PROTECTING OUR PLANT HERITAGE

Experts at Garden Organic share their experience of looking after three National Plant Collections – and what it takes to secure this horticultural heritage for future generations

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Climate change, habitat loss and increasing pests and diseases have all contributed to diminishing plant diversity – and there's now a sense of urgency about protecting groups of plants and seeds that might otherwise be lost forever.

Conservation work is a critically important part of what we do at Garden Organic, helping to preserve garden biodiversity and horticultural history. Although we're a small charity, we're honoured to care for three National Plant Collections at our base in Ryton, Coventry, including calendula, comfrey (Symphytum) and our 'living library' of heritage vegetables.

Awarded National Plant Collection status by the charity Plant Heritage – which oversees 95,000 plants held in more than 700 collections across the UK – these collections act as reference libraries, where plants can be compared and researched, and provide a living link to our culture and ancestors, and keep specialist skills and knowledge alive. Here we offer a behind the scenes look at what goes into protecting our unique collections.

SAVING VEGETABLE SEED SOVEREIGNTY

Catrina Fenton, head of our Heritage Seed Library, gives a glimpse into what it takes to grow and conserve 800-plus heritage vegetable seeds

Preserving heritage seeds is not just about conserving colourful stories and amazing histories – but it's essential to preserve the carefully developed cultivated biodiversity for our continued resilience as food growers. Many vegetable varieties could simply disappear, along with a unique genetic resource that underpins our food.