'Creating a New National Collection at Wisley' by James Miller

Creating a New National Collection at Wisley

 James will share his experience creating the new Astilbe Arends cvs. (bred by Georg Arends) National Collection at RHS Wisley Garden. He will illustrate the project with photographs of the collections and companion planting. He will show the process; from the seeds of an idea to gaining full status, in just over three years. He will cover the application process, the joys and challenges of curating the collection during the talk.

This talk will be given via Zoom.  An invitation will be sent out to all Surrey Group Members.  If you are not a Surrey Group Member but would like to join us the talk it is available for free to all Plant Heritage members and for a £4 donation to the Surrey Group for non-members.  Please contact us at surreyph@gmail.com for an invitation.

Background: James Miller (BSc hons Horticulture) is a Horticulturist (Horticultural Award) in the RHS Wisley Alpine Team, who has a special interest in bulbs, orchids and has looked after two National Plant Collections. Prior to Wisley he worked at  the prestigious Longwood Gardens in the USA, where he was an International Trainee, at an Orchid Conservation Centre in Panama and spent four and a half months as Curatorial Intern at the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens in 2015.

Doors open 7:00pm talk starts 7:30pm

The evening will include a plant sale of both common and rare and unusual plants grown by Surrey Group Members, a raffle and the opportunity to enter the 'Flower of the Meeting Competition'.  Refreshments will be available.

James Miller with Astilbe Collection (Copyright Peter Goodchild)