build up capacity
Decades of plant propagation experience Amanda Shade Nursery Curator & Trainee Coordinator
Spring in the Kings Park Nursery. Photo: Dave Blumer
T
he Kings Park Nursery provides an integral link in the chain from the field to the final product of plant production. Since it was established in 1962 (several years before the Western Australian Botanic Garden opened) it has not deviated from its focus of striving for excellence in the propagation and cultivation of Western Australian flora. Our strength is the team’s ability to experiment and think ‘outside the box’ when applying technical horticultural practices and perhaps most importantly, document findings. This is done so that others may replicate what we find as the best practice for the propagation of species that may be rare, temperamental, or new to cultivation. This is how we expand the capacity of the restoration community to grow and plant more species. The nursery produces 50,000 to 60,000 plants a year for essential programs within managed land at Kings Park and Bold Park, such as botanic garden displays, education, tree replacement, restoration and rehabilitation. The team also assists in translocation and conservation programs (managed by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions) across different ecosystems around the State. The Nursery provides education,
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For People & Plants | Special Issue | Spring 2021
Nursery staff in 2015 inspect Grammosolen odgersii subsp. occidentalis plants. From left Amanda Shade, Krystel Field, Fernanda Veraldo and Holley Ardron. Photo: Dave Blumer
training and support for many industries including horticultural traineeships, work experience opportunities, threatened species researchers and Friends of Kings Park volunteer groups. The team has decades of experience and specialises in propagating many Western Australian threatened species for translocation programs. Our role in the translocation process is not only to produce these plants, but to keep meticulous and important records of the provenance of material and aspects of propagation and establishment processes in the production of the plants. Diligent and accurate record keeping is essential for future reference, research and planning.
