The Royal Botanic Garden – where greenery is a lifestyle
Article by Pushpitha Wijesinghe
This well known Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne offers an interesting mix of authentic as well as non local fauna varieties for visitors who have a few extra hours to wonder past. The garden is home to over thousands of species of flowers.
The many species of plants that visitors will see were brought to the gardens during the 1800’s. And a lesser known fact about the place is that it was from the Royal Botanic Gardens that a variety of species were taken and replanted in other parts of Australia. Seeds also passed hands between Botanists in Europe that traded with them in the 1800’s
A quiet stroll at the gardens in the evening after an exciting day in the city would be ideal as it is near Melbourne’s centre, on the banks of the Yarra River. The different species of plants are stretched across over 363 hectares.
Ever since the beginning of the Royal Botanic Gardens in 1846, most of its local plants have been removed since many botanists introduced a wide variety of foreign species of plants.
A division of the Royal Gardens in Melbourne could be found in at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Cranbourne. At Cranbourne the gardens have been sectioned off according to their floras which are as varied as they are eye catching. The gardens include the Red Sand Garden, Dry River Bed, Eucalypt Walk, Arid Garden and other exhibition gardens.
Tourists will not be able to mistake the Red Sand Garden laid out in its rich red and golden hues of earth that make it quite colourful. The slopes in the lower parts of the garden are covered by Kunzer pomifera or known to the Aboriginal community as ‘muntries’ – considered as a fruit by this traditional community.
The sandy hills of the Red Sand Garden are heavily planted with Spinifex sericeus and Acacia binervia – a species of plant that is often used to retain the soils’ nutrients on rugged dry slopes.The centre of the garden features species such as the Albany Daisy, Kangaroo-paw, Pincushions and Pineapple Bush. While the more drier regions feature the prickly variety of plants like the Honey-myrtle, Bitter- pea, paperbark, Hakea, Needlewood and dogwood among the more popular species.Much of Australia’s core landscape is typical of large river networks that lie close to the surface of the land. The institution has created a similar environment at the Dry River Bed Garden which aims to further the understanding of how water ways often contribute towards creating the country’s seasonal river beds. And similarly, plants at make shift river beds have been grown in bars of sand in curved shapes along the edge of the river bed. These curved shapes make up the eye catching patterns set out in the Dry River Bed GardenA highlight of the Royal Botanic Garden is the children’s garden by the Ian Potter Foundation which is located in South Yarra a little away from the main entrance. The track that runs through the area known as the Tan was originally used as a track for horses but today many joggers use it as a running path.After a refreshing stroll among the lush greenery of the Royal Botanic Garden, what would be ideal is some pampering at one of the hotels in Melbourne. Among the many facilities and services offered at hotels Melbourne, the Langham Hotel Melbourne has one of the best and widest ranges on offer.
About the Author
Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.
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