‍ ‍By Victoria Read

‍There are many reasons to collect plants. For some gardeners, it begins with a particular passion — roses, rhododendrons, magnolias, camellias or perhaps a group of native plants. Over time, a few favourites become dozens, and a garden develops a collection almost without its owner quite intending it.

For others, collecting plants is part of a much larger responsibility. Botanic gardens around the world maintain collections not only for public enjoyment and research, but also to help conserve plants that are rare or threatened in the wild. New Zealand's botanic gardens and other plant collections play an important role in this work, growing plants that may be difficult to find elsewhere and maintaining records of their origin and cultivation.

For a threatened plant, having healthy plants growing in cultivation can provide an important safeguard. Seeds and cuttings can be preserved, plants can be studied and, where appropriate, material can contribute to future conservation work.

The same principle applies on a smaller scale in private gardens. Many of New Zealand's significant gardens contain plants that have been carefully gathered, propagated and cared for over decades. Their value may lie in the plants themselves, their provenance, the rarity of particular cultivars, or simply the knowledge and history accumulated by generations of gardeners.

A collection also brings a responsibility to the future. Plants die, gardens change and knowledge can easily be lost when a garden passes to a new owner. Recording what is growing, where it came from and why it is significant helps ensure that the collection's story continues.

The Harakeke Collection at the Auckland Botanic Gardens

This is one of the reasons we have introduced our Collections Membership. It recognises gardens where the plants form a significant part of the garden's story, even where the garden may not fit the traditional model of a display garden.

Our Collections Members include gardens with specialist and historically important plantings, each reflecting the interests, knowledge and dedication of the people who have cared for them. These gardens may not fit the traditional model of a show garden, but have horticultural value of interest to gardening enthusiasts.

We would love to hear from more gardeners who have built significant collections over the years.

Your garden may contain a remarkable group of plants that you have never thought of as a 'collection'. If the plants themselves are an important part of its character and history, Collections Membership could be a way of recognising and sharing that work.

Find out more about Collections Membership at https://www.gardens.org.nz/register-your-garden