Jelena de Belder-Kovačič
Jelena de Belder-Kovačič | |
---|---|
Born | Jelena Kovačič 23 August 1925 |
Died | 31 August 2003 Krk, Croatia | (aged 78)
Other names | Jelena de Belder |
Occupation(s) | horticulturist, botanist |
Years active | 1955–2003 |
Jelena de Belder-Kovačič (23 August 1925 – 31 August 2003) was a Slovenian-Belgian botanist and horticulturist, who worked extensively on the taxonomy and preservation of plant specimens, gaining an international reputation for her development of the Kalmthout and Hemelrijk Arboreta. Several varieties of plants she cultivated were recognized with awards from the Royal Horticultural Society in London and she was elevated to Baroness by Albert II of Belgium for her contributions to dendrology.
Early life
Jelena Kovačič was born on 23 August 1925 in
Hearing that there were historical and rare
Career
The first witch hazel grown from cuttings on the property, which would become known as the Arboretum Kalmthout, bloomed in January 1955. The shrub had intense orange-brown flowers which reflected the winter sun. Robert named the variety, Hamamelis × intermedia Jelena and entered it that year at an exhibition held in London by the Royal Horticultural Society. The shrub earned a Certificate of Merit,[3] leading the couple to design what would become one of the most well-known arboreta in the world.[5] While Robert worked by day in the diamond business in Antwerp, she focused on sorting through the over-grown landscape to label and identify the plants.[1][6] In the evenings and when he was not working, Robert worked with Georges to dig the ponds and create the vistas while de Belder worked to develop the plants for the spaces they created.[2][6]
In April 1955, the couple invited Jože Strgar(sl) to the estate to study and de Belder paved the way for his studies with other European nurseries.[7] Within ten years, the arboretum had reached capacity and the couple bought another, much larger estate, Hemelrijk in Essen, Belgium,[2] containing 250 acres (101.171 hectares).[6] Traveling widely with the International Dendrology Society, the couple collected specimens and created an international exchange network for plant seeds and educational sharing. They also created an extensive library of rare books on botany and horticulture.[1] Known for their open-door policy of inviting students as well as the general public to study at the facility, the couple hosted more than 350 students, including noted Japanese botanist, Mikinori Ogisu.[2]
De Belder also began breeding plants, focusing on
During an economic decline fueled by the
Death and legacy
De Belder died while vacationing on the island of Krk on 31 August 2003[11] In 2011, in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Slovenian independence, the government of Slovenia planted a linden tree in the Arboretum Kalmthout in honor of de Belder.[12]
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f Strgar Schulz 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Bruce 2018.
- ^ a b c d van de Kaa 1998.
- ^ a b c Dnevnik 2003.
- ^ a b c Harvey 2004.
- ^ a b c Horyn 2007.
- ^ Bavčar 2006, p. 36.
- ^ "The Plant Hunter: Jelena de Belder – Her Plants Live on".
- ^ Lancaster & Wesley 2008, pp. 2–3.
- ^ La Libre Belgique 2003.
- ^ Dnevnik 2003.
- ^ Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2011.
Bibliography
- Bavčar, Julijana (December 2006). "Jelena de Belder-Kovačič: Tenkočutna učiteljica" [Jelena de Belder-Kovačič: A tenacious teacher] (PDF). Deloindom (in Slovenian). No. 20. Ljubljana, Slovenia. pp. 33–37. OCLC 649379813. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 October 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2018. PDF pages are out of order; Page 34 is followed by page 36 and 37, while page 35 is the last page.)
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: CS1 maint: postscript (link - Bruce, Jonny (16 February 2018). "Witch hazels cast their spell". Financial Times. London, England. Archived from the original on 22 October 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
- Harvey, M.J. (2004). "Jelena de Belder". victoriarhodo.ca. Victoria, British Columbia, Canada: Victoria Rhododendron Society. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
- Horyn, Cathy (1 April 2007). "The Meadowlands". The New York Times. New York, New York. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
- Lancaster, Neil; Wesley, Wendy (December 2008). "Hydrangea paniculata" (PDF). RHS Plant Trials Bulletin (23). London, England: Royal Horticultural Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 October 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
- Strgar Schulz, Bernarda (2013). "Belder Kovačič, Jelena de, baronica (1925–2003)" [Belder Kovačič, Jelena de, baroness (1925–2003)]. Slovenska biografija (in Slovenian). Ljubljana, Slovenia: Slovenska akademija znanosti in umetnosti, Znanstvenoraziskovalni center SAZU. Archived from the original on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
- van de Kaa, Romke (22 January 1998). "Hamamelisfeesten in Arboretum Kalmthout; De toverhazelaar van de barones" [Hamamelis festivities in Arboretum Kalmthout: The witch hazel of the baroness] (in Dutch). Amsterdam, Netherlands: NRC Handelsblad. Archived from the original on 25 October 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
- "Décès de Jelena de Belder-Kovacic". La Libre Belgique (in French). Brussels, Belgium. 2 September 2003. Archived from the original on 22 October 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
Death of Jelena de Belder-Kovacic
- "Slovenian linden tree tilia cordata in Belgian Arboretum Kalmthout". mzz.gov.si. Ljubljana, Slovenia: Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 3 May 2011. Archived from the originalon 25 October 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
- "Umrla Jelena De Belder-Kovačič" [Jelena De Belder-Kovačič died]. Dnevnik (in Slovenian). Ljubljana, Slovenia. 2 September 2003. Archived from the original on 22 October 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2018.