On Friday, May 6, our group visited the Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra, where we were shown the “Growing Friends” propagation area where plants sourced from the collection are grown for sales each spring and autumn.
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We then divided into groups for a stroll through the older displays of Myrtaceae and Proteaceae and on to the Sydney Region Gully. This natural gully is a haven for birds and a delightful ecological display.
The Red Centre Garden has striking red sand and landscape design representing ecosystems from desert plains to rocky escarpments. After lunch we continued through the rock garden, the gymnosperm plantings and the amazing rainforest gully.
The following day we met our guide, Anna, at the National Arboretum for our viewing of Forest 20, the Southern Tablelands Ecosystem Park. We also walked through the Quercus engelmannii (evergreen oak) forest, a rare species of North American oak classified as vulnerable. Unfortunately the neighbouring forest of Acacia caerulescens (Buchan blue), also a threatened species from a small area in Gippsland was doing poorly with many trees dead (possibly water issues).
Our next meeting will be on Saturday, June 4 - a gardening Q&A session at the home of Jenny and Pete John at Narooma at 10.30am. Inquiries 4476 3576.
