{"id":6889,"date":"2025-06-16T18:31:14","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T17:31:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sigbi.org\/bristol\/?p=6889"},"modified":"2025-06-16T18:31:14","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T17:31:14","slug":"speaker-meeting-monday-9th-june-2025-nick-wray-curator-of-bristol-botanic-garden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sigbi.org\/bristol\/2025\/06\/16\/speaker-meeting-monday-9th-june-2025-nick-wray-curator-of-bristol-botanic-garden\/","title":{"rendered":"Speaker Meeting Monday 9th June 2025: Nick Wray – Curator of Bristol Botanic Garden"},"content":{"rendered":"

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On Monday evening, SI Bristol enjoyed a lively gathering at our monthly Supper Meeting, where we welcomed new and potential members into our group.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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We were also delighted to host our guest speaker,\u00a0Nick Wray, curator of the renowned\u00a0Bristol Botanic Garden\u00a0and recipient of the prestigious\u00a0RHS Associate of Honour\u00a0for his distinguished contributions to horticulture. With over 30 years at the garden, Nick was instrumental in creating the new garden at\u00a0The Holmes, located near the Bristol Downs. Remarkably, this was the first major redevelopment of a botanic garden in the UK in nearly 40 years.<\/p>\n

Nick, a passionate traveller, took us on a fascinating \u201cwhistle-stop tour\u201d of the\u00a0gardens and landscapes of Sicily. From the ancient city of\u00a0Palermo\u00a0to the white sandy beaches of\u00a0Mondello, he shared insights into the island\u2019s rich history, diverse cultural influences, and stunning architecture. Sicily\u2014Italy\u2019s largest island\u2014is known for its unique blend of\u00a0Norman, Byzantine, and Arab\u00a0heritage. One highlight included the ancient\u00a0kanats\u2014an underground irrigation system built during Arab rule, still visible today.<\/p>\n

We also learned that Sicily is home to one of the\u00a0oldest botanic gardens in the world, established in 1795 with seeds sent from\u00a0Kew Gardens\u00a0to trial plants in a Mediterranean climate.<\/p>\n

Nick\u2019s top travel tip for Sicily! \u201cDon\u2019t go in summer\u2014it\u2019s far too hot!\u201d.\u00a0 Thank you Nick we really enjoyed your talk.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  On Monday evening, SI Bristol enjoyed a lively gathering at our monthly Supper Meeting,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":584,"featured_media":6894,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-supper-meetings-read-what-our-speakers-have-to-say"],"yoast_head":"\nSpeaker Meeting Monday 9th June 2025: Nick Wray - Curator of Bristol Botanic Garden | News | Blog | Events | SI Bristol<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"SI Bristol : Blog & News : Speaker Meeting Monday 9th June 2025: Nick Wray - Curator of Bristol Botanic Garden : Keep up to date with the latest news, articles and events from the Soroptimists of SI Bristol . 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