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Facing up to Beetles by Michael Darby
Insects play a key role in the natural world, they are the caretakers of our environments, the great recyclers; yet, they are often overlooked with many people unaware of their existence. Throughout the summer in the Botanic Garden you can come face to face with beetles, some of the smallest and yet most beautiful animals that we share the planet with. The exhibition features images of British beetles by Michael Darby viewed head on and magnified over 100 times giving…
Find out more »Bee and Pollination festival
This year’s Bee and Pollination Festival will be the best ever. Now in its tenth year the event has become an important feature in the south west’s horticultural, beekeeping and wildlife calendar. Demonstrations will range from beekeeping techniques and the workings of a live hive, to learning how to build bee skeps and weave enchanting willow sculptures. As always we will have a full programme of talks by experts in their field, from the medicinal properties of honey with Dr…
Find out more »All about trees
During this workshop you will gain an insight into the wonderful world of trees; how to choose a small tree, how to identify trees around you and the problems and pests that might be associated with caring for them. There will also be a demonstration on how to plant and stake a tree correctly and tips on how to establish a hedge. The Botanic Garden is a perfect setting for this workshop and Roger Mellors, after a working life with…
Find out more »Herb walk with Chris Roe
Many people are becoming interested in foraging for both food and medicine. Learn some of the basic skills in plant identification along with some of the major plant families and some of the key medicinal and edible plants in each family. You will look at common medicinal traits in each family, which plants can easily be found, responsibly foraged and safely used, and some of the more toxic species to be aware of. Chris Roe was trained at the Scottish School…
Find out more »All about trees
During this workshop you will gain an insight into the wonderful world of trees; how to choose a small tree, how to identify trees around you and the problems and pests that might be associated with caring for them. There will also be a demonstration on how to plant and stake a tree correctly and tips on how to establish a hedge. The Botanic Garden is a perfect setting for this workshop and Roger Mellors, after a working life with…
Find out more »Plant hunting in Eastern Anatolia – Timothy Walker – Lecture
Timothy joined the staff of the University of Oxford Botanic Garden in 1980 as a trainee gardener and in 1988 became the Horti Praefectus (director), a post that he held for 26 years until July 2014. He now lectures in plant sciences at Somerville College Oxford. In May 2011 he presented a BBC4 series on the history of botany. He has travelled widely in the UK and Europe, and further afield in search of plants. In addition to working in…
Find out more »Seasonal gardening – make the best of your garden in time for autumn
Expect an informal and supportive atmosphere with lots of opportunities to discuss aspects of the garden that are relevant to the coming gardening season. This might range from pruning and propagation to lawn maintenance. You will also be introduced to a range of plants that will make your garden more beautiful every autumn. We will concentrate on the decorative aspects of your garden so we will not cover fruit or vegetable production. The aim is to make every gardening season…
Find out more »Herb talk – tincture making with Chris Roe
Alcohol is a common medium of extraction for making plant medicine, it both extracts and preserves the medicinal properties of plants. Learn about how to make your own medicinal herb tincture for common complaints, from the most simple method to the more complex. Which herbs give themselves well to tinctures? How do they compare to other types of preparation? How do we assess strength and potency? How does the strength of the alcohol affect the final preparation? During the workshop…
Find out more »Propagation workshop
An introduction to the exciting world of propagating plants. The tutor Julie Henderson will guide you through the various methods of creating new plants. You will learn the principles behind plant propagation with a general overview of the basic types of propagation for the home gardener; including seed collecting and sowing, division, layering and the various types of cuttings, including some houseplants. The practical session will focus on what is suitable for the time of year, but the skills you…
Find out more »Herb talk – Physiology of stress with Chris Roe
What do we mean by stress? What are the signs and symptoms of stress? We will discuss the manifestation of stress in the nervous and endocrine systems. How stress effects the heart and blood vessels, digestive function, the liver and pancreas, the immune system and ourselves? What Herbs and Botanics can we use to help guard against stress? What does temperament tell us about our predisposition towards stress? Finally, we shall look at the role of consciousness in stress. How…
