A Wiltshire college has become one of the UK's leading rose conservationists.
Wiltshire College & University Centre's Lackham campus has gained this reputation thanks to lecturer Victoria Fiander and her team.
Since 2019, they have been working with horticulture apprentices to build a collection of 135 rare rose varieties in the college’s walled garden.
This effort has attracted the attention of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and renowned grower David Austin.
Ms Fiander said: "When I first arrived here, we had 32 different rose cultivars, but we’ve worked with collectors all over the country to build that up to 135, and the students have played a big part in that."
The collection is seen as a vital repository of varieties at risk of extinction, with 10 per cent of the collection now out of circulation and no longer available for sale.
Ms Fiander said: "It’s so important to maintain this collection.
"If what we have in British gardens just dies, that rose is forgotten, it's lost."
Among the college's roses is the Gruss an Zabern, a German rose, which is out of circulation and cannot be bought anywhere.
The college is now working with conservation charity Plant Heritage to locate a further 29 varieties known to be at risk.
The RHS will provide travel bursaries to cover staff and student costs.
Once located, the plants are brought back to a prepared bed in Lackham’s historic walled garden.
The propagation process involves taking hardwood cuttings in October, when the plant is in dormancy.
These cuttings are then put in the ground, in the hope they will generate the roots to make another plant.
Every rose is geo-mapped and labelled with a QR code that reveals its heritage.
The students, under Ms Fiander's supervision, carry out every stage of the propagation, planting, and recording.
Ms Fiander said: "They get the hands-on experience of propagating, and my motto is that as a good instructor, don't do for yourself what your students can do for you.
"We want to provide a good education and a great learning journey for our students, and doing this botanical study is the best way."
This year will see four apprentices arrive from Premiership team Bournemouth FC.
The college’s growing reputation means the apprentices benefit from expert visitors from the RHS, David Austin, and the likes of Wessex Water, as well as site visits, to demonstrate and teach many aspects of plant care.
Ms Fiander said: "We are very fortunate to have a reputation as a centre of excellence.
"That reputation has been carved from the landscape, and it means the students get the very best learning experience."
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