Priyanka KURUGALA
The proposed botanical garden in Hambantota will be the first new botanical garden in Sri Lanka after 130 years to be built in the 21st century. Royal Botanical Gardens Director General Dr Cyril Wijesundara said.
The garden which will be unique in many respects will also feature Dry Zone planting. It will be unique where no comparison can be made with other botanical gardens in Sri Lanka or elsewhere.
The few, specialist dry zone botanical gardens in the world (Australia and North America) are not similar to each other either. So there is no pattern, design or precedent to follow, he explained.
"This is an opportunity to define a space, a garden layout, landscape design and distinctive public amenity in a very modern way", he said.
'The long-term strategic benefits of the gardens are various. Its ability to take propagated specimens ex-situ and to promote the herbal and floriculture industries is one of them.
The Herbal industry will be supported as the garden will hold a specialized herb collection. The dry zone supports a large number of medicinal plants that are used in Sri Lanka. These are valuable plants which can be used in the development of the herbal industry,' he said.
The Herbal Industry is one of the fastest growing industries in other countries in the region. The Hambantota botanical garden will become a centre for the promotion of the herbal industry, he said.
'Floriculture has also been highlighted as an area of both national policy priority and where worldwide growth is also marked significantly. Already the National Botanical Gardens have developed expertise in Anthuriums, Orchids, Gerberas and other varieties. Complementary additions of Dry Zone plant varieties will be immensely valuable, and of interest to national growers and societies, and international groups,' he said.
http://www.dailynews.lk/2012/01/06/news12.asp
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