U.K. Horticulture Diplomas For Men

Press, Volume C, Issue 29635, 4 October 1961, Page 2

U.K. Horticulture Diplomas For Men

A two-year diploma tonne in horticulture is open to male students at the WO-*cre gardens at Wesley, Surrey. Women may work in the grounds and attend the lectures but they may not take a diploma, according to Mrs W. R. Sykes, who spent eight yean in the gar-

dens. Mr* Syke* *nd”ber husband, a botanist, have

come to live in Christchurch. When an exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show waa arranged from the gardens Mrs Sykes was asked to help with the packing and unpacking ol the plants. Special blooms, she said, were wrapped very carefully tn cotton wool and tissue paper for transporting to the show. The stand usually comprised woodland plants and shrubs and was not in the competitive section. Some plants which.looked to be too a Ivanced before the show in May were put into cool storage months before to hold them back. During the time they were on display, they were watered frequently and each plant had its roots in earth packed round with moss.

Besides providing a training course for students, the gardens at Wesley served fellows of the Royal Horticultural Society. Seed collecting and cleaning for this aspect of the work interested Mrs Sykes as it was done on a small scale by hand. There was also work in the greenhouse for Mrs Sykes and the other women employed in the gardens. There were several smaller greenhouses used solely for experimental purposes. These were the only places in the gardens which were banned to

visitors. —. Mr and Mrs Sykes met at Wisley when he was working as assistant botanist in the laboratory. On their way to New Zealand the couple visited the famous Kirsten-

bosch garden m South Africa where all the plants native to the country are grown. Mrs Sykes hopes to do some part-time work in Christchurch that will be on the dines of what she was . doing in Surrey. She also hopes to establish a garden of her own here.