Big Trees, Begonias, Wombats, and The Baron’s Legacy.

A directional sign at wombat hill botanic gardens

A lesser-known masterpiece sits high on the hill overlooking picturesque Daylesford. A short day trip from Melbourne, Daylesford is home to Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens and the work of German-born, Baron Sir Ferdinand Von Mueller who was the Government Botanist in the 1860s. He established the 10.4-hectare garden at Wombat Hill. I guess he was experimenting after establishing the Royal Melbourne Botanical Gardens and responding to the call that all towns should have botanical gardens as the colony grew and the population started to move from the cities to the country. If only there was such a commitment to tree planting these days.

To create the garden at Wombat Hill, the native species were removed, pathways formed, and trees from Europe were introduced to the area, changing the landscape forever.

The rich volcanic soil was an ideal playground for tree planting and experimenting back then, when the Baron was introducing plant species from Europe to Australia.

https://www.lostmagazine.com.au/content/australians-baron-of-botany

Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens Image: Courtesy Discover Daylesford

The gardens today are a vibrant and thriving legacy…how does that old Greek proverb go…“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit.” Well nowhere is this more evident than witnessing the work of the baron some 165 years down the track. The tree collection is outstanding.

There is a stunning nursery that offers healthy rare and unusual plants for sale. The money raised from the sale of these plants that are nurtured and sold by volunteers assists in funding the running of the gardens.

The cute nursery where the volunteers nurture plants for sale
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Easy Summer Styling

Andrea stand smiling behind a bouquet of sunflowers in a glass vase

OK, so it’s hot out there but that doesn’t mean that you should abandon the garden for the couch and the cricket.

Frangipani blooming its head off in the heat of Summer

Here are five great suggestions to keep your garden looking fabulous all Summer long. Please do all of these jobs in the morning, we don’t want you or your plants wilting. Also, you don’t need to do everything all at once. slow down, it is Summer after all.

This year let’s start by mindfully gardening, you are not really in a hurry, are you? Let’s find joy in the flowers and the birds and the bees enjoying the space that you have created for them as well as for yourself.

Take your time, take it easy. Put some lovely music on while you garden and enjoy your beautiful space. Just a little task each day will give you the results you are chasing for a beautiful garden space.

Let’s be realistic, it’s the holidays and you do need to make time for other things like the beach, a spot of fishing, a stroll around the airconditioned shops, coffee with a friend, long brunches, or reading a book in the shade under a tree.

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