Quentin Cronk is the Director of the UBC Botanic Garden. He claims to have no other credentials, but UBC would not have brought him all the way from Edinburgh if this were actually the case. Nevertheless, if VRS members want to know more about him, they will have to inquire of him directly when he speaks at our September meeting.
Of his lecture, ‘Rhododendron - the anatomy of an obsession’, Quentin says:
‘This talk will trace the reasons for plant obsession and its consequences, with particular reference to Rhododendron. From the snowy Himalaya to isolated Appalachian coves, Rhododendrons have shown the capacity to launch expeditions and engender lust, loyalty and lucre. Should we look for reasons in the plants themselves, or in the darkest
recesses of the minds of their devotees?
‘This talk will be the unexpurgated version of the lecture given in
Victoria (ARS) in 2005.’
