Our final day in Russia came to us all too quickly. We started the morning with a delicious home cooked breakfast, a few hugs goodbye, and a photo on their intricately carved front porch. Scherbakovsky was well worth the 4 hour drive outside of Volgograd. Our hosts were extremely welcoming and shared many easy laughs with us. Thanks Scherbakovsky!
After our trip back to Volzhsky, it was time for a brief snack and a chance to see the greenhouses of the Volgograd Botanical Garden's secondary site in nearby Volzhsky. The houses were an amazing look back in time, as they were built in Soviet era 1950s. While upgrading and repairing these houses is a priority, the historic look and feel is certainly worth preserving. As we were taken into the first greenhouse on the list to be renovated into a display garden, we had the pleasure of bumping into a bride and groom taking a few wedding photos. They were quite amused to snap a few photos with us.
Moving along through the greenhouses we were impressed by the amount of material they grown and produce, including some plants grown from seed collected in Missouri! We saw ferns, Chrysanthemums, Roses, Hippeastrum, Strelitzia, orchids, and dozens and dozens of other species grown from both cuttings and seed. Seeing the amount of space and plant material in production, we were very impressed that the facility is maintained by only about 10 people.
Following our tour it was time for a round of presentations to the staff. Here we had the opportunity to share information about our garden and some of our practices for both propagation and member and donor engagement. The staff was great about asking questions and our interpreter Irina did a wonderful job sorting our words out despite a sore throat and a regimen of tea throughout. We got the impression that a plant person is a plant person anywhere in the world. It was nice to find such easy common ground and interest.
The last item for the day was a meeting with Oleg and staff about some of the future plans for new city gardens and the expansion of the garden at Volzhsky. This was a great opportunity to exchange a few ideas about strategic planning and explore opportunities for future assistance. It was easy to see the hard work the staff have put in and the potential for growth. We will be working together in the future to help attract the citizens of Volgograd, Volzhsky, and the rest of Russia and the world into the beautiful gardens of the Volgograd Botanical Garden.
Ravil and Justin in their new shirts
A goodbye photo with the great staff at Scherbakovsky
A great snack at Volzhsky after the trip back from Scherbakovsky
Plants from Missouri being grown in Russia. Botanical exchange.
A greenhouse being converted into a visitor friendly attraction
Already attracting wedding photos. They were happy to join us for a few photos
A very impressive collection and display of cacti and succulents
Oleg describing his plans for the future of his garden
A very nice collection
Vegetative propagation for cuttings. Good labels are a worldwide requirement
Brown clay is applied to the outside glass to shade the plants inside
Cut rose production
A whole house of Chrysanthemums
A beautiful old building
Incredible to think that only about 10 people produce all these plants and maintain the houses
Presentations to the staff
The use of geckos in the greenhouse always sparks a question or two
Justin describing some of the gardens propagation practices
Donna sharing strategies for member and donor retention and involvement
A fond farewell to the staff for all the hospitality and great conversation
No comments:
Post a Comment