Medicinal Garden Project
Last year a proposal was written to put forward the idea
of the Harris Garden at Reading University being the location
for a collection of Medicinal Plants along with other parts
of the University grounds and the greenhouses.
On Tuesday 23 January 2007, Professor Philip
John - who is the director of the project - gave a presentation
to the Friends of the Harris Garden about the aims of the
project.
The
Medicinal Garden would be a centre for staff and student research
alike, creating a supply of experimental material and aiding
in the teaching of disciplines including pharmacy, biology
and biomedicine and covering such topics as conservation,
diversity and the production of medicinal plants. This research
would help strengthen the evidence base for phytotherapy -
the medicinal effect of plants. This is an area of huge interest
at the moment in the UK, US, Europe and beyond where people
are looking to alternatives to chemical based drugs. Examples
like Taxol (extracted from yew leaves) for the treatment of
cancer and galanthamine for the treatment of dementia, demonstrate
that plants are already providing solutions to some of our
most serious diseases. After a period in which the big pharmaceutical
companies lost interest in phytotherapy, they are now looking
again at plants.
Why the Harris Garden?
The garden and the university already have a number of facilities
which make them prime candidates for the Research Centre.
There is a broad academic mix including plant scientists,
horticultural specialists, specialists in medical physiology
and the University also houses the School of Chemistry, Food
Biosciences and Pharmacy as well as the BioCentre with its
analytical tools. The garden itself is home to a collection
of digitalis which is, of course, recognised for its properties
in the treatment of heart conditions.
What happens next?
The project is still in the early stages and is in the process
of looking for funding from a variety of sources for the infrastructure
needed and to other organisations for the development of interdisciplinary
projects.
What will it mean to the Garden?
At the moment the areas being considered for the collection
are the walled garden, the fenced area and the glasshouses
for tender subjects. Larger specimens may be planted throughout
the garden. It is hoped that a decision to locate the collection
in the garden will secure its future.
How can the Friends be involved and help?
As well as a strong commitment from the University itself
that the garden will remain in tact, Philip John is looking
to the Friends to help build up the collection of plants in
the garden and also to help with the cataloguing and labelling
of existing plants. So, if any of you have any plants that
you think may have medicinal/healing properties and would
be of interest, then please contact Philip by email: p.john@rdg.ac.uk
and let him know what it is you have. These plants may well
start to form the basis of the collection.
On
balance, the project seems to offer positive benefits for
the Harris Garden and will offer the opportunity to bring
new vitality and interest to this valuable resource.
Sue Lawrence
