{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-c03aa079.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-517835be.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='Sri Lanka\u0026#39;s oldest botanical gardens display rare plants for tourists' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c3d9d8eafeecae1645d3' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c3d9d8eafeecae1645d3' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nSri Lanka\u0026#39;s oldest botanical gardens display rare plants for tourists\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003e1. Avenue of palm trees 2. View across lake 3. Close of water-lillies 4. Giant Java Almond trees 5. Palm trees 6. Mahaweli Ganga, river which runs around gardens7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr Siril Wijesundara, Director General,Department of...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003e1. Avenue of palm trees \u003cbr/\u003e2. View across lake \u003cbr/\u003e3. Close of water-lillies \u003cbr/\u003e4. Giant Java Almond trees \u003cbr/\u003e5. Palm trees \u003cbr/\u003e6. Mahaweli Ganga, river which runs around gardens\u003cbr/\u003e7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr Siril Wijesundara, Director General,Department of National Botanic Gardens :\u003cbr/\u003e\"Peradeniya is the oldest botanic gardens in Sri Lanka, at the moment its the largest botanical garden as well. It was started in 1821 by the British for the introduction of economically important crops to Sri Lanka. Tea, rubber, and most of the other economic crops came to Sri Lanka through Peradeniya Gardens. And it also conducted a lot of research in agriculture prior to 1912. And in 1912 the Department of Agriculture was born in Peradeniya Gardens, and that was the turning-point in Sri Lankan agriculture.\" \u003cbr/\u003e8. Entrance to Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya \u003cbr/\u003e9. Entrance gate \u003cbr/\u003e10. Information notice for visitors \u003cbr/\u003e11. Woman sweeping by gate\u003cbr/\u003e12. Man watering plants at garden entrance \u003cbr/\u003e13. Workers arriving at gardens \u003cbr/\u003e14. Various of gardeners \u003cbr/\u003e15. Various of information board showing map of gardens \u003cbr/\u003e16. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lal Jayavatne, Director of Development, Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya :\u003cbr/\u003e\"The history of this land goes back to the fourteenth century. Since 1371 this land had been maintained as a palace garden of ancient Sri Lankan kings. But in 1821this land was developed into botanical gardens by the British government.\" \u003cbr/\u003e17. Tilt down Giant Java Almond tree \u003cbr/\u003e18. Sign reading: Giant Java Almond Trees \u003cbr/\u003e19. Various, palm trees \u003cbr/\u003e20. Pan across lawn grass collection \u003cbr/\u003e21. Close shot, grass \u003cbr/\u003e22. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lal Jayavatne, Director of Development, Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya \u003cbr/\u003e\"We have a very close relationship between these gardens and the Kew Gardens in UK. And we exchange information, and especially in plant identification. And most of the plants in Sri Lanka, almost all plants in Sri Lanka are already identified and they are chemically treated and preserved in our herbarium. And if we see any doubt about plant information or plant identification, we get information through the Kew Gardens in England.\" \u003cbr/\u003e23. Exterior of Orchid House \u003cbr/\u003e24. People looking at orchids \u003cbr/\u003e25. Various of orchids \u003cbr/\u003e26. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr Siril Wijesundara, Director General,Department of National Botanic Gardens :\u003cbr/\u003e\"We have got over four hundred different cultivated varieties of orchid. Most of these are developed here in our research laboratory, we conduct a lot of research on new hybrids, mutations and various things, and we also import plants from Malaysia, Thailand and other Asian countries as well. So it's a very popular attraction inside the gardens.\"\u003cbr/\u003e27. Tilt down Australian Tea Tree \u003cbr/\u003e28. Various of double-coconut palm \u003cbr/\u003e29. Giant Bamboo of Burma\u003cbr/\u003e30. Various, shoots of giant bamboo \u003cbr/\u003e31. Sign reading: Dendrocalamus Giganteus \u003cbr/\u003e32. People standing next to giant bamboo \u003cbr/\u003e33. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr. Siril Wijesundara, Director General, Department of National Botanic Gardens \u003cbr/\u003e\"Giant Bamboo, or Dendrocalamus Giganteus botanically, is supposed to be the largest bamboo, from Myanmar. And that's also the fastest growing plant on earth, according to the research. It grows about one foot a day, about thirty centimetres a day and its also a very important construction material, for various construction work it's used. And I think the sprouts, the young shoots, are also edible. And so it's a miracle plant.\" \u003cbr/\u003e34. Schoolchildren playing on lawn \u003cbr/\u003e35. Schoolchildren running across lawn with fig tree in background \u003cbr/\u003e36. Schoolchildren walking through gardens \u003cbr/\u003e37. Close shot, feet walking \u003cbr/\u003e38. