This chapter discusses the essential part of a garden, the plants. Different examples of plant collections and their purposes will be discussed. The importance of keeping plant records and maps shall be touched on. Plant evaluation and promotion programs shall also be examined. These chapters give a basic understanding of plant collections and their relevance to botanical gardens and arboreta.
Plant collections are the building blocks of a garden.
The mission statement and collection policy determine what plant collections are allowed in the garden setting. Plant collections range from species oriented collections through thematic and display collections. Plant records help in the understanding of what the garden has and needs. Plant acquisition and accessioning is important in obtaining and recording the plants into databases. Plants are typically accessioned according to their origin and time of collection.