Botanic Gardens Trust, Sydney, Australia

 

Bhutanese horticulturists learn vital skills

at the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah 

The weather may have seemed Himalayan in the Blue Mountains recently, but there are other similarities that are not quite so obvious.

Bhutanese horticulturists Tashi and Dorji are staying at the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah to learn vital skills, such as propagation and soil preparation, which will help conserve rare species in a Bhutanese botanic garden.

Bhutan is a UN listed ‘biodiversity hotspot’, located in the shadows of the Himalayas it is home to cool climate plants such as rhododendrons, including many rare species. The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah is also home to cool climate plants with many species found in Bhutan growing in the garden.

Tashi and Dorji, horticulturists at a botanic garden located within the Bhutan Royal Botanical Park at Lampelri, 2700 metres above sea level, had been collecting plants from the wild for the garden, a difficult task considering some are found four days walk from the garden. By learning propagation techniques from the horticulturists at Mount Tomah they can more easily populate the garden with native and rare species.

'It all started with a visit from a Bhutanese horticulturist to our garden a few years ago,' said Director, Rob Smith. 'He saw our propagation methods and this led to a relationship with the Bhutanese Royal Botanical Park.

Earlier this year Mr Smith and senior horticulturist Karen Silvester travelled to Bhutan where they taught propagation skills to the staff at the Royal Botanical Park.

'Working with limited facilities we found ways to keep cuttings moist by making "igloos" with bamboo and plastic,' said Karen. 'The Bhutanese horticulturists are highly competent but are often restricted by the equipment they have access to. Just by sharing a few simple skills we can have a big impact on the conservation of rare and native species in Bhutan.'

Tashi and Dorji have spent a week at the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah taking cuttings from Bhutanese species that grow at the garden and propagating them, as well as learning skills in nursery hygiene, record keeping, seed sowing and misting. The Garden has also organised the donation of a mist propagation unit for the pair to take back to Bhutan to help with their propagation.

'Our work with Bhutan is part of a much bigger picture in Asia, in particular those countries nearest us, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia,' said Professor David Mabberley, Executive Director, Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust.

The 0.24 square kilometre Bhutanese botanic garden is an integral part of the Royal Botanical Park which is 47 square kilometres in size. It was established in April 1999 by the Royal Government of Bhutan to display the nation’s flora to visitors and study it scientifically.

 

Bhutanese

Win a Bufori!

bufori 
Win a Bufori at the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah!

For every $50 spent in the Garden Shop or on a stay at the Jungle Lodge or a booked function at the Garden you will recieve one entry into the Blue Mountains Lithgow & Oberon Tourism Bufori competition.

Just complete your details and send your entry into the address on the ticket (or lodge at one of five regional Visitor Centres) to go into the monthly draw. 10 tickets will be drawn over the year long promotion with one lucky winner driving home a Bufori after the final draw at the Winter Ball May 2012.

Click here for full details

 

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