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Wilson’s China: a Century on (Kew Publishing)China - then and nowWilson’s China: a Century on is an informative homage to the great plant hunter Ernest Henry Wilson (1876-1930), authored by Mark Flanagan (The Crown Estate) and Tony Kirkham (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew). Wilson was one of the most renowned plant collectors of his generation, responsible for introducing over 1,000 species of exotic plants mainly from China to the west. Many of Wilson’s introductions were ornamental plants and trees, such as the beautiful regal lily and dove tree. Other examples include the kiwi fruit, a native of China, many popular rhododendrons and the Chinese dogwood. Mark and Tony follow in the footsteps of the intrepid plant hunter; to reveal and connect with the China that Wilson once knew. Mark and Tony retraced several of Wilson’s journeys to create a fascinating series of breathtaking ‘then and now’ images of the remote Sichuan landscape, providing a unique insight into the changes and continuities in China over the past 100 years. Wilson’s original images are an invaluable record of Imperial China in its final years and many of the modern images show remarkable similarity given the enormous upheaval China has endured. Part of the journey covered the area around Beichuan prior to its devastation by the May 2008 earthquake. The authors recently returned to Beichuan to see the effects of the catastrophe. These images provide a fitting and evocative epilogue to the book. Throughout the book, the authors share Wilson’s adventures through his writings as well as describing their own experiences in tracing his travels, offering a compelling glimpse of the people, places and plants in the extraordinary province of Sichuan. The book is an accessible insight into the history and importance of plant collecting, and in Kew’s 250th anniversary year recognises the contribution to horticulture and botany of Wilson, himself once a student at Kew. The first decade of the 21st century also marks the centenary of Wilson’s time in China. Tony Kirkham says, “Wilson has been an inspiration to me for many years, and to follow his footsteps through the rugged landscape of China, has been amazing. China is known as the mother of gardens, and is the richest hotspot for temperate trees in the world. However, many of the species that Wilson collected still remain rare in cultivation, as well as in their natural habitat in China. By highlighting what Wilson did so many years ago, and the extraordinary lengths he went to, to get these plants into Gardens, I hope that this book captures much of the spirit, opening up the rarely explored corners of China, and Wilson’s travelling tale to all who read it. “When retracing his steps, it was exhilarating to discover that many of the trees that Wilson photographed are still there, and growing in a healthy state, such as the magnificent Meliosma beaniana. In the future we need to ensure that the plants Wilson collected, some of which live on in Kew Gardens as well as the Windsor Great Park and other botanical collections remain in cultivation. We need to preserve and conserve them, to ensure this his legacy lives on.” Mark Flanagan says “This project was one of the most exciting I have been involved with, to follow the trail of E H Wilson into the still remote regions of western China was a fascinating experience. I hope our book will allow readers to capture something of the uniqueness of our journey.” Tony and Mark will be giving a public lecture titled ‘Finding Mr Wilson’ based on the book on Tuesday 23 February 2010, 7pm, at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. For more details see www.kew.org Visit http://www.kew.org/publications/ for sample pages from the book.
Ends For more information or to interview Tony Kirkham please contact Bryony Phillips in the Kew Press Office, 020 8332 5684, b.phillips@kew.org To interview Mark Flanagan please contact Sarah Halstead at The Crown Estate on 07918 121905 or email Sarah.Halstead@thecrownestate.co.uk |
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