National Council for the Conservation of Plants
and Gardens
^ Part of the NCCPG National Collection of Abbey Brook ECHINOPSIS
Hybrids.
In the 1990’s we joined the N.C.C.P.G. and gave support to the National
Collection scheme. It is quite onerous to be part of this scheme as
long term detailed records have to be kept. This proved not to be too
great a task for us because since the late 1960’s, unusually for a commercial
nursery, accession records were already being made like a Botanical
Garden. At that time, only plant labels with data and an accession book
was kept of the records. Not long after we first started keeping records,
we realised there was a potential flaw in the system because of the
two problems with plant labels, a) they fade and b) they may be removed
by members of the public or by birds. We got round this problem by having
an additional label buried in the pot, usually with just an accession
number on it, so that we always knew what should be growing in the pot.
^ LITHOPS AUCAMPIAE VAR. EUNICEAE
Subsequently, the data was transferred to computer in the late 1980’s,
using an early Amstrad machine. We use a simple numerical system and
now have over 5,500 separate accession records. We are now custodians
of 6 National Collections, namely Lithops, Conophytum, Haworthia, Gymnocalycium,
and our own Abbey Brook Echinopsis hybrids and Mammillaria. The long
term future of these collections is assured as they will not be broken
up and sold. Of these collections, Lithops has scientific status, the
highest category for a National Collection. These collections are often
on view subject to a donation to the N.C.C.P.G. Please consult a list
of our special open days.
^ HAWORTHIA MIRABILIS SSP. MUNDULA
We are also actively engaged in encouraging other individuals and
corporate bodies to embrace the scheme. To this end we donated our entire
collection of the genus Adromischus, consisting of about 2 square metres
of plants, mostly with field data, to an enthusiast in Derby. It will
form the basis for another National Collection. We are also helping
Aberdeen City Council set up an Aloe and Gasteria national collection
at the David Welch Winter Gardens in Duthie Park. This glasshouse complex
houses one of the best public displays of cacti and succulents in the
U.K. and attracts over 300,000 visitors a year.
^ Part of the NCCPG National Collection of CONOPHYTUM
Why not join the N.C.C.P.G. – details from
N.C.C.P.G.
The Stable Courtyard
Wisley Garden
Woking, Surrey GU23 6QP
Tel. 01483 211465 Fax 01483 212404
Email: info@nccpg.org.uk
Website: www.nccpg.com
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