Kew's Millennium Seed Bank - About the landscape
The areas around Kew's Millennium Seed Bank have been landscaped to provide a seamless link between Bethlehem Wood and the Oaks.
Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst
Original landscape plan
These plantings are now becoming well established and present a maturing treescape.
Material of local provenance, which is best adapted to the site conditions, was obtained for the initial hedge and shaw plantings from local sources. Tree seed was also collected from the Wakehurst estate and grown in the nursery before being planted in the landscape. This included ash, hornbeam, hazel, field maple, wild cherry and oak. Italian alder and silver birch were planted to support the early growth of the larger trees and will be thinned out as these plantings mature.
From the initial days of the project the grass areas were mown, and then early in 2006 a flock of Southdown sheep was introduced to Wakehurst. This flock was allowed to graze before the meadow flowers began to grow.
Trees are now well established in front of the building.
Early in the project native herbaceous plant seed was harvested from Hanging Meadow in the Loder Valley Nature Reserve and stored in Kew's Millennium Seed Bank. These collections have now been sown to increase the diversity of the meadow plantings.
These meadows are now managed using sheep grazing as part of general practice.
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Latest news
The sadistic dispersal strategy of the puncture vine
by: Wolfgang Stuppy, Millennium Seed Bank blog 08 May 2012
In his third 'Seed of the Month' blog series, Wolfgang Stuppy warns us of the 'dangerous' seeds of Tribulus terrestris.
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Behind-the-scenes of the Jodrell
by: Jean Helliwell, Millennium Seed Bank blog 23 Apr 2012
Millennium Seed Bank volunteer Jean Helliwell recounts her recent opportunity to visit the Jodrell Laboratory at Kew.
- 11 likes
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Seeds from a lost world - the Texas mountain laurel (Dermatophyllum secundiflorum)
by: Wolfgang Stuppy, Millennium Seed Bank blog 02 Apr 2012
In the second of his ‘Seed of the Month’ series, Wolfgang examines the mystery of why this dull-looking, nut-like fruit contains flashy red seeds.
- 18 likes
- 4 comments
Collections from the Caribbean
by: David Hickmott, Millennium Seed Bank blog 28 Feb 2012
Follow a Millennium Seed Bank collector on an expedition to the Dominican Republic to save threatened and useful plants.
- 54 likes
- 2 comments
Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank Partnership ‘top banana’ as it celebrates banking 10% of the world’s wild plant species.
15 Oct 2009
Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank Partnership is celebrating collecting, banking and conserving 10% of the world’s wild plant species by banking its 24,200th plant species.
Sowing the seeds of UK biodiversity - Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank launches UK Native Seed Hub
17 Aug 2011
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew launches the UK Native Seed Hub at the Millennium Seed Bank, Wakehurst – an initiative that draws on the Millennium Seed Bank’s extensive collection of UK native seeds, as well as its horticultural and scientific expertise to support the UK seed industry, conservation groups and other organisations working to restore native plants to the UK countryside.