Find out more »Herb talk – Back to our senses with Chris Roe
Mostly when we learn about herbs we rely upon information from a book and we think of their medicinal action in terms of biochemistry. But what can we learn about herbs from our own senses? During this workshop we will look at the 5 tastes and how taste can have specific physiologic effects as well as telling us something about its medicinal action. In the past people believed in the doctrine of signatures that a plant conveyed in its form…
Find out more »Botanical Art: Drawing and Painting with Jenny Brooks
This 21 week course with senior associate Jenny Brooks Dip.AD, ATC is suitable for beginners as well as returning students. Progress is via the steady development of drawing skills, observational drawing from plant specimens and water colour techniques, using sketchbooks for preparatory work. More advanced students carry out monthly assignments of increasing complexity to further the development of their own work. It is hoped that students will follow all three terms of this course (Autumn 7th Oct – 9th Dec; Spring 13th Jan…
Find out more »Photography at Twilight workshop with Graham Parish
Sunset and twilight are considered by many photographers to be two of the best times in the day to take pictures. Join Graham Parish and have a look at the reasons why. The first half of the workshop will be in the classroom. We’ll have a look at some twilight images, consider how they were achieved and also consider how we can overcome some of the challenges twilight may present. In the second half we’ll go out and find some…
Find out more »The orchid hunter: a summer in search of our tresses and twayblades – Leif Bersweden – Lecture
Leif Bersweden has had a lifelong interest in nature, focusing on plants from the age of seven. He grew up in rural Wiltshire where he taught himself how to identify the local flora and now regularly leads plant identification training courses for The Species Recovery Trust. Leif graduated in biology from the University of Oxford and is now a PhD student at Kew Gardens, where his research focuses on orchid genetics. In a world where an interest in botany is…
Find out more »The Bishop’s Palace Gardens, past, present and future – James Cross – Lecture
James, who is the Head Gardener at the Bishop's Palace Gardens in Wells, has enjoyed gardening since primary school. After a degree in landscape management at Hadlow College he worked a sandwich year placement at Sissinghurst Castle Gardens and continued working there part time to the end of his course. He had a temporary placement at Sheffield Park Gardens before starting at The Courts Garden in Wiltshire. After five years he moved to his current role as Head Gardener at…
Find out more »Christmas wreath making
It’s that time of year again, when you can take some time out and enjoy a minced pie while you create your own Christmas wreath. There will be lots of traditional greenery and seasonal treats from the hedgerow to choose from, so you can make your wreath as wild and natural as you dare. Feel free to bring any of your own items to add a personal and unique touch. There are two workshop dates to choose from; Saturday 7th December and Sunday…
Find out more »Planting the Oudolf Gardens at Hauser and Wirth, Bruton, Somerset – Rory Dusoir – Lecture
Rory Dusoir decided to pursue a career in horticulture while studying for a classics degree at Balliol College, Oxford. After graduating, he worked at Great Dixter as assistant head gardener prior to undertaking the prestigious Kew Diploma. He has been head gardener at Howe Mill, Wiltshire and Stud House, a private estate within the grounds of Hampton Court Palace. During these years, he was given some freedom to develop his own distinctive planting style. In 2016, Rory set up the…
Find out more »Food for insect pollinators in towns and cities – Nick Tew – Lecture
Nick is just starting his third year of studies for a PhD at the University of Bristol working in Professor Jane Memmott's community ecology group. His current research focuses on the conservation of insect pollinators in an urban setting. Previously, he has worked on bumblebee foraging behaviour as part of his master's at Imperial College and web building behaviour in spiders at the University of Oxford during his undergraduate degree. In his spare time he is a keen gardener and the proud owner of a wildlife-friendly allotment. Towns and…
Find out more »Friends’ AGM & Lecture – How DNA profiling has affected plant taxonomy – Dr Kálmán Könyves
Agenda 7:00 pm - Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Friends of the University of Bristol Botanic Garden 7:30 pm - Break 7:45 pm - Talk from Dr Kálmán Könyves, Horticultural Taxonomist, Royal Horticultural Society Garden Wisley: How DNA profiling has affected plant taxonomy 9:00 pm - Close Further details to follow in winter issue This lecture is organised by the Friends of the University of Bristol Botanic Garden. Lectures will be held at the Frank Theatre, Wills Physics Laboratory,…
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