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Kew Magazine
Raising plants with altitude
The Alpine Nursery is one of Kew’s most secret places. Only a
short walk from the new Davies Alpine House, but separated from the colourful
borders and velvety lawns of the Duke’s Garden by high walls, few
visitors are aware of the quietly industrious acre of glasshouses, coldframes
and potting sheds that are hidden from view.
Graham Walters leads the Nursery team, who make sure that the Alpine House is supplied with a constant succession of pot- grown specimens at the peak of perfection. The Nursery also acts as a propagation facility for the Rock Garden, as well as raising plants such as meconopsis (poppies) and primulas for the Woodland Garden.
“The term alpine is possibly a bit misleading,” Graham explains, “and though in real terms it means any plant that grows above the tree line in the wild, in gardening terms it means anything small and cute, suitable for growing in an alpine house, rock garden or trough.”
With more
than 5,000 named plants (accessions) in the collection, and between one
and ten specimens of each, Graham’s job is unusually
demanding and labour intensive, requiring an intimate awareness of every
plant. “When I first came to work here in 1990,” he explains, “I
might spend hours picking the dead leaves off a single plant to ensure
it was looking good enough to go on display.” These days, he’ll
patiently pursue a larva of the carnation tortrix moth as it nibbles
its way over a compact mound of Dionysia, tweezers at the ready to seize
the pest and move it somewhere it can do no harm (“I didn’t
become a gardener in order to start killing things”) or take infinite
pains to remove the tiniest of cuttings for propagation from a dense
cushion of Draba. This patient, sensitive approach – coupled with
Graham’s wry sense of humour – has created a gentle yet rigorous
and purposeful atmosphere in the Nursery, in which the plants clearly
thrive.
Graham’s day starts at 8am, when he checks the watering requirements. “In winter we check later though,” he explains, “as early morning dampness can give a false impression of how wet things really are.” Water from the mains supply is used, but first it has to be acidified to remove the lime content and then it’s held in huge tanks. Depending on the season, the team then gets busy sowing and pricking out, potting on, taking cuttings, seed collecting and cleaning, pot washing, weeding and getting rid of pests. That’s in addition to the constant routine of maintaining perfect-looking plants to be trundled back and forth between the Nursery and the display areas in large, flat-bedded carts.
The permanent
team consists of Graham’s assistant, Susan Skinner,
and, in the bulb section of the Nursery, Jeremy Broome and his assistant
Kit Strange. Richard Kernick looks after the bonsai collection, which
also has its home in the Alpine Nursery. In addition to the permanent
staff, Graham usually has the help of a couple of Diploma students and
a trainee gardener, as well as an intern and possibly a volunteer too.
Spring brings an extra burst of activity, as different types of propagation start to overlap. “By April we might still be sowing some seeds and we’ll also be pricking out, as well as taking cuttings. I like taking cuttings when plants are feisty and looking ready for it, rather than when the books tell you to. In theory, of course, you should take semi-ripe cuttings in July, but it’s hot and the plants are knackered… Besides, if your spring cuttings don’t take, there’s still time to have a second go.” He pauses, reflectively, “I’ve taken very soft cuttings from a thyme from southern Spain straight after Christmas – and the whole lot rooted.”
In the potting shed, there’s some lively
banter at the potting benches, where Kit and a volunteer are tackling
some saxifrage cuttings. Graham oversees the preparation of the soil-based
composts, which are bought in and mixed with coir or grit, fine-grade
bark chippings or leaf mould, depending on what will be planted or sown
in it. “We save
our own seed,” says Graham, indicating racks of neatly labelled
brown paper packets, and we also use saved seed from other botanic gardens.
Gone are the days when we could use privately collected material. And
sadly, whatever the public might think, we’re not swanning
off to Turkey
or Morocco on seed-collecting trips every autumn. That sort of jaunt
is pretty rare, what with all the administration involved, never mind
finding the funding for the trip or cover for the Nursery.”
In the run-up to the opening of the new Alpine House, the team is busy preparing the first batch of plants to go on display. “We intend to have more themed displays,” says Graham, “And there will be a greater emphasis on education – with distribution maps and informative texts – rather than just aiming for aesthetic content.” Daily appraisal of each plant on display and waiting in the wings will mean that by mid-summer, as plants begin or cease flowering, there will be a steady exchange between the Nursery and the Alpine House.
Pests are largely kept at bay using biological methods of control, however the need for perfection means that a pesticide drench is used once or twice a year, when aphid infestations are at their peak – “the minimum possible” he adds, stooping over a bench to extract another tortrix moth larva hiding within a leaf that has been curled into a tube by silken thread.
As evening approaches, Graham is back at his desk to consult the weather forecast on the internet so he can make decisions about ventilating or protecting the plants under glass. Each of the zoned area, separated from the next by internal doors, has a different minimum temperature in the winter and Graham must keep a watchful eye on the night-time temperature forecasts. And between February and October, one member of the team stays on to lend a hand and help with the closing up in the Princess of Wales Conservatory, the Bonsai Display House and the Davies Alpine House.
“Constant vigilance in the Nursery is essential, otherwise the day ends in tears,” he says, grinning wickedly. “I prefer it to end with a warm glow of satisfaction.”
Kirsty Fergusson is a freelance writer