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1. Avenue of palm trees 2. View across lake 3. Close of water-lillies 4. Giant Java Almond trees 5. Palm trees 6. Mahaweli Ganga, river which runs around gardens 7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr Siril Wijesundara, Director General,Department of National Botanic Gardens : "Peradeniya is the oldest botanic gardens in Sri Lanka, at the moment its the largest botanical garden as well. It was started in 1821 by the British for the introduction of economically important crops to Sri Lanka. Tea, rubber, and most of the other economic crops came to Sri Lanka through Peradeniya Gardens. And it also conducted a lot of research in agriculture prior to 1912. And in 1912 the Department of Agriculture was born in Peradeniya Gardens, and that was the turning-point in Sri Lankan agriculture." 8. Entrance to Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya 9. Entrance gate 10. Information notice for visitors 11. Woman sweeping by gate 12. Man watering plants at garden entrance 13. Workers arriving at gardens 14. Various of gardeners 15. Various of information board showing map of gardens 16. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lal Jayavatne, Director of Development, Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya : "The history of this land goes back to the fourteenth century. Since 1371 this land had been maintained as a palace garden of ancient Sri Lankan kings. But in 1821this land was developed into botanical gardens by the British government." 17. Tilt down Giant Java Almond tree 18. Sign reading: Giant Java Almond Trees 19. Various, palm trees 20. Pan across lawn grass collection 21. Close shot, grass 22. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lal Jayavatne, Director of Development, Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya "We have a very close relationship between these gardens and the Kew Gardens in UK. And we exchange information, and especially in plant identification. And most of the plants in Sri Lanka, almost all plants in Sri Lanka are already identified and they are chemically treated and preserved in our herbarium. And if we see any doubt about plant information or plant identification, we get information through the Kew Gardens in England." 23. Exterior of Orchid House 24. People looking at orchids 25. Various of orchids 26. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr Siril Wijesundara, Director General,Department of National Botanic Gardens : "We have got over four hundred different cultivated varieties of orchid. Most of these are developed here in our research laboratory, we conduct a lot of research on new hybrids, mutations and various things, and we also import plants from Malaysia, Thailand and other Asian countries as well. So it's a very popular attraction inside the gardens." 27. Tilt down Australian Tea Tree 28. Various of double-coconut palm 29. Giant Bamboo of Burma 30. Various, shoots of giant bamboo 31. Sign reading: Dendrocalamus Giganteus 32. People standing next to giant bamboo 33. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr. Siril Wijesundara, Director General, Department of National Botanic Gardens "Giant Bamboo, or Dendrocalamus Giganteus botanically, is supposed to be the largest bamboo, from Myanmar. And that's also the fastest growing plant on earth, according to the research. It grows about one foot a day, about thirty centimetres a day and its also a very important construction material, for various construction work it's used. And I think the sprouts, the young shoots, are also edible. And so it's a miracle plant." 34. Schoolchildren playing on lawn 35. Schoolchildren running across lawn with fig tree in background 36. Schoolchildren walking through gardens 37. Close shot, feet walking 38. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lal Jayavatne, Director of Development, Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya 39. View of lake with shrubs and trees LEAD IN: You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/dfde737e3e57b43c527f19e1c2c19971 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork