Half remembered names from childhood lead us back into a lost garden world where Rose of Spain lay next to the Rose of the Indies, Soldiers and Sailors marched through the borders, and Melancholy Gentleman joined with Mourning Widow in the shady nooks. A Ladder to Heaven might rescue you from an Impudent Lawyer or should you put your faith in a Spangled Beau? Join us to explore the origin and identification of these traditional garden flower names and many more, as we celebrate the joy of Summer Sottekins and Steeple Bells!
Right plant, right place… we’ve all heard that before right? But what does it mean and how can we achieve it in our own gardens? Join Paul Herrington for an informal, relaxed morning session. You’ll go away with a greater understanding and appreciation of micro-climates, soil types, plant choices and planting styles. And have a clear framework how to apply all of this to your garden borders whatever their size, and wherever they may be. NB this is a core component of my longer garden design courses.
Many plant-derived compounds have been used as drugs, either in their original or semi-synthetic form, but plants also have an unexpected role to play in drug development. Despite the advances in drug discovery aided by molecular modelling, combinatorial chemistry, and other synthetic chemistry methods, natural product derived compounds are still proving to be an invaluable source of medicines for humans.
Dr Julia Mackenzie, Anglia Ruskin University - pre-recorded talk
The breeding success of blue tits and great tits has been studied for over 15 years in the Cambridge University Botanic Garden by scientists from Anglia Ruskin University. The Garden, being full of trees and plants appears to be a great place to raise a brood of chicks, but all is not as it seems. The parent birds often struggle to find the caterpillar food needed by their nestlings, lay fewer eggs and have fewer young fledge the nest when compared to their woodland counterparts.
Benjamin Fisk, Department of Plant Sciences
Dr Alejandra Guerrero, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge
Dr Chris Whitewoods, Sainsbury Lab, University of Cambridge
Dr Johannes Kromdijk Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge
To join in the fun, simply pick up your free bingo sheet on your way into the Garden. Get hunting for different springtime sights and claim your prize at the end. The bingo includes lots of amazing springtime plants and animals, including the brightly coloured Brimstone butterfly, beautiful cherry blossoms and the elusive Purple Toothwort plant.
Entry tickets are limited, and must be purchased in advance of your visit.
Prof David Coomes, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge
The UK’s woodlands store 1.1 billion tonnes of carbon and act as a "net carbon sink" that currently removes 5% of the country’s CO2 emissions from the atmosphere. However, we are one of Europe's least wooded countries and the carbon sink is gradually declining over time. The government's response is to establish over 30,000 hectares of new woodlands per year by 2025, providing a nature-based solution to the climate crisis whilst benefitting biodiversity and human wellbeing.
