THE FRIENDS OF TREBORTH BOTANIC GARDEN CYFEILLION GARDD FOTANEG TREBORTH NEWSLETTER CYLCHLYTHYR Number / Rhif 52 January/Ionawr 2015 Fig. 1 Nidema boothii Lindl. (Scented flower approx. 3cm across.) [p. 29] ©Simon Retallick Fig. 2. Myosotis sp. At Cape Dezhnev, the most easterly point in mainland Russia. 2 [p. 36] ©John Gorham COMMITTEE Sarah Edgar ([email protected]) Chair Rhiannon Mon Jones ([email protected]) Secretary Cathy Dixon ([email protected]) Treasurer Nigel Brown ([email protected]) Curator Rosie Kressman ([email protected]) Horticulturist Angela Thompson ([email protected]) Membership Secretary Dr John Gorham ([email protected]) Events Secretary James Stroud ([email protected]) Minutes Secretary James Balfour ([email protected]) Publicity Dr David Shaw ([email protected]) Committee Member Enid Griffith Committee Member Tom Cockbill ([email protected]) Committee Member Dr Ann Illsley ([email protected]) Committee Member Berta Rosen ([email protected]) Committee Member Dr John Good ([email protected]) Committee Member Alex Hulley ([email protected]) STAG Representative Richard Dallison ([email protected]) STAG Representative Newsletter Team John Gorham (layout, photos) email as above Grace Gibson (adverts, articles) [email protected] Angela Thompson (commissioning articles, email as above planning, editing) Cover Photos: Front: Nigel Brown instructs a large crowd at the Fungus Foray on Saturday 11th October 2014 (©James Balfour) Back: The Hot Garden at Rosemoor [p.19] ©Natalie Chivers) Fungus Foray, Saturday 11th October 2014 (©James Balfour) Unless otherwise stated, all contributions to the newsletter are copyright of the author. Issue No. 52 January 2015 CONTENTS Editorial 3 AGM Report 23 October 2014 4 Curator’s Report August – November 2014 5 Weather and Wildlife: August – November 2014 8 Heliamphora – Plants of the Lost World 12 The Ragweed Road: Botanical Adventures in Europe. 16 The Two Dragons Garden Workshop 18 Natural Resources Wales – a personal view… 19 A Year at Rosemoor 24 Botany, Bikes and Bats, with a pinch of Tea and Tremors 26 Treborth Orchid Update, November 2014 29 Spider Venom offers Pesticide Hope for Bees 33 Stranding of a Pygmy Sperm Whale in North Wales 34 Up North – A Trip to Wrangel Island 36 2 Editorial - Newsletter January 2015 Our first newsletter of 2015 demonstrates the range of work at Treborth as well as the interests of our members in the wider world; and our authors include current students, recent graduates, University staff, and volunteers. Both the Welsh and Chinese components of the exciting Two Dragons project are covered in articles by Sam Herniman and Shaun Russell. Simon Retallick and Mark Long write respectively about the two of our special collections – the orchids and carnivorous plants. As usual, Nigel writes comprehensively about weather, wildlife and events at Treborth over the last few months. Natalie Chivers tells us about her year at RHS Rosemoor in Devon, while Anthony 'Badger' Taylor takes us across Europe, and we travel right up to Wrangel Island in the Arctic Ocean with John Gorham. Angela Thompson gives us something to think about with her two articles, one on a new bee-friendly insecticide, and one on Wales’ new environmental public body, Natural Resources Wales. These and other articles will give you plenty to read in front of the fire while the winter weather is keeping us out of our gardens! In his report Nigel expresses our sadness at the death of Malcolm Cherrett. I would just like to add that we are very grateful to Jane and the family for the donation to the Friends from the collection that was made at Malcolm's funeral. As I take over the Chair of the Friends from Judith Hughes, I would like to thank her for her excellent leadership over the last eight, somewhat turbulent, years. The good ship Treborth seems to be sailing into safer waters and this is due in no small part to her clear direction, committed efforts and good humour. Sarah Edgar 3 AGM Report 23 October 2014 The year got off to a flying start with Friends involved in the Christmas tree festival at the Cathedral, then a successful, but messy, Christmas decorations workshop at Treborth. We got involved with the Chinese garden project and the collaboration with Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanic Garden early in the New Year, and, with Dr Sophie Williams, we planned the high-profile Chinese visit which took place in May. We set up and hosted the very beautiful and hugely popular Plantlife Patchwork Meadow exhibition, followed by an enjoyable craft day in April. We were able to stage some of the patchwork panels in the Main Arts Lecture Theatre when Trevor Dines gave his thought-provoking Len Beer lecture. The Chinese visit