Last updated: 1 March 2009 - this entry is more than a year old, for details on how to update click here
| Address and contact details | |
| Exbury Gardens Ltd, Exbury, Nr. Southhampton, Hampshire, SO45 1AZ | |
| Tel: 023 8089 1203 | |
| Fax: 023 8084 3380 | |
| Email: john.anderson@exbury.co.uk | |
| Web site: www.exbury.co.uk | |
| Latitude: 50° 45' 8" N | |
| Longitude: 1° 21' 43" W | |
| Background to the collection | |
| Year founded: | 1919 |
| Ownership: | Exbury Gardens Ltd. |
| Umbrella organisation: | English Heritage |
| Personnel | |
| Head Gardener: | John Anderson |
| Contact person: | John Anderson |
| Total Staff: | 50 |
| Total Horticultural Staff: | 10 full-time, 5 part-time |
| Policies | |
| Accessions: | Obtaining Rhododendron species. |
| Collections: | Preserving Rhododendron hybrids raised at Exbury. |
| Physical environment | |
| Soil type: | Light sandy soil |
| Aspect: | North South |
| Total area: | 80 ha |
| Weather records | Rainfall |
| Rainfall | |
| Average annual: | 600 mm |
| Month of maximum: | November |
| Month of minimum: | July |
| Plant collection | |
| Families: | 120 |
| Genera: | 360 |
| Taxa: | 7500 |
| Accessions: | 19500 |
| Plants: | 50 000 |
| Notable plants within the collection: | |
| Picea breweriana, Torreya californica, Carya aquatica, Cedrus atlantica, Cedrus libani, Fokienia hodginsii, Juniperus recurva, Manglietia insignis (Farrer coll.), Lithocarpus edulis, Oxydendrum arboreum, Quercus phyllyreoides, Q.canariensis, Q.acuta, Q.x turneri 'Pseudoturneri', Sorbus torminalis, Sorbus sargentiana, Fagus sylvatica 'Prince George of Crete', Magnolia campbellii, Hoheria angustifolia. | |
| Geographical area(s) of specialisation: | |
| Chile, Sino-himalaya, Japan | |
| Special families within the collections: | |
| Ericaceae, Fagaceae, Magnoliaceae, Theaceae. | |
| Special genera within the collections: | |
| Abies, Picea, Acer, Camellia, Lachenalia, Magnolia, Nyssa, Pieris, Prunus, Quercus, Rhododendron, Nerine. | |
| Special collections: | |
| Acer – 550 accessions. Camellia – 1 240 accessions. Magnolia – 311 accessions. Pieris – 223 accessions. Prunus – 219 accessions. Quercus – 180 accessions. Rhododendron, – Started in 1920's by Lionel de Rothschild, ca. 12,000 specimens, many original Kingdon-Ward and Forrest collections. 1,210 listed crosses, with over 460 named hybrids. | |
| Record Keeping: | Records kept Computerised |
| Record System: | Iris Botanical Systems |
| Plant-collecting trips: | Through sponsorship. Alan Clarke 05-07; John Anderson Chile 07. |
| Facilities on site | |
| Herbarium: | No |
| Library: | Small Gardens Library |
| Research facilities: | No |
| Publications: | Garden guide ; Tree Trail |
| Identifications: | Occasionally |
| Teaching and Education: | No |
| Interpretation: | Supervised garden walks, signs, brochures, guided trails, Botanic Gardens style plant labels; Interpretation Panels |
| Friends Organisation: | No |
| Visitor facilities: | Restaurant, café, plant shop, gift shop, steam railway. |
| Access to the collections | |
| Public access: | Admission charge |
| Visitors per year: | 110,000 |
| Public opening hours: | Mon-Sun: 10am-5.30pm (dusk) early spring to autumn |
| Guiding principles behind the collection | |
| To preserve and continue work on planting Rhododendrons created by Lionel de Rothschild. To plant new species and hybrids to build up a comprehensive collection of hardy woody plants. To make the collections available to visiting members of the public and interested parties. | |
| Location map | |
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