A fascinating mound

I’m James T, the current Friends of JBG sponsored intern in Jerusalem.I write this from underneath a mound of rare and/or endangered seeds given to me to propagate for the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens and other projects around Israel.

It is a fascinating mound, not just because of the variety of plant material to propagate but also because it seems never-ending!   This, though, is by no means a complaint, as one thing I have learnt over the last couple of months is that there is always something interesting to be getting on with.

The rare seed stockpile (c) James Toole

Never thought I’d propagate a dandelion!  (c) James Toole

My role in the Gardens is a balance of looking after the Rare and Endangered Plants and looking after the plant material in the quarantine area, ready for the Tropical House when the rebuild is complete. Dan A (Australian Intern) gave me a wonderful introduction to the management of this intriguing area – and the legacy of previous intern Hans M. I am still finding notes from him amongst and around the plant material e.g. ‘water this carefully with a watering can’ in the area designated for ferns.  Very helpful for someone who has had little practical experience in managing such environments and plant material – I am still worried I may be neglecting certain plants’ needs.

How I felt once left to maintain the Quarantine area on my own!  (c) James Toole

Watch out for more news about how James is getting on ….