England's Birmingham Botanical Gardens, a 15-acre site with four Victorian glasshouses, is almost two centuries old and experiencing a renaissance. They were recently awarded funding to restore their historic Victorian glasshouses, improve visitor education facilities, and extend community engagement.
Laura Civolani and Sam Gower are the dynamic duo managing Birmingham's BGCI-accredited collection of over 10,000 individuals. Both are dedicated to maintaining plant records to benefit the local community and sharing data with the global community to combat biodiversity loss.
The progress made in the garden's plant records is truly impressive. Witnessing the significant strides made by Sam and Laura and offering our support as they undertook a considerable plant audit project- the first one in a decade- has been a joy. They recently took time out of their busy schedules to share more about what drives their passion for plant collection work and the exciting future planned for this beloved garden.
With the renovation of the glasshouses at Birmingham, how do you foresee the plant collection will be enhanced?
Laura: It’s an exciting time at the gardens as we begin our glasshouse restoration. Returning the glasshouses to their original height means we can grow some large specimens, which we are really looking forward to seeing. The recent relocation of our Koi fish will allow us to grow giant waterlilies again for the first time in ages. This is something the visitors will enjoy seeing again. Sam: As part of these changes, we are looking to restore our orchid collection, increase the number of palms, and focus on bringing back other plant varieties that were part of the garden's original story. |
Sam & Laura sit in front of the koi pond. |
Also, to better represent Birmingham's present-day demographic, which has evolved to be a multicultural center, we are also learning about the plants that are meaningful to our community. This information will help us decide how to diversify our plant collection to engage our visitors and represent Birmingham's different cultures and backgrounds.
Which garden tool/aid could you not live without?
Sam: Our Surface Pro tablet. It runs a full version of IrisBG and has a camera so we can fully audit plants directly from the garden. There was a lot of confusing paperwork before this!
Is there someone in the botany or horticulture world whom you look to for inspiration?
Sam: I’m quite new to Plant Records and was lucky to have Emily Hazell train and mentor me before they went to Chelsea Physic Gardens. I now work closely with Bethan Collerton, Lewis Belcher, and Alberto Trinco, who are all fantastically knowledgeable horticulturalists who are a great help in identifying plants. Laura Civolani is my counterpart on plant records, and we usually have students and volunteers helping, too. We’ve got a great team here at Birmingham.
When did you know you wanted a career in Horticulture?
Sam: I came to horticulture fairly late and it wasn’t really ever something I’d considered doing. I took a casual seasonal role, mostly helping harvest fruit and vegetables, at Royal Horticultural Society Wisley because I wanted to work outside in nature- the rest followed from there. I think it’s important to remember it’s never too late to try something new and you don’t need to have loved something since you were a kid to justify doing it now.
Laura: I became interested in plants while studying for my Bachelor’s degree. I have always been fascinated by Botanical Gardens. Each time I go on holiday, if there is a Botanical Garden in town, I must visit! I had the opportunity to do an internship here at Birmingham Botanical Gardens during my PhD. It was then that I first observed how a botanical garden is organized but also how the space is appreciated by the public. When I saw people walking around the garden and taking photos of our plants it made me really proud of our work. Seeing how the garden provides positive experiences for visitors helped me realize that a career in horticulture is rewarding!
Is there a particular plant you have learned a valuable lesson from or about? Laura: I have always been fascinated by Genista flowers. When an insect stops on the flower to feed, its weight makes it bend, and pollen is sprayed all over the pollinator. This is a great way to promote pollination and definitely a win for evolution. |
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Do you have a favorite IrisBG function?
Laura: The Data import module has been beneficial to us. We weren’t sure whether to purchase it at first, but now we’re unsure how we would have managed without it! We often find ourselves wanting to update a few hundred accessions at once, and it saves so much time to make the changes in Excel and import them back in.
Can you share a few of your proudest achievements in your horticulture career so far?
Laura: I am proud of the launch of our Garden Explorer page. Everything started with our previous Curator, Emily Hazell. Thanks to the Surface Pro tablet we are able to take photos and collect location data for the plants around the garden. Sam and I are trying our best to update our plant records to allow visitors to see their favourite plants!
Sam: Every connection I make with a visitor is a proud moment. Engaging with guests about the plants in the garden- even if it's as simple has telling them a plant's name-is meaningful. It feels nice to share knowledge and help to enrich their experience.
View across the Main Lawn towards the Bandstand and Pinetum at Birmingham Botanical Garden. Photo courtesy Benjamin Taylor
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