Yesterday, we were visited by members of A-Plant 2000 Aps, an association of Danish and one American nursery, which aims to develop new plants, particularly with a focus on plant health and climate tolerance, for the benefit of gardeners and landscapers in particular. The plants are marketed under the Norðîc® brand.

The late former head of research Poul Erik Brander was deeply involved in the work for many years, and members of A-Plant saw the Poul Erik Brander collection in Bangsbo Botanical Garden, which prompted many admiring remarks about the work in the garden.

And there is a lot to see – colours, smells and birdsong everywhere, so welcome to the summer garden

The Friends of Bangsbo Botanical Gardens and Bonsai Kita, Aalborg hosted a workshop on bonsai on Sunday. There were 23 people registered for the course, and there were participants all the way from Viborg, Nørresundby, Sindal and then of course from the local area. The weather was good, and from start to finish there was high spirits and deep concentration on the subject. Izhar Ferztand and Michael Baastrup from Bonsai Kita were experts in the field, and were busy giving advice after the first presentation. Everyone was given a “foundation” to work on, and cutting and pruning were done according to Japanese traditions. Suitable tools were also presented, ranging from an old toothbrush to the more specialised cutting tools.

The Friends, as usual, helped with the practicalities – including serving coffee and homemade pretzel.