on 8 May was preceded by weeks of work by Friends to get the garden into shape: Erle and many others worked hard on this. We have many unsung heroes among Friends who just get on with the work in all weathers, in the arboretum, the beds, on the rockery, in the NVC garden, mowing, raking leaves, burning rubbish. The list is endless and we thank them all. Rosie Barratt, our first horticulturist, left us in May to explore pastures new. She was a great help to us all and we thank her for her time here. Before she left she helped us with two very successful plant sales, generating over £2000 each. These would not have been possible without the dedication of Ann Wood, growing and caring for many of our sale plants. We also have a team of Friends who help with this near sale times. During the summer the Friends paid for five student casual labour placements at Treborth, a great opportunity to nurture future botanists and gardeners. The long-awaited shed was erected thanks to Gerry and his team. Recently a second mower was bought by the Friends. We have helped at many events hosted by other groups, been on walks and had excursions to Dunham Massey, Styal Mill and Llangollen. Then in July we had a most enjoyable break in Eire “doing” several splendid gardens. These trips were organised with the Welsh Historic Gardens Trust. Friends hosted two graduation teas, where it is always good to meet the families. We welcomed the Kew students, and as always we looked after our own students. We have gratefully received many donations towards our work at Treborth. Friends held 8 committee meetings, produced three excellent newsletters (thanks to Angela and her team) and made thousands of cups of tea (thanks to Enid and her team). The plant collections committee do sterling work, as 4 do all the other people who volunteer for us. Thanks, too, to our Treasurer for keeping our funds in order. This has been a year of highs followed by many lows, but let us hope that when the next Annual Report is written, we at last have the staff we need to take Treborth forward. Judith Hughes And… Donations: Many thanks to the following people for their donations to our funds: Mr John Harold, Ms Hilary Miller, Mr Christopher Thomas, Ms Ann Williams, Dr Alan Bates, Dr and Mrs Wootton, and Mr and Mrs Mansfield. Curator’s Report August – November 2014 It was with huge relief that we welcomed Rosie Kressman as Treborth’s Horticultural Technician at the start of November. Allow me to re-iterate my thanks to the Friends for subsidising Rosie’s post by 40% and for helping me cope in the 5 month interval since Treborth lost such full time horticultural help. It has been one of the most testing times and once again student support played a huge part in securing a constructive outcome for the Garden. The on line petition instigated by the Students for Treborth Action Group (STAG) to secure the Horticultural Technician’s post struck a universal cord and convinced the University how much Treborth is valued right across the board. Rosie’s appointment has brought immediate benefits especially to the twice weekly Friends sessions when volunteers can expect help and advice and direction from Rosie and make the most of their precious time at Treborth. In between Rosie prepares the ground for further work and has organised tools and stores and is gradually getting on top of the back log of tidying and sorting which had inevitably accumulated this summer. Semester One has been a particularly busy teaching term for me so having a ‘personal assistant’ for at least part of that period has freed me up to commit more time to our new MSc in Plant Conservation which was launched in September. It is a case of quality not quantity with the new MSc students – in the end, despite 15 applicants we have four on the course. Natalie Chivers is well 5 known to the Friends having graduated last year with a First in Environmental Science at Masters level . She organised STAG during her final year and went on to gain her Certificate of Practical Horticulture with the Royal Horticultural Society at Rosemoor where she excelled. Jen Towill graduated at Bangor in 2005 in Environmental Science and among a number of interesting conservation posts she worked as an Access Officer for Conwy Countryside Services for 6 years. Jen has also been a volunteer at Treborth for a couple of years. Pippa Jones graduated with a First in Ecology at Bangor in 2009 winning the Dr John Roberts Jones prize for the best graduate in the University and has subsequently worked for the RSPB in the Midlands. Whilst an undergraduate Pip acted as Events Organiser for STAG. Chris Miller graduated with a 2.1 in Biology in Bangor earlier this year and has a special interest in upland plants.