Latest news with #RoyalBotanicGardensVictoria
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
‘Plants of utility' still making presence felt
Cupressus macrocarpa 'Coneybearii' at the Dunedin Botanic Garden. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH In the late 1860s - when still under the management of the Otago provincial government, it was decided to move the Dunedin Botanic Garden because of severe flooding of its old site. The garden was moved northwards on to the grounds of the Otago Acclimatisation Society, which had been used to trial the introduction of new species. The new site already had some plantings present, and some plants were able to be moved from the old site, including one of two oak trees planted by superintendent John Hyde Harris commemorating a royal marriage. Although some plants could be moved it was felt that more roses and ornamental plants were needed to shape the garden. Contact was made with the government of Victoria in Australia and a response was made by government botanist and first director of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Baron Ferdinand von Mueller. He sent ''plants of utility'', including walnuts and cypresses, to Dunedin, and commented that flowering plants were the business of nurseries. This time coincided with broader changes in Dunedin. The garden's relocation freed its original Leith-side site to be occupied by the expanding University of Otago, which moved from the Exchange in the 1870s. The acclimatisation society continued operations from Ōpoho, including a fish hatchery. The end of provincial government soon followed, with the shift to a centralised national government. These overlapping changes signalled a rapidly developing city - where education, public space and scientific institutions were beginning to take lasting form. Today, the royal oak is the best-known survivor of this time, but there are walnuts close to the old Great King St main entrance and the unusual yellow-topped Cupressus macrocarpa 'Coneybearii' at the Opoho entrance - could these be trees from von Mueller in Victoria? - Tom Myers is the botanical services officer at the Dunedin Botanic Garden.
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
‘Plants of utility' still making presence felt many years on
Cupressus macrocarpa 'Coneybearii' at the Dunedin Botanic Garden. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH In the late 1860s — when still under the management of the Otago provincial government, it was decided to move the Dunedin Botanic Garden because of severe flooding of its old site. The garden was moved northwards on to the grounds of the Otago Acclimatisation Society, which had been used to trial the introduction of new species. The new site already had some plantings present, and some plants were able to be moved from the old site, including one of two oak trees planted by superintendent John Hyde Harris commemorating a royal marriage. Although some plants could be moved it was felt that more roses and ornamental plants were needed to shape the garden. Contact was made with the government of Victoria in Australia and a response was made by government botanist and first director of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Baron Ferdinand von Mueller. He sent ''plants of utility'', including walnuts and cypresses, to Dunedin, and commented that flowering plants were the business of nurseries. This time coincided with broader changes in Dunedin. The garden's relocation freed its original Leith-side site to be occupied by the expanding University of Otago, which moved from the Exchange in the 1870s. The acclimatisation society continued operations from Ōpoho, including a fish hatchery. The end of provincial government soon followed, with the shift to a centralised national government. These overlapping changes signalled a rapidly developing city — where education, public space and scientific institutions were beginning to take lasting form. Today, the royal oak is the best-known survivor of this time, but there are walnuts close to the old Great King St main entrance and the unusual yellow-topped Cupressus macrocarpa 'Coneybearii' at the Opoho entrance — could these be trees from von Mueller in Victoria? — Tom Myers is the botanical services officer at the Dunedin Botanic Garden.
West Australian
17-07-2025
- West Australian
Sabrina Hahn: Travel tours visit stunning gardens in Tasmania and New Zealand
There is nothing more exciting for gardeners than travelling to different parts of the world to explore various gardens. Garden tours provide access to extraordinarily beautiful landscapes, including private gardens that are not open to the general public. In a world that feels like it is in turmoil, travellers are looking for experiences closer to home. Having led garden tours to New Zealand and Tasmania, I can honestly say that the gardens we visited are on a par with many overseas. Gardens reflect the broader landscape, giving insights into the culture and history of the places you visit. Gardens are always an integral part of human endeavour and therefore an essential part of a nation's fabric. Natural Landscapes and Gardens of New Zealand's South Island November 14-30, 2025 This is led by Professor Tim Entwisle, former director and chief executive of Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria . I led this tour previously and can categorically say it is among the very best in the world. The tour includes public and private gardens and spectacular natural landscapes on New Zealand's South Island. You will get to spend two magical nights at the Lake Moeraki Wilderness Lodge, in the heart of Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Area, where experts take you through rainforests to view glow-worms, Morepork owls, fur seals and Fiordland crested penguins. Other highlights include the Fiordland National Park encompassing mountain, lake, fiord and rainforests, and a cruise of Milford Sound — it will take your breath away. The Catlins trip follows spectacular coastal scenery, rainforests, and on the Otago Peninsula you will visit the only mainland breeding colony of Royal Albatross in the world. Tasmania: Art, Spring Gardens, Cradle Mountain & Freycinet National Park November 16-26, 2025 I am leading this tour with botanical artist Craig Lidgerwood in 2025 and 2026 that explores the gardens, agricultural landscapes, and natural scenery of Tasmania during spring, when the roses and peonies are blooming and the landscape is lush and green. If you love peonies this is the tour for you because we visit a commercial peony farm. Tasmania is an island of contrasts, with gardens that differ to reflect the challenges of each area. A combination of cold climate gardens with mountains on the horizon to rugged seaside gardens perched above sea cliffs in extreme weather. Staying at Freycinet and Cradle Mountain-Lake Sinclair National Park immerses you in the diversity and raw beauty of Tasmania. For more information on these tours, visit or call (03) 9822 6899. Always check the fitness level required for any tour to ensure you get the most out of your experience and can participate in all activities. 1. Parsley will have grown well with the cooler weather and winter rains, so harvest regularly to continually produce new leaves. 2. Prune back pentas plants that have finished their winter flush. They will flower again in spring. 3. Test the pH of compost before putting in the garden.
