The Jerusalem Botanical Garden (JBG) at Givat Ram in Jerusalem is continuing a project to save the extinct wildflowers in Israel for the second year in a row.
This project is dedicated to commemorating the memory of the late Nechama Rivlin
Known as the largest botanical garden in Israel with the largest collection of living plants in Israel and in the Middle East, the garden has more than 6,400 species and varieties of plants from around the world, including South Africa, Europe, North America, Australia, Southwest and Central Asia and the Mediterranean.
The garden has been producing wildflower seeds for about 40 years, including about 36 different species – most of them local, some rare and some endangered.
To preserve the country's biodiversity, the botanical garden is launching, for the second year in a row, a wide campaign calling on the public to purchase and plant local wildflowers in private gardens.
The campaign is dedicated to the late Nechama Rivlin, a true nature lover who has contributed greatly over the years to Israeli society and nature conservation.
During the weeks between the two lockdowns, the botanical garden collaborated with dozens of volunteers who collected, cleaned and packed the seeds bags.
The partners of the project are friends of the botanical garden, members of the garden community, volunteers with special needs, young people in national service and the garden staff.
All of the seeds germinate easily, have an impressive and beautiful bloom and are water-efficient, suitable for any home with a seed planter.
The bags of seeds cost 20-40 NIS per bag, with the price depending on rarity. In addition to purchasing seeds, you can buy a wild planter set that includes soil, a colored planter and three bags of seeds with gardening tools at a cost of 85 NIS.
The seed bags and planter can be ordered in the seed store and received by mail.
The project's goal is to return nature to the garden with seeds that allow everyone to combine wildflowers in home gardens and thus make accessible and encourage the love of nature in Israel.
Each planting takes part in preserving the ecological environment, allowing continued enjoyment for future generations.
Tom Amit, CEO of the JBG noted that "this is the second year that the University Botanical Garden in Jerusalem is launching a campaign to save the wildflowers named after the late Nechama Rivlin, who loved nature with all her heart and promoted green issues such as growing flowers and vegetables in the community garden she established at the President's House.
"I call on all the people of Israel to order seeds in our online store that will bring light and color into our lives and thus help many families connect with nature, save the wildflowers in Israel and commemorate the late Nechama Rivlin."
The JBG operates both as an educational and research center and contains a diverse collection of plants from around the world. The garden is a center for entertainment, tourism and cultural events as well as a center for education, training and research.