News November 2008
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For some time I have been sending seeds and plant material
to the UK to the Botanic and Winter Gardens in Sunderland,
where they have a collection of Cretan plants. I was asked
if I could obtain cuttings of Z. abelicea to replace the specimen
in the National Collection at Hergest
Croft Gardens in Hertfordshire. The cuttings
have thrived and are being used to replace specimens lost
in recent storms.
To mark the founding of the Syllogos for Flowers of Crete,
the senior horticulturalist at the Botanic Gardens, Lee Stephenson, is sending
us fifteen small P. theophrastii palms in order for us to
establish some new colonies of this endangered and endemic
palm on the island. The palms have been grown in the nurseries
at the gardens from seed collected from the wild on Crete
some years ago. There is much to do in order to accomplish
this, as far as we know nothing like this has been attempted
before. There is the inevitable paperwork to complete and
the care of the palms once received will be critical. We
need donations of large plant pots, compost etc, as well
as financial support for this venture.
In addition to this important conservation effort, Flowers
of Crete is also offering its services to businesses and
individuals alike to assist in the planning of conservation
areas in the land around ‘new builds’. This
consultancy service can offer a site inspection before work
begins to ascertain what plants can be saved and moved successfully.
In the planning stages, it is recommended that areas be
set aside for planting with endemic and native species,
particularly those that are endangered and in danger of
extinction on the island. We can also offer plans for landscaping
of natural areas and advice on planting. Many imported plants
pose a threat to the native species and it is essential
that care is taken when choosing plants for new gardens,
whether cultivated or wild ‘environmental’ areas.
These services are available both to individuals and to
companies.
Flowers of Crete needs sponsorship from the business community
with interests in Crete, in order to further the work of
education and conservation on the island. By working in
conjunction with developers and private individuals we can
start to make small inroads into the damage here on Crete
and offer a solution that can be copied elsewhere to great
effect.
Flowers of Crete is a member of the conservation organisations
PlantaEuropa
and Wildlife
International and is a contributor to the international
database of images ARKive.
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