By Patrick Regnault
Horticultural pests and diseases are constantly evolving, and increasingly so in the face of anthropogenic climate change. This global phenomenon is also changing the natural range of pests and diseases. What might this mean for Australia, and what can we do about it as an industry?… Continue reading
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The Bruce building in Kensington, Melbourne offers a blend of interior and exterior plant life, providing multiple environmental benefits for people working there (Image: Evergreen Infrastructure)
By Michael Casey
Green infrastructure is reshaping schools in Australia and around the world. But its impact need not stop at the school gate. Could similar approaches improve our workplaces, making them healthier, more inviting spaces?… Continue reading
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The endangered Euphrasia lasianthera found growing in an open grassland in the Victorian Alps (Image: Alex McLachlan)
Alex McLachlan
Many Australian Euphrasia species face declining populations due to significant changes in climate, with rising temperatures in Australia’s alpine regions putting Euphrasia populations at high risk. Botanic gardens are actively working to conserve some of the rarest species, however much work remains before euphrasia can be considered truly safe from extinction.… Continue reading
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Young Botanists label their own seed packets to begin their own seed collections at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (Image: RBGV)
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
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Queensland Bottle Tree taking pride of place in the newly renovated Arid Garden (Image: Michael Elgey)
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
Read MoreBy 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
Read MoreBy 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
Read MoreBy 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
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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)
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
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“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)
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
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