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lal Jayavatne, Director of Development, Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya \u003cbr/\u003e\"When we start any programs I think it is better if we can talk to the schoolchildren because they are very fresh and they are new to the world, so we can give fresh and new ideas directly to the schoolchildren. And also we can change their attitudes and ideas, especially on the environment and environment management.\" \u003cbr/\u003e39. View of lake with shrubs and trees \u003cbr/\u003e40. Various, water plants \u003cbr/\u003e41. Various, palm trees \u003cbr/\u003e42. Visitors to gardens on path \u003cbr/\u003eAn avenue of palm trees fit for a royal palace - an appropriate feature in these botanic gardens in Sri Lanka, situated as they are in the very place where the county's ancient kings kept court.\u003cbr/\u003eThe gardens provide an oasis of tranquillity for tourists and Sri Lankans alike, but there is also a considerable history to the site.\u003cbr/\u003eThe Peradeniya Royal Botanic Gardens lie on a tongue of land bounded on three sides by the banks of the Mahaweli Ganga (river), just six kilometres from Kandy, the nations former capital.\u003cbr/\u003eThe area is believed to have a long association with cultivation and Peradeniya takes its name from pera, (guava) and deniya (plain). \u003cbr/\u003eThe gardens, though have only existed a comparatively short time and were borne out of economic necessity.\u003cbr/\u003eDr. Siril Wijesundara, the Director General of the Department of National Botanic Gardens explains the gardens' history.\u003cbr/\u003eThe Royal Botanic Gardens today are still a centre of research and scholarship with Peradeniya University situated near by.\u003cbr/\u003eThe earliest records go back to 1371, when King Wickramabahu III ascended the thrown and kept court at Peradeniya. \u003cbr/\u003eLal Jayavatne, the Director of Development at the gardens, picks up the story.\u003cbr/\u003eSri Lanka was occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century.\u003cbr/\u003eThe island was ceded to the British in 1796, then became a crown colony in 1802 before being united under British rule around 1815. \u003cbr/\u003eThe Royal Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya were formed in 1821, six years after the final conquest of the Kandyan Kingdom.   \u003cbr/\u003eOther sites had already been established by the British for the reception of economic plants, but Peradeniya was thought to be more favourable for the purpose.\u003cbr/\u003eThere are a number of special attractions for visitors to Peradeniya.\u003cbr/\u003eOne of the most popular features is the orchid house - where literally hundreds of varieties and hybrids of this colourful flower are on display.\u003cbr/\u003eMany of the hybrids have been created by botanists working at the gardens themselves.\u003cbr/\u003eDr Siril Wijesundara says they have a huge collection of orchids. \u003cbr/\u003eWhen the gardens were first established, in 1821, the focus was on the production of fruits and vegetables, with little attention to the cultivation of indigenous plants or to other exotics. \u003cbr/\u003eNow the gardens include much of Sri Lanka's flora, and representative species from all over the tropical world. \u003cbr/\u003eToday the the gardens' chief attraction is the 50-acre (20-hectare) arboretum of some 10-thousand trees, including a palm garden illustrating the variety of the species.\u003cbr/\u003ePeradeniya is also home to numerous species of bamboo, which thrive along the banks of the Mahaweli.\u003cbr/\u003eThere are fine specimens of the largest variety of the plant; Dendrocalamus Giganteus, also known as the 'Giant Bamboo of Burma'\u003cbr/\u003eDr. Siril Wijesundara says the giant bamboo is a unique plant.\u003cbr/\u003eThe Royal Botanic Gardens have played an integral part in Sri Lanka's agricultural development and is certain to continue doing so.\u003cbr/\u003eBut one of its central roles lies in encouraging the interest of children in botany - and schools regularly bring their pupils to Peradeniya. Not only to study, but also to play.\u003cbr/\u003eAs the world becomes increasingly concerned with climate change, the need to educate young people to care about, and sensibly manage, the environment, becomes paramount.\u003cbr/\u003eLal Jayavatne says children are a great asset to the gardens.\u003cbr/\u003eKeyword-spectacular\u003cbr/\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='action-container flex justify-between'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' aria-label='Read more description' class='rp-full-description' type='button'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fai fa-solid fa-align-left'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cspan id='read_more'\u003eRead More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-report'\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='resource-details-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='resource-details-heading'\u003eResource Details\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-resource-details 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