TfG Assists in RHS project on Conservation of Garden Plants
In 1978 the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) held a conference on the Practical Role of Gardens in the Conservation of Rare and Threatened Plants. Out of that conference was born the National Council for the Conservation of Plantsand Gardens (NCCPG). In 2006 the RHS and the NCCPG, held a two day workshop to review achievements and to set the agenda for the medium term. A resulting Action Plan was published, (www.rhs.org.uk/growingheritage/ActionPlanFinal.pdf)
Five objectives were identified; Knowledge, Education, Strategy, Enhancing Diversity, and Best Practice. Under this final objective the RHS decided to consult its affiliated business members on their perceived priorities for conservation of cultivated plant varieties. To this end TfG were commissioned to devise a questionnaire in discussion with RHS that would help distill these views and assist in the strategic process. The questionnaire went out to over 250 horticultural businesses and the results are due to be analysed and reported back to RHS in February 2009.