Plant insights

We haven’t posted here for a long time because our horticultural interns preferred taking photos rather than writing. So we were really pleased when one of our current interns, Isaac Odidi, decided to share his musings about the work he’s doing in the Gardens’ nursery.

“One of the most interesting aspect of propagation is to witness the germination of seeds. This process is quite simple as one might be merely observing a plant, but the underlying process is breath-taking. The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens, as any other plant exhibitor, from time-to-time sources seeds, from direct collection in the garden, within the country and abroad. On arrival the mystery begins. The seeds vary in size from as tiny as dust particles such as Begonias to exceptionally large ones at the other end of the scale. Some require special treatment before germination while others just require optimum conditions for germination.  Some will germinate, unfortunately, others won’t.

Once sown, then patience and anticipation are part and parcel of the wait. I do not want to dwell on the germination process but what happens after germination. The dawn of new plant begins with the appearance of the first leaves. At this stage, the seedling begins to photosynthesize. Imagine how this simple two leaf seedling works to internally coordinate itself to acquire all the resources it needs and fully exploit its potential to become whatever the growth form we admire flowers, foliage, trunks, fruits …”

Not germination, but here is Isaac at work in the nursery transplanting aloes.