Environment & Sustainability Archives - Hort Journal Australia

Young Botanists label their own seed packets to begin their own seed collections at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (Image: RBGV)

Environment Environment & Sustainability

Young Botanist

07/07/2025 admin 84 Views 0 Comments

Bringing science and art together for a rich learning experience

Megan Hirst and Claire Mosley

Science, education and art can be integrated in numerous ways, and this has been demonstrated often with reference to teaching methods, curriculum, and school-based projects. Applying science and art to teaching requires a positive, supportive environment that assists schools by developing a rich learning experience as well as personalising a student’s experience through meaningful and engaging content. The… Continue reading

Queensland Bottle Tree taking pride of place in the newly renovated Arid Garden (Image: Michael Elgey)

Environment Environment & Sustainability

Australia’s iconic Bottle Trees and their enduring presence

07/07/2025 admin 124 Views 0 Comments #Tree, Botanic gardens, Garden Design, gardening, horticultural, horticultural industry, landscape, landscape design, Ornamental trees, Shade Trees

By Michael Elgey

The genus Brachychiton, part of the Malvaceae family, comprises around 30 species which are endemic to Australia and one species native to Papua New Guinea. These trees have become horticultural icons, admired for their distinctive forms, adaptability, and spectacular seasonal displays.… Continue reading

The green and inviting gardens at Tebet Eco Park, Jakarta (Image: Michael Casey)

Environment & Sustainability Greener communities

Greener communities, stronger economies:

12/06/2025 Michael Casey 129 Views 0 Comments #Tree, Botanic gardens, Garden Design, gardening, horticultural, horticultural industry, landscape, landscape design, Ornamental trees, Shade Trees

Unlocking the local economic benefits of green infrastructure

By Michael Casey

Green infrastructure and urban greening deliver a wide range of benefits. It cools our buildings and local environments, supports biodiversity, and helps manage stormwater during periods of heavy rainfall. While these environmental benefits are widely acknowledged, the economic advantages are often viewed narrowly, typically in terms of increased property values, higher building occupancy rates, and elevated sale prices.… Continue reading

Students enjoying the Celebration Day under the Raising Rarity banner (Image: Rebecca Robie)

Environment & Sustainability Sowing the Seeds

Raising Rarity: sowing the seeds of wonder

12/06/2025 admin 101 Views 0 Comments #Tree, Botanic gardens, Garden Design, gardening, horticultural, horticultural industry, landscape, landscape design, Ornamental trees, Shade Trees

By Dr. Megan Hirst

Seeds can be overlooked next to floral displays, but we can truly appreciate their hidden beauty under magnification. Seeds allow plants to move through space and time, and with this, a sense of wonder.

For some species, their seed has the amazing ability to lie dormant for tens to hundreds of years, providing insurance against the extinction of plants in the wild.… Continue reading

Environmental conditions will dictate the choice of plants (Image: Michael Casey)

Environment & Sustainability Green Walls

Designing for success

07/05/2025 Michael Casey 248 Views 0 Comments

Key considerations for thriving green walls

By Michael Casey

Vertical gardens have sometimes been described as “gardens on life support”, a label that often rings true when essential design considerations are overlooked before the installation. However, this doesn’t have to be the case.… Continue reading

A Baw-Baw Berry (Wittsteinia vacciniacea) plant vegetatively propagated testing conservation horticulture methods and now established in the Gondwana Garden, as an ex-situ Living Collection, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria – Cranbourne. (Image: S. Levy)

Conservation Environment & Sustainability

The high preservation value of conservation horticulture

07/05/2025 admin 296 Views 0 Comments #Tree, Botanic gardens, Garden Design, gardening, horticultural, horticultural industry, landscape, landscape design, Ornamental trees, Shade Trees

By Dr. Megan Hirst and Holden Sayers

Conservation Horticulture is an important discipline driven by botanic gardens working towards global strategies to address plant conservation, with an emphasis on ex-situ living plant collections of high preservation value. The role brings together the ecology of a species with horticultural techniques to successfully propagate and provide plant material for ex-situ living collections, reintroduction, or more broadly, cultivation.… Continue reading

“Grow Your Own” garden beds, such as this Smoothie bed, help visitors connect with where their food comes from with everyday plants they can grow at home (Image: Greg Meylan)

Environment Environment & Sustainability

Innovative ways to engage visitors through edible plants

09/04/2025 admin 264 Views 0 Comments #Tree, Botanic gardens, Garden Design, gardening, horticultural, horticultural industry, landscape, landscape design, Ornamental trees, Shade Trees

A menu of options on display

By Angela Anstis and Barbara Wheeler

Encourage. Hook. Seize. Influence. Encouraging or inspiring people to see plants, hooking them in, seizing their attention longer than just ‘click bait’, and influencing them to act beyond the garden gate is at the heart of most botanic gardens worldwide.… Continue reading

Environment Environment & Sustainability

Every smart drop counts

09/04/2025 admin 231 Views 0 Comments #Tree, Botanic gardens, Garden Design, gardening, horticultural, horticultural industry, landscape, landscape design, Ornamental trees, Shade Trees

By Chris Philpot

With Australian consumers becoming more aware of the environmental and ethical impacts of the products they buy, many manufacturers are keen to tap into this sentiment which is influencing buying decisions. There are dozens of eco, ethical and sustainable labels on the market, and shoppers can find it confusing.… Continue reading

A new project in Utrecht Netherlands. This façade and green roof project underwent stringent planning with the local fire regulators before approval (images supplied by Michael Casey)

Environment Environment & Sustainability

Urban and Bushfire Protection

05/02/2025 Michael Casey 236 Views 0 Comments #Tree, Botanic gardens, Garden Design, gardening, horticultural, horticultural industry, landscape, landscape design, Ornamental trees, Shade Trees

The role green roofs, walls, and facades play in fire-resilient cities

By Michael Casey

As climate change intensifies, bushfires are becoming more frequent and severe, posing significant threats to homes, communities, and ecosystems in fire-prone areas worldwide. The recent fires throughout Los Angeles are an example of how ferocious these fires can be both in a built-up urban area, and in the buildings and houses located in the more naturalised areas surrounded by trees and plant life.… Continue reading

A short 20-minute visit to a green space can significantly reduce stress levels, particularly in inner-city business districts (Image: Karen Smith)

Environment Environment & Sustainability

Green Spaces, the key to better mental health in urban living

15/12/2024 Michael Casey 299 Views 0 Comments #Tree, Botanic gardens, Garden Design, gardening, horticultural, horticultural industry, landscape, landscape design, Ornamental trees, Shade Trees

By Michael Casey

As another year draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the past twelve months and the unrelenting pressures of urban life which I’m sure we all have experienced. The toll on mental health is undeniable, yet a simple remedy lies in green spaces.… Continue reading

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