Among the displayed plants camellias and azaleas draw most of attention. Head of the Center of Ecological Culture Volodymyr KVASHA told The Day’s correspondent about these exotic flowers:
“The name camellia was first used by Carolus Linnaeus in 1735 to commemorate George Joseph Camel. Previously Camel was believed to be the man who first brought camellias to Europe. However, since he had never been to Japan or China, the homeland of these plants, probably Linnaeus used his name only with regard to Camel’s quite large contribution to studying Oriental culture.
“Europe discovered these flowers for itself in the nineteenth century. In the middle of the nineteenth century Alexandre Dumas fils’ novel Camille was published. Incidentally, the Japanese call camellia yama-tsuba, and the Chinese song-tsfa (both meaning mountain tea). Its homeland is Kyushu and Sikoku Islands and some other provinces of Japan, where it grows as a big bush or a tree. By folk tradition, graves are decorated with it, and when the lanterns holiday comes felled camellias are as popular as are fir trees in Ukraine on Christmas Eve. Some species of camellia are used to produce oil.
“Speaking about azaleas, a collection of these plants was started by Svitlana Mykolayivna Prykhodko, author of around thirty hybrid azaleas. Morning, Snow Maiden, Kyiv Waltz, Pink Flower, and Memory of Heroes – this is far from a complete list of her creations. The new sorts she developed are adapted to our conditions and more steady. Now azaleas are supervised by leading engineer Rayisa Holovko, and camellias by Ihor Kharchenko.
“Developing a new sort depends on the plant. You cross plants, then look at their heredity, and select the most interesting specimens. The final view of a flower you can see approximately at the fourth generation. Then the plants stay under control for a year.”
“Are these plants hard to cultivate?”
“Yes, that’s the point. They have been brought to Europe more than once, and every time they were lost. Our colleagues brought cuttings from Sokhumi (Abkhazia), where they grow in the open. This is how our collection was started. This year at the exhibition you can see orchids, including epiphytes having a strong roots system due to which they can grow on trees in rind cracks or even on telegraph posts, gathering water and necessary nutritive material from the air. The display also boasts flamingo lilies and ferns. Today our collections of tropical and subtropical plants amount over 3,000 species, forms, and varieties.”
“Do you grow rare exotic plants for sale? What does the garden do to preserve plants endangered by extinction?”
“Growing plants for sale brings us, so to say, living money. Our collection of tropical and subtropical plants was jeopardized, because our old greenhouses were constructed according to our own (Soviet – Ed. means, and the metal was corroded. This year we have constructed new ones out of duralumin.
“Botanical gardens are reservations for disappearing plants. According to the calculations of Kyiv botanists, by the middle of the twenty-first century a quarter of existing plants species will disappear. The only chance to preserve them is in botanical gardens, arboretums, etc. In Ukraine, at least formally, 6% of its territory are nature preserves. One of the directions of our work is preserving species registered in The Red Book. We have a group dealing with precisely these plants, around 200 species. This is an international problem. We are member of an association of organizations dedicated to preserving biological variety, uniting over 200 botanical gardens.”
“Do you share your experience with other gardens? How are your collections replenished and upgraded?”
“Twice a year sessions of the Council of Botanical Gardens of Ukraine are held. No matter who these gardens are subordinated to, the problems are solved jointly. The gardens are financed quite meagerly by the state. We need to upgrade our fountains and pools. We cannot solve this problem on our own, since we obtain no financing to do so. Flashing and repairing communications require big money, and we have received no money for this in the last ten years. This should be the city’s business. Many children visit the garden – we would like to create a site for them. We have already selected and surveyed a plot for it.
“Soon we will start to prepare our territory for May 1. We do everything on our own. If any organization would take even a small lot under its patronage, we could put a sign there announcing their donation. We would be grateful for such concrete aid. Today much is said about so- called ecological education. In my view, setting an example is the best way to do it. In Scotland a curator brings children to a certain plot and works there; children watch him working and gain certain skills through this. Idle talks on how we need to take care of nature will produce nothing.”
