International Dendrology Society trip – day fourteen

Raef Johnson was awarded a bursary to join a two week trip to Georgia with the International Dendrology Society. Dendrology is the study of the natural history of trees and woody plants.

The society aims to bring together dendrologists from around the world to promote the study and enjoyment of trees and to conserve rare and endangered plant species.

Georgia, day 14

The final day of the tour sees us back where we started in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital. Our last destination is Tbilisi Botanic Gardens. Officially established as a botanical garden in 1845 but possibly a garden since 1625.

The botanical garden is the best location for aesthetics I have ever seen in a garden. Sitting on a hillside above the old town, it has views of the whole city, while also using the natural rocky outcrops and exciting flowing river to great landscape effect.

The plantings in the botanical garden have a native dominance but more exotic gems such as the huge Firmiana simplex by the entrance can be regularly found.

After the morning visit, I returned to the garden with two very knowledgable tour participants to study herbarium specimens and an extremely enjoyable end to my tour it was!