Page 67 - The Secret Museum

we sort things out. It’s a start.

Scientists at Kew are looking into the effects of climate change on plants, and are

studying wild species that have traits that will be needed in crops if the Earth heats
up – for example, short stems and bigger leaves; wild flowers are a miracle of
adaptive design. Mainly, however, the frozen seeds are here as a life insurance for
plant species and for human beings of the future.

When I left the seeds behind, I went for a wander around the gardens that surround
the seed bank – the grounds of Wakehurst Place. The gorgeous landscape is a
showcase for some of the frozen seeds beneath the ground, a future generation of
beautiful flowering plants.