Lavender convention set to educate garden and greenhouse fans

13:48 7th August 2009

Those with a passion for learning about garden and greenhouse topics may be interested to hear of an upcoming convention.

Cambridge University Botanic Garden and the Royal Horticulture Society (RHS) are set to host the First International Lavender Conference at Clare College.

The six-day educational event will run from September 6th to 11th and will see a number of topics covered.

RHS entomologist Dr Andrew Salisbury will be one of a number of speakers, giving a talk on the effects of the rosemary beetle.

Other items on the agenda will include cultivation, new breeding techniques and classification.

"Since lavender is one of the UK’s most popular garden plants, it is not surprising that the RHS has a great deal of interest in it,” explained the body’s head of botany Dr John David, adding the oldest herbarium specimen dates back to 1731.

Meanwhile, the RHS is to give a seminar on eco-construction after revealing it is to build a carbon-neutral library and learning centre at its Garden Harrogate site.