Introducing an exciting new three-year project. A room in the Botanic Garden’s Science Centre houses our Herbarium – a collection of around 30,000 pressed plants. ‘Herbaria’ are botanical archives. They have been used for centuries to document and study the diversity of plants around the world. Each preserved specimen acts as a permanent record, labelled with the plant’s name, where and when it was collected, and by whom. © Caroline Vitzthum Many of the Botanic Garden’s herbarium specimens relate to our scientific research, having been used to extract DNA. New specimens from Wales are also bei ..read more

By our Conservation Volunteers Grimia pulvinata 26th September From Hazel, Maud and Nicky There were only 26 moths of 15 species for us to identify. It had been a dry, occasionally cloudy night with a 2/3 moon. The most interesting moths were: A Light Emerald, which, like all the Emeralds, was happy to sit on an egg box and didn’t need to go in a pot. A very pretty Frosted Orange and an Angle Shades which spread its wings. We usually see one of these with the wings closed. From Chris, Howard and John We cut off the flower heads from about 60 Himalayan Balsam plants in Cae Trawscoed Meadow. The ..read more

The National Botanic Garden of Wales was thrilled to welcome Colin Greengrass on the 17th of November, who visited to present a donation of £3,500 from the Brecknock Gardening Association. This donation will be put towards our Apprenticeship in Botanical Horticulture Scheme, which provides practical training in botanical horticulture. Working alongside other horticulturists at the Garden, our apprentices gain confidence and work experience in all areas of horticulture at the Garden, including working in glasshouses, nurseries and display horticulture. Personal development is encouraged w ..read more

After a very difficult year, I was signposted to Live Well Growers by my specialist nurse. I was contacted by a therapy assistant who came to my house to explain what the group was all about and their mission for the future, as well as planning goals for me to attempt to achieve within my sessions. As a gardener (or was before Dec 21) I thought what a fantastic opportunity this was for me to not only join a social group but to be able to get my hands dirty again within a support network. I went for a trial session, I felt ‘free’ from the house, a little bit ..read more

Traditional, sustainable repairs to an historic building at NBGW, thanks to the Tywi Centre The ‘Peach House’ is an historic ‘hot house’, once used for growing exotic fruit, and an important element of the iconic double-walled garden here at the National Botanic Garden of Wales. It was built just over 200 years ago as part of William Paxton’s remodelling of the Middleton Hall estate. Since this time, the buildings of the Peach House and the attached ‘Gardener’s Bothy’ have seen mixed fortunes, declining gracefully but steadily, for much of the twentieth century. They are now in real need of so ..read more

Bruce Langridge chats to Bath University’s Remy Wood who spent a placement year at the National Botanic Garden of Wales. He talks about his experiences of working with horticulturists, educators and scientists, as well as the perils of seed collecting while wearing shorts ..read more

Tuesday 11 July 2023 Maud & Hazel – The Horse Chestnut, whilst looking generally good with lots of conkers, had visible leaf damage from insects. The Pear tree was looking the best we have ever seen and still had fruits developing. Chris & Colin – Flock of about 12 goldfinches eating wildflower seeds in Cae Gwair, also a few swallows flying over this meadow. A Hornet’s nest in the base of the tree behind where the old farm house stood. Meadow pipit parachute display over Cae Blaen. 16th July David – Plenty of Dragonflies and Damselflies this year, especially at Llyn Felin Gat ..read more

Along the Broadwalk we are always trying to improve the health of our soil and we have developed a soil improvement plan to this end. We try and listen to our plants and in a few beds in particular our plants have been telling us they are experiencing difficulties in cultivation or establishment due to poorer soil health. Thus, we have prioritised these beds for soil regeneration.   Green manures are used as part of organic and regenerative agriculture to improve soil health and we wanted to trial these in a horticultural settin ..read more

Since the end of March, the weather has been warm and very dry, and summer seems to have arrived early. The trees planted earlier this year at the new apiary site are all settling in and establishing themselves and will provide a lovely backdrop to the site once they mature. The combination of colour and spread of the flowering season will also provide essential support for the bees during the early spring when the bees need it most. The bees have all been steadily increasing in number, with some colonies performing better than others, but all will soon have sufficient bees to gather and stor ..read more

This is the story of an intriguing stone, with a mysterious inscription. It is also the story of a local man – Terry Treharne, who recognised the link between the stone and the long history of the Middleton Estate – now home to Wales’ National Botanic Garden. The Middleton Estate lies to the south of the Tywi Valley near Llanarthne, in a tranquil stretch of Carmarthenshire’s rolling countryside. Terry Treharne grew up in the estate’s old stable-block during the middle years of the 20th Century. This building still survives with its grand arch-ways and courtyard – originally built to house the ..read more