The Botanic Gardens of South Australia's Living Collections Policy includes seven themes and lists a dozen or so collections under each theme. The key challenge for the future is linking these collections to our Master Plan and establishing priorities for particular collections.
Priorities for developing living collections
We have established a list of a dozen focus collections for the Botanic Gardens of South Australia. These reflect the future direction of a modern botanic garden.
These collections:
- align with our Strategic Plan, including:
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- alignment with state, national and international biodiversity conservation strategies
- alignment with community and schools education programs
- reflect historical significance in our collections
- support the significance of existing collections
- allow representation in botanic gardens nationally and internationally
- improve the way we link people to plants by the use of charismatic plants.
Within each of our focus collections, a list of species will be determined that will supply intellectual material for many stories to be told about the collections.
Priorities for exhibiting living collections
In addition to establishing priorities for how we develop living collections, it’s vital we have a clear understanding of how they should best be displayed. While an art gallery might devote a room to a single painting, a botanic garden is inclined to fill space with diversity. The rose collections at Adelaide and the Magnolia collection at Mount Lofty are excellent examples of our accessible exhibits.
