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Press Room
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Decorating for Christmas at the Hortus - Saturday, December 15, 2007
Martin, Alfonso and Tom are making creations to decorate the
Hortus
for Christmas. Most of the materials used are organic and collected in the
Hortus
garden. It’s all recyclable and environmentally friendly. After the works are exhibited they will go back into the nature and will become new plants again!
The
Hortus
Botanicus in Amsterdam is one of the oldest botanic gardens in the world. Today, there are more than 6,000 different plants growing in the garden and greenhouses. The
Hortus
is located in the Plantage district on the edge of the hectic center of Amsterdam.
Originally, the
Hortus
was a medicinal herb garden, founded in 1638 by the Amsterdam City Council. At that time, herbs were of vital importance as the basis of medicines and the city had just experienced a plague epidemic. Doctors and pharmacists trained in the preparation of prescriptions at the
Hortus.
Thanks to the ships of the Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, VOC), the
Hortus
expanded quickly in the 17th and 18th Centuries. The VOC ships brought not only herbs and spices, but also exotic ornamental plants. In fact, a few of the
Hortus
"crown jewels" date from that time, e.g. the 300-year-old Eastern Cape giant cycad.
The
Hortus
houses more than 4,000 different species of plants, which is about 2% of all plant species growing on Earth. The plants grow in the
Hortus
as they occurr in nature. Frequently, they are cultivated from seeds that were collected in the field and, thus, definitely belong to the pure natural form of the species. By cultivating and propagating these plants, the
Hortus
contributes to the conservation of the species and acts as a gene bank.
The
Hortus
gathers information, such as the Dutch name, the scientific name, location where it was found, and the natural distribution, on each plant and stores it in a database. Each plant is given a unique number, the 'accession number', which can be used to search for information in the database. Visitors to the
Hortus
will find a sign by each plant with the scientific name of the plant and its accession number. The natural distribution of the plant and sometimes details about its growth habit, flowering, ecology, or use by man are also included on the signs.
The
Hortus
closely cooperates with other botanical gardens. The Nederlandse Vereniging van Botanische Tuinen (NVBT; Dutch Association of Botanical Gardens) plays a large role in this teamwork. Via the NVBT, the gardens exchange knowledge, experience, expositions, and education programs and develop collective projects.
Visit the botanical garden Hortus at: www.dehortus.nl
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