Time Out
28-05-2025
- Time Out
Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne named on top ten best gardens global list
From our award-winning Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria to the majestic Carlton Gardens, Melbourne is blessed with an abundance of lush, leafy escapes – but now, there's officially another garden a hop, skip and short drive away: the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne. Recently named sixth among the world's must-see gardens by The New York Times, Cranbourne has been deemed as a botanical wonderland worth travelling across continents for. Boasting an array of more than 100,000 plants, this attraction is located just 50 kilometres southeast of Melbourne's CBD, so it's definitely worth the short trip! It's the native sibling to Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, and is the largest garden devoted exclusively to Australian plants. Completed in 2012, this sanctuary is a marvel of contemporary landscape design, spanning a 60-acre site that was once used as a sand quarry. Photograph: David Mitchener At the beating heart of Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne is the Australian Garden, a striking composition of ponds, walkways, and artistic installations that highlights our country's flora. The Red Sand Garden – with its mesmerising circular patterns of saltbush and Edwina Kearney and Mark Stoner's 'Ephemeral Lake' ceramic installation – is also a standout. Just steps away, there is also the Peppermint Garden, brimming with fragrant pinnate goodenia and the rare, endangered shrub Ziera adenophora. And let's not forget the Weird and Wonderful Garden, which lives up to its namesake, boasting quirky plants such as the bottle-shaped Queensland bottle tree and the intriguingly tangled leafless rock wattle. Surrounding the manicured areas is also an impressive expanse of more than 800 acres of preserved bushland, crisscrossed by six miles of walking trails. Visitors may spot kangaroos, bandicoots, and even koalas – it's a sanctuary for both flora and fauna alike. Earning acclaim from global experts for its artistic innovation and ecological sensitivity, Cranbourne has firmly established itself on the international map of must-see gardens. If you're a horticultural enthusiast, Melbourne has plenty of green hidden gems to explore. Check out this list of the best secret gardens and discover these dreamy pockets of nature. These are the top ten gardens in the world: Sissinghurst Castle Garden in Cranbrook, England Great Dixter House & Gardens in Northiam, England Giardino di Ninfa in Cisterna di Latina, Italy Jacques Wirtz in Schoten, Belgium Saihoji Kokedera Temple and Moss Garden, Kyoto, Japan Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne in Cranbourne, Australia Royal Botanic Garden Sydney in Sydney, Australia The High Line in New York City Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Newlands, Cape Town Miller House and Garden in Columbus, Indiana Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED:
The Age
13-05-2025
- The Age
Mushroom expert recorded sighting of death caps in months before fatal lunch, trial told
A Melbourne fungi expert has told a jury he posted a photo of poisonous death cap mushrooms on a publicly accessible website two months before a fatal beef Wellington lunch was served. Mycologist Tom May, the principal research scientist at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, told a Supreme Court jury in Morwell that more than 100 species of death caps had been formally identified across Australia, and photos of the poisonous mushrooms were posted on the iNaturalist website by members of the public. May said that on May 21, 2023, he was walking in the Gippsland town of Outtrim when he saw death cap mushrooms, and later posted his images on the iNaturalist website under the username 'Funkeytom'. May said he was giving a presentation about fungi to a local group at the time, and he later posted the photos of the death caps with a precise geocode location. 'I went for a walk and saw these, as I do from time to time,' May said in court on Tuesday. 'I put the iNaturalist record in.' May was giving evidence in the trial of accused killer Erin Patterson, who is accused of murdering her parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, by serving them poisonous mushrooms in a beef Wellington lunch served at her Leongatha home on July 29, 2023. The Pattersons and Heather Wilkinson died in the days after the meal from the effects of mushroom poisoning. Heather's husband, Ian, who also ate the beef Wellington, survived after weeks in hospital. Erin Patterson has pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one of attempted murder. Her lawyers have said the deaths were a terrible accident. In his evidence, May said death cap mushrooms attach themselves to the roots of living trees – mainly oaks in Australia – to take nutrients to grow during select parts of the year. They don't last more than a few weeks, though, he said, as they rot quickly.
