Ben welcomed Lynsey Poore, a volunteer guide and President of the Friends of the Botanic Gardens. Lynsey explained that Melbourne’s 38-hectare Botanic Garden is among the top five in the world for its English picturesque landscape style and has recently celebrated the 175th birthday. The garden heroes since its inception have been Governor La Trobe who chose the present site, Von Mueller, a botanist and director from 1857, who introduced many of the exotic plantings and William Guilfoyle, a horticulturist and the second director for some 40 years who changed the plantings, opened up long views and created the curving paths.
The plants are displayed throughout the garden in collections such as the oak, fern, herb, camelliaand rain forest plantings. Recently developed additions have been Guilfoyle’s volcano, a Sensory Garden and the magical Children’s Garden. The National Herbariumundertakes botanical and scientific research and there is a dedicated area for the protection of 400 rare/threatened native species. In La Trobe’s words: “A veritable garden of Eden.”
Ben thanked Lynsey for such an informative and interesting talk and the raffle prize of a potted bromeliadwas won by Jenny Trevitt.
