CULTURE CLUB
of the team during the hot, dry summer of 1976. “I think there was only one small bout of rain in September that year,” Pete recalls. “The main lawn was like a desert, and the lake had dried up. We had to transfer all the fish to the fountain to keep them alive.” In many ways, it’s a wonder the Garden has been able to thrive to such an extent here in Cambridge, one of the driest parts of the country, but Pete has helped out for long enough to see the space truly flourish. Having started as a trainee – and only planning to stay for a year or two – Pete ended up, in his words, falling in love with the Garden. So, when offered a
The Garden’s western half was first laid out by Henslow and Murray in 1846, and is designed in Gardenesque style, featuring only one straight line – the Main Walk – with trees grouped together in families around the outside of a curving path. The eastern half was developed more than a century later in the 1950s, and is laid out to show scientific thinking, highlighting plant science research and different growing environments, together with demonstration gardens. Today, the Garden is directed by Professor Beverley Glover, whose research covers the developmental programmes
permanent position, he enthusiastically accepted, and has been very much involved with all of the goings-on since then. In addition to an unrivalled collection of rare and endangered plants, the Garden contains
that build flowers, and how these have evolved, as well as understanding what attracts animal pollinators to them. “Over the last 175 years, we’ve seen a big increase in visitor numbers, and the enthusiasm of people to learn about
ENTHUSIASM TO LEARN ABOUT SCIENCE HAS GROWN
different specialist sections, many of which are looked after by Pete. These include the Herbaceous Beds and Scented Garden, along with one of the jewels in the crown: “The Winter Garden came about just after I did, so I’ve watched that develop and evolve for over 40 years,” says Pete. “I’ve never been far from it, and for a while it was the only one in the country.” As well as being responsible for much of the Garden’s maintenance, Pete was also the mind behind the Bee Borders, an idea that first germinated back in 2008. “The Bee Borders have been very successful,” Pete adds. “They’re really colourful, and feature some wonderful plant combinations.” Looking ahead to the future, CUBG’s main priorities are to support plant science research and teaching, encouraging the use of the Garden’s collection, and developing displays to deliver this research to increasing visitor numbers – they keep the Garden going and growing.
the science of plants has grown. I hope that will continue, but it’s also clear that we will have an increasing role to play in climate change research and helping people understand the issues,” Beverley explains. “Our plantings and horticultural practices are also likely to be affected by changes in weather conditions, so we’ll have to think carefully about what we grow and how we look after the plants.” Of all the current dedicated horticultural team, Pete Kerley knows better than anyone how dependent the Garden is on weather conditions – particularly rainfall. He first became part
GORGEOUS GREENERY The beloved Botanic Garden is a beautiful location, full of thriving plant life sourced from all over our spectacular planet – no longer your traditional physic garden, it’s now a vibrant ecological hub
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 19
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