The Liverpool Botanical Collection of 4000+ rare and tropical plants are under serious threat of complete neglect due to Liverpool City Council redeployment of the current botanical guardians to other areas of work in the city.

The collection is over 200 years old created by William Roscoe who established the first rare collection of plants in the UK outside of London in 1803. Since 1841, the care of the plants was handed to the Liverpool Corporation (now City Council) where it has remained under the care of since then.

Currently, there is a small group of gardeners who care for the collection.  Between them, there is 100+ years of specialised experience to look after the 4000+ rare plants. Without this care and management, the plants will not survive. 

As of the 1st of April 2023, Liverpool City Council will no longer fund the Botanic Collection service forcing LSSL to move the Skilled Horticulturalists with over 110 years of experience and knowledge to other jobs around the city, for, what will likely be 'litterpicking and street cleansing.'

The care of the plants will then be the left in the inexperienced hands of Liverpool Parks office staff, who have never even visited the collection let alone have the skills, knowledge or experience of looking after such rare and unusual plants. They also intend to only look after certain plants which make up the four National Collections, leaving the main part of the Roscoe collection in the Polytunnel to die. 

The office staff will attempt to do this whilst also trying to find someone to do it for free, possibly volunteers, who will not be as reliable as professional experienced gardeners and volunteers should not be doing paid job roles.

This petition is aimed at the City Council to save the plants from neglect by reinstating the gardeners roles from the 1st of April 2023 indefinitely. This will ensure the legacy of the Liverpool Botanical Collection lives on for future generations to learn and enjoy what William Roscoe created for the city and its people.

It will be presented to the City Council to show the support for the Botanical Collection and that is must be saved from future neglect.

 

A little backstory of the collection:

William Roscoe, a Liverpool born historian, abolitionist, MP, poet and botanist founded the Liverpool Botanical Collection over 200 years ago in 1803.

At the time it was a revolutionary collection of tens of thousands of plants from around the world that were brought to Liverpool for people to enjoy. Today, only 4000 plants remain with almost all being incredibly rare (in the world) including a stunning Jade Vine.

 

This petition has been created by members of The Friends of Roscoe Gardens, set up in 2022 and formalised in 2023. 

To find out more about The Friends of Roscoe Gardens, please follow us on Twitter or Instagram: @friendsofroscoe or search for The Friends of Roscoe Gardens on Facebook.

Our email is friendsofroscoegardens@gmail.com