has lowest risk of getting any problems when you grow them.

 Merton Borders. The Botanic Garden is working in collaboration with Professor James Hitchmough from the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Sheffield to develop this area. And it is clear to see, it was touched by master. During that visit I know nothing about Dutch wave, Piet Oudolf or his movement with naturalistic planting. But this area catch my eyes of how freely they mixed those borders. It look neat. When I look closer to ground, there was other layer of low plants, who cover surface and create weed-free area and keep moisture for main plants. Great range of Echinacea pallida and E.paradoxa give nice feelings for me. Large Silphium's and ornamental grasses create meadow look border. There was all range of plants and I like them all. Combination was great and worth to study more. And when I start looking at it, I found this great source: http://www.botanic-garden.ox.ac.uk/sites/botanic/files/images/Hitchmough%20concept%20for%20the%20new%20garden%20.pdf
The best way to learn is theoretic information and practice. This time I switch and first seen this in personal and then get to know all about it. Naturalistic plantings are really top fashion in garden. But it is cleaver. As student of Landscape Architecture I can point, that we are looking for easy maintain and long peaking period. And these combinations with ornamental grasses and a lot herbaceous plants create movement in garden. Let use imagination and play with local plant, or take all new. And maintenance  is really small. Only plant cleaver and enough, weed in first year and cut everything in early spring. Mostly of time, when people look for ideas to their garden and notice that everything that look nice, can cost a lot and require never ending work with them. Well, I can point, that it only cost more in beginning. But later all those colors, lush foliage, sounds and moves give you pleasure and it pays everything. I can say it without any regrets. It is true.

 Our lunch was in this garden. Great place to relax and get some more energy to explore. I found bench in Bog Garden where I have great view for my lunch break. I finished my food really quick, because I wanted to see more, while others started to go out of this place. I went around Merton Borders, Family beds again and herbaceous border.

 

              Arundo donax                                                                     Dianella caerulea

 

 Kniphofia uvaria. I had one in past, but it not survived in my garden after winter. Even I give everything, what seller pointed for me. But I wasn't sad until I saw this one. It is really nice, and attractive.
And after I explore all those great beds, and I still have some time, I went to greenhouses. And I enjoyed what I saw. Not crowded, and organized with system.

 Eucomis vandermerwei

          Thunia gattonensis sp.
         Paphiopedilum superbiens

                            Disa uniflora
      Sarracenia alabamensis

 Sarracenia x mitchelliana

And a light meadow for the end of this post. It was fun to remember this place, my visit to United Kingdom.