1927 Collecting in South Africa

Collingwood Ingram was now part of the horticultural establishment, a member of the elite Garden Society. In 1927 he joined a collecting trip to South Africa with two other members with spectacular gardens, Reginald Cory of Dyffryn and Lawrence Johnston of Hidcote. Collingwood's journal provided valuable information for the recent (second edition 2013) biography of Johnston by Graham Pearson. Also on the trip, as professional botanist, was the young, just graduated, George Taylor, later to be Director of Kew - in all a distinguished company! They travelled in some comfort, with chauffeur and valet, and on their itinery was a vist to General Smuts, statesman and botanist. Collingwood Ingram's main interest on the trip was the collection of gladioli, but as always his interests were wide and he also showed his talent as a photographer. An extract from the South African journal can be downloaded below