From a child in the orchard to director of the botanical garden
At the age of six, Barbara Gravendeel already knew what she wanted to be: a biologist. The seed was planted in the garden of her childhood home: an old orchard surrounded by a large hedge. Since 1 May, she has been the scientific director (prefect) of the Hortus botanicus in Leiden, and all the pieces of her career seem to have fallen into place. ‘It really is a dream come true.’
It’s EL CID week, the official student introduction week, as Barbara Gravendeel sits down on the busy terrace of the Hortus, talking about her plans and lifelong passion for the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands. Groups of fresh-faced students wander through the garden, gathering for one of the week’s traditions: lunch at the Hortus. ‘Isn’t it great that they get to discover the garden right away? I hope they’ll keep coming back throughout their studies – and after that too.’
‘I’ve always felt drawn to places that seem untouched by time. The Hortus in Leiden is one of those places. Trees are allowed to grow old here.’
A love for nature from an early age
Gravendeel’s love of plants started young. She grew up just outside Utrecht, in what was then a rural area, now a residential neighbourhood called Leidsche Rijn. ‘We had an old orchard in our garden, and that’s where the idea of working with plants first took root. I’ve always felt drawn to places that seem untouched by time. The Hortus in Leiden is one of those places. Trees are allowed to grow old here.’
Surprisingly, she doesn’t consider herself to have green fingers. ‘My husband takes care of our own garden. I enjoy researching plants – but unfortunately, they don’t always survive that.’
A magical place to return to
During her biology studies in Utrecht, Gravendeel gave tours at the city’s botanical garden and became increasingly interested in plant ecology. She first came to the Hortus in Leiden to do her PhD research. ‘Even then, I hoped I’d be able to return one day. It’s a magical place.’
Since 2019, she has combined her work at Naturalis with a special professorship in Plant Evolution at Radboud University. ‘I knew that my predecessor, Paul Keßler, was retiring, and when I saw the job opening, I thought: I have to go for this.’
Looking ahead
The rest, as they say, is history. She calls her appointment a dream come true. Together with Tom Schreuder, who also recently joined, she forms the new leadership team at the Hortus. She also holds the Chair in Plants and Society. ‘There’s a lot happening here, so I’m glad we’re in this together. We complement each other well, and Tom’s energy is really inspiring. We’ve given ourselves until December to work with the whole team on a new mission, vision and strategy.’
Gravendeel has no shortage of ambitions. She wants to strengthen links with other institutes in the faculty – such as IBL, CML and LIACS – as well as explore partnerships with other faculties and organisations outside the university. ‘If you have good ideas, please come and talk to me. I really value co-creation and brainstorming together. I’d also like to do more with blended funding. The Hortus is a green treasure trove that can be unlocked through modern science. I want to involve companies in funding research here too.’
‘The Hortus is a green treasure trove that can be unlocked through modern science.’
Gardening more naturally
One of her aims is to turn the Hortus itself into a hotspot for biodiversity, with more focus on natural gardening. The garden already stopped using pesticides five years ago, but Gravendeel wants to go further. ‘We want to protect our living collection in a natural way, using insects and other animals. We’re not quite there yet, but I’m committed to making it happen.’
The hedge is coming back
One of the first visible changes in the garden will be the return of the hedge. ‘Hedges are part of our landscape heritage. In the Middle Ages, every courtyard had its own hedge, just like the orchard I grew up with. Many of those hedgerows have disappeared. I want to bring that back along the path by the Witte Singel. We plan to plant a traditional, low woven hedge using native species from all twelve provinces. For South Holland, that means plants like the Apothecary’s Rose and Buckthorn.’
The idea is to create a long, green ribbon that shows how a hedge can function as a mini-ecosystem, with different flowers or berries each month – attracting butterflies, wild bees, birds and many other animals.’
A whirlwind start
Gravendeel describes her first few months in the role as ‘overwhelming’. To unwind, she turns to a hobby that has nothing to do with plants: she plays double bass in two sinfoniettas, one in Voorschoten and one in Leiden. ‘It helps me clear my head – and it’s also nice to run into people at the market who don’t know me from work.’
The number of responses she received to her appointment was also overwhelming. ‘I’m a real networker, maybe that’s why? I write blogs for stadsplanten.nl, work on the city’s second green ring, and I’m on the board of the Floron Foundation. Through those networks, I heard from a lot of people that this role really suits me.’
But Gravendeel remains modest. ‘First things first – time to get to work. My inaugural lecture is next year, and if by then I’ve already achieved a few of my goals, I might just dare to say out loud that this really is the perfect job for me.’
About Barbara Gravendeel
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Studied Biology in Utrecht
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Earned her PhD in Leiden
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Spent 8 years as a lecturer at Leiden University of Applied Sciences
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Has held a special professorship in Plant Evolution at Radboud University since 2019
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Leads the Evolutionary Ecology group at Naturalis