{{Short description|Australian botanist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Ken Gillanders | image = | caption = Wood Bank nursery 2008 open gardens | birth_date = 1930 | birth_place = Melbourne | known_for = Woodbank Nursery | occupation = {{hlist|Botanist|horticulturist|nurseryman}} | awards = Medal of the Order of Australia | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM}} }} '''Ken Gillanders''' is an Australian botanist, horticulturist, nurseryman and plantman from Tasmania.
Gillanders, a nurseryman for over 50 years (now retired),<ref name="adulteducation.tas.gov.au">[https://web.archive.org/web/20060901081311/http://courses.adulteducation.tas.gov.au/infosheets/SA0121.pdf adulteducation.tas.gov.au]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://communityed.education.tas.gov.au/tutor/922 |title=Archived copy |access-date=8 June 2009 |archive-date=10 June 2009 |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20090610161801/http://communityed.education.tas.gov.au/tutor/922 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and his wife Lesley started Woodbank Nursery on a bush block in Tasmania.<ref name=cpf/> Woodbank Nursery specialized in rare, exotic, unusual and native plants.<ref name=cpf/> As their nursery and its reputation grew so did their spectacular gardens containing many rare plants. Ken and Lesley collected seeds in Chile, Ecuador, New Zealand, China, South Africa, and Lesotho.<ref name=cpf/><ref name="adulteducation.tas.gov.au"/> Ken cultivated and propagated many Tasmanian natives including Leatherwood cultivars.<ref name=cpf/>
thumb|right|A view over the lower section of Woodbank Gardens (Formally known as Woodbank Nursery)
Gillanders has presented horticultural papers in the UK, Japan and New Zealand. He is co-author of "Know Your Rock Garden Plants and Dwarf Bulbs".<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1722794 National Library of Australia]</ref>
In 2002 Gillanders retired, and many Australian and overseas collectors were devastated, describing the nursery's closure as a "tragedy".<ref name=cpf/> Ken and Lesley stayed on in their garden of botanical treasures and have increased its size to cover over {{convert|5|acre|m2}}. The two now travel overseas taking photos of plants in flower, instead of collecting seed.<ref name=cpf>{{Cite web |url=http://www.collectorsplantfair.com/Speakers.htm |title=Collectors' Plant Fair at Bilpin: Speaker Programme|access-date=2009-06-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828122954/http://www.collectorsplantfair.com/Speakers.htm |archive-date=2008-08-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The nursery was known as Woodbank Gardens from 2003 to early 2012 and hosted small events on occasions. In early 2012 and Ken and Lesley sold their nursery to another private owner. In June 2004, on the Queen's Birthday, Ken was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for service to Horticulture.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1057071 | title=It's an Honour has a new home}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.abc.net.au/rural/tas/stories/s1131365.htm |title = Tasmanian Country Hour}}</ref><ref name="Journal.HTML">{{Cite web | url=http://members.iimetro.com.au/~mirra/journal.html |title = Journal.HTML}}</ref> Ken is currently the Australian Rhododendron Registrar.<ref name="Journal.HTML"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ausrhodo.asn.au/ |title=Australian Rhododendron Society |access-date=2009-06-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090308012233/http://www.ausrhodo.asn.au/ |archive-date=2009-03-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Ken Gillanders OAM">{{cite web |last1=Dakis |first1=Sally |title=Ken Gillanders OAM |url=https://www.gardenhistorysociety.org.au/publications/ken-gillanders-oam/ |website=Australian Garden History Society |access-date=18 December 2021}}</ref>
== References ==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gillanders, Ken}} Category:Australian gardeners Category:20th-century Australian botanists Category:Australian nurserymen Category:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia Category:Living people Category:Nurserymen Category:1930 births