By Felicity Skoberne
Urban greening through planting trees in public spaces can often be challenging and draw a wide range of responses from the community. Wollongong City Council recently refreshed their urban greening approaches by engaging with the community to construct rapid growth forests.… Continue reading
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By Zoe Knapp and Amelia Stevens
The Rare Bloom Project™ is a three-year program delivered through a partnership between Botanica by Air Wick and the World Wide Fund for Nature Australia (WWF) in collaboration with the Australian Seed Bank Partnership (ASBP). It aims to improve conservation outcomes for 120 Australian native wildflowers from fire-affected areas through seed banking, germination research and restoration.… Continue reading
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By Stuart Elder
Yeppen Yeppen (now known as the Yeppen Lagoon) is located at the gateway to Rockhampton City, Central Queensland on Darumbal Country. Situated on the Fitzroy River floodplain, the Lagoon links directly to the Great Barrier Reef catchment. Recognised as Rockhampton’s first town water supply in 1861, the Lagoon continues to play a key role in our community today, providing a picturesque backdrop for a popular walking, running, cycling, fishing and birdwatching area.… Continue reading
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By Dale Arvidsson and Perry Naumann
All images supplied by Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha
Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha is Queensland’s premier subtropical botanic gardens and features a variety of spectacular living collections. Many of these themed displays feature categories ranging from geographic to climatic, and conservation to amenity horticulture, which are both educational and inspirational for the Garden’s million-plus visitors annually.… Continue reading
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By Trent Loane and Mitchell Burns
The Australian Garden is an inspiring and immersive display of Australian flora, landscapes, art, and architecture. The garden places a focus on sustainable horticultural practices and the conservation of south-east Australian flora. Set across 15ha, the Australian Garden follows a metaphorical journey of water from the arid inland landscapes of central Australia, along dry riverbeds and down mighty rivers, to the coastal fringes of the continent.… Continue reading
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By Barbara Wheeler
Achieving excellence in growing and cultivating plants and gardens is an intrinsic part of each of our organisations, whether big or small. The technical aspects of good horticultural practice and horticultural excellence are intimately understood by experienced staff in our businesses, and frequently passed on verbally to newcomers.… Continue reading
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By James A. R. Clugston and Scott Yates
Cycads are a charismatic group of plants with a lineage that dates back more than 250 million years. With around 370 currently recognised species in 10 genera split between two families (Cycadaceae and Zamiaceae), they are diverse and have a strong pantropical distribution.… Continue reading
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By Dr Leonie J. Scriven
Water is a precious resource and vital to any successful horticultural venture. The Adelaide Botanic Garden had the vision and opportunity to diversify its potential water sources used to irrigate its living collection. Through the creation and development of a managed aquifer storage and recovery system, the botanic gardens can now use groundwater to irrigate the botanic gardens and has, in addition, created a wetland habitat used for teaching and horticultural training.… Continue reading
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Words and images supplied By John Fitzsimmons
Botanic gardens are museums of living plants where botanists and horticulturists work together. Understandably, many of the world’s oldest and most respected botanic gardens began in association with places of learning – universities, churches, and under the patronage of wealthy benefactors.… Continue reading
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By Chelsea Payne
Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB) has emerged as a significant tree pest in Perth, Western Australia, and presents a threat to Australia’s incredible native flora, and our thriving horticulture and agriculture industries.
Described as the ‘perfect invader,’ the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer beetle Euwallaceae fornicatus tunnels into living host trees and shrubs creating extensive galleries within structural stems.… Continue reading
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By Michael Elgey
In 2019 the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan (ABGMA) secured NSW State Government grant funding as part of the Greening Our City initiative. Our successful proposal was to plant 22,500 native trees and return a canopy that was unfortunately cleared during European colonisation.… Continue reading
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By Maraika vanWessem
To the public, our botanic gardens are places of solace, learning and socialising. But what about the bigger picture? More than two thirds of our global population will be living in cities by 2050, yet the trees that shade and make those cities liveable are under increasing threat.… Continue reading
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By Tristan O’Hara
For many years, the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney (RBG) has been working towards providing a high-quality, organic, display Rose Garden under challenging circumstances.
Upfront, I am a general horticulturist, not an expert rosarian and have been entrusted with managing the RBG’s Rose Garden.… Continue reading
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By Zoe Knapp
Managing plant pests and weeds is an important component of curating any botanic garden. Like many botanic gardens, the Australian National Botanic Gardens applies an Integrated Pest Management approach to minimise herbicide and pesticide use on site.
In recent years, increased rainfall and milder climate conditions, combined with pandemic restrictions and reduced on-site staffing, have increased our need for creative solutions to pest and weed management.… Continue reading
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By Matt Coulter
As the state’s floral emblem, Swainsona formosa,the Sturt’s Desert Pea is an important species for the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Australia to showcase in our collections.
Swainsona formosa, the Sturt’s Desert Pea, was one of the first plants of Australia to be collected by European explorers.… Continue reading
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By Stuart Elder
In my first days as Curator at Rockhampton Botanic Garden last September, I was struck with a very welcoming and familiar sight dressed in bright pink shirts, the Friends of the Botanic Gardens!
Having worked for many years in various roles for The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, I was very familiar with the various programs that were run under the Foundation and Friends Inc.… Continue reading
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By Dale Arvidsson
Brisbane’s enviable subtropical climate allows gardeners and landscapers the opportunity to successfully grow an extremely wide variety of flora that originates from tropical, subtropical, and even temperate climates around the globe.
Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha is Queensland’s premier subtropical botanic gardens and features a variety of spectacular living collections.… Continue reading
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By Karen Smith
Over one million plant specimens valued at $280 million have now moved to the National Herbarium of NSW at Mount Annan Botanical Gardens after almost 170 years at the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney.
Recent extreme weather events have really focused attention on how frail the environment has become.… Continue reading
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By Digby Growns
All images are supplied by Kings Park and Botanic Gardens
Ground-breaking plant hybridisation research at Kings Park and Botanic Gardens in Perth, Western Australia, has produced a range of novel-coloured kangaroo paws including the first blue cultivar, ‘Masquerade’.… Continue reading
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By Daniella Pasqualini
The Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan (ABGMA) is home to some impressive facilities including the recently relocated National Herbarium of NSW and the PlantBank, our state-of the art seed storage facility. Behind these special buildings lies a humbler but just as important set of structures, the nursery, where horticulture meets science.… Continue reading
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