RHS to join convention on lavender

Garden and greenhouse enthusiasts with an interest in lavender may be interested in an upcoming event.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is set to team up with Cambridge University Botanic Garden for the First International Lavender Conference.

It will be held at Clare College from September 6th to 11th and visitors will be able to gain tips on a number of issues.

Classification, cultivation and new breeding techniques will be covered at the convention, with guest speakers being brought in to talk about specific topics.

One such participant will be RHS entomologists Dr Andrew Salisbury, who will discuss the effects of the rosemary beetle.

"Since lavender is one of the UK’s most popular garden plants, it is not surprising that the RHS has a great deal of interest in it," explained head of botany at the organisation Dr John David.

He went on to explain the oldest herbarium specimen dates back to 1731.

Meanwhile, the RHS is also set to host a seminar on environmentally-friendly building, following the news it is to create a carbon-neutral learning centre and library.