<
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-20/gardens-trees-otways-rare-collection-royal-botanic-gardens/101499128>
'Alistair Watt's induction into an exclusive, invite-only club of tree
collectors happened by accident.
He jokingly downplays his obsession with rare trees as akin to a very large and
cumbersome stamp collection.
But his determination to hunt down and introduce new species to his garden (and
Australia) also has a worthy purpose.
A furniture maker, Mr Watt sometimes worked with Huon pine — one of the oldest
living organisms on Earth and native only to a corner of Tasmania — until he
decided he could no longer use such a rare tree for furniture.
"Once you've logged an area of Huon pine, that's it gone for 10 generations
perhaps," Mr Watt says.
Instead, he tried growing his own Huon pine at his Lavers Hill property in the
hills behind Victoria's famed Great Ocean Road.
It's a place where rain and mist are plentiful and Mr Watt, a Scottish
emigrant, feels most at home.
The Huon pine ignited a passion for conifers, and it wasn't long before Mr Watt
was looking beyond Australia for new varieties to grow in his garden.'
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
