Travelogues
The Miller Garden Trust periodically sponsors expeditions for staff to learn about flora in its native habitat, collect seed, and to share information and seed with other botanical gardens and organizations. Staff members are required to file reports or publish articles about these experiences. To read the complete travelogues, click "read more" below to download the PDF.
New Zealand, 2008
In 2007 I was asked by the New Zealand Rhododendron Society to speak for their National Rhododendron Conference in late October 2008 in the small town of Geraldine. Following the conference an additional week and a half was added to allow for the attendance of the annual meeting of the Trillium Society the Trillium Weekend. Goals of the trip were to reestablish contacts made by Greg Graves in New Zealand in 2006 and make new contacts for the garden. In total two weeks were spent on the lower half of the South Island. Read more....
Sardinia, 2008
Thanks to an earlier scheduled flight, we took up the slack by taking a bus ride out to Capo Caccia, passing by the Bronze Age ruins of Palmavera on the way. In the Nuraghe crevices, on the walls of the distinctive circular chamber, we found the navelwort Umbilicus rupestris, so called because of the umbilical shape of its leaves. The scenic road continued, sometimes flanked by the mastic tree Pistacia lentiscus interspersed with the strawberry tree Arbutus unedo, other times by cypresses Cupressus sempervirens, and we ultimately pulled up in a parking lot close to the upper entrance of the Grotta di Nettuno. Finally we were able to get out and look at the maquis close to: apart from dominant shrubs like the mastic tree, we also saw the large branching stalks of the giant fennel (Ferula communis), the strap-leafed Sea Squill (Urginea maritima), and the small flowering crucifer, Matthiola Tricuspidata. Read more....
New Zealand, 2006
I arrived in Auckland at 6am on October 27th, 2006. I got there a day and half early so that I could acclimate to the time change and long flight. I took advantage of the time to check out a few museums and some of the local sights. On Saturday night Jo Conner, our New Zealand guide, hosted a dinner in her home. Before dinner Jo took us to the top of Mt Eden for a champagne toast to kick off the tour. The mountain had a view of the 50 dormant volcanoes that make up the Auckland metro area. Read more....