Gold Coast Regional Botanical Gardens

[Daryl]

Two ratpackers (newcal and myself) got invited along to a preview of the newly established Gold Coast Botanical Gardens this morning. We went as representatives of PACSOA, who were invited along with other plant societies and all of the curators and representatives from Australia's major botanical gardens. We had a little speech by our Mayor, former olympic runner Ron Clarke, then had a nice feed (always good to get a free feed!) before touring all of the newly planted and semi-established areas of the gardens.

Here's a few photos from our tour. There aren't too many palms yet, and there is an emphasis on indigenous species, so it is not a really 'palmy' garden. However, they do have a few nice palms, both native and exotic. Looking at their future plans, they have reserved space for the 'world subtropical plants' section, and I hope they plant some more exotic species there. We are hoping to get a bit more involved and hopefully help out with plant selection...

The site is a low lying area next to the Nerang River, and has been drained by creating some lakes and billabongs.

[Daryl]

There are a few established trees such as this Swamp Cypress

Young Harpullias create a little shade for the newly paved areas.

There was a pre-existing stand of Bunya Pines (Araucaria bidwilli)

They had some more dryland species too such as this Bottle Tree (Brachychiton rupestris)

Some of the pre-existing vegetation was quite shady...this will become home to more rainforest species.

Here is the curator of Mt Coot-tha Bot Gdns, Ross McKinnon, planting a new tree, part of a new rainforest tree avenue.

[Daryl]

Site of the proposed subtropical garden..plenty of scope for improvement!

And more open space asking for plants...

At least the neighbours have the right idea...typical Gold Coast gardens...

And more...

What grows better here? Coconuts or Queens?

Livistona nitida is a popular tree for street and park planting here.

[Daryl]

Here's some Royals growing in a boggy patch..just what they like.

Here's a multi headed Livistona chinensis

Well, that's it for now. Hopefully the gardens will develop over the coming years and more palms will be planted there.

Daryl

[Walter John]

Very exciting prospects there Daryl. Is that the same Ron Clarke (Gold Coast mayor) that held every athletic WORLD record over 5000 metres back in the 60s ?

[Daryl]

Hi Wal, yep, the same person...although today he was hobbling around pretty bad and babbling on...LOL! :P I guess he isn't getting any younger!

Daryl

[ariscott]

Cool... blank canvas... a bit like mine. How much input do you think PASCOA will have on the garden, Daryl? It will be nice to have some collection there too.

Regards, Ari

[simona]

Praised be your government & all those involved in creating & mantaining public gardens.

[Daryl]

Cool... blank canvas... a bit like mine. How much input do you think PASCOA will have on the garden, Daryl? It will be nice to have some collection there too.

Regards, Ari

Ari, I'm not sure at this stage. At least we were invited..that's a start!

Daryl

[Daryl]

Praised be your government & all those involved in creating & mantaining public gardens.

Hi Simona,

We are lucky that our local laws ensure that we set aside a certain percentage of developed land for parks and green space. Our Mayor was bragging that the Gold Coast has twice the 'park area' in use compared to Brisbane, yet only one third of the population.

regards,

Daryl

[simona]

Yeah, you are a lucky folk!

& it's not only the developed land.....think of all that budget thy need to create paradise.

[ariscott]

Gold Coast is rich!! Well, richer than most, anyway. I hope you have a good curator. I think it makes a HUGE difference who the curator is.

Regards, Ari

[Walter John]

Anything get planted Spring/Summer there Daryl do you know ?

[bubba]

You folks in Austalia have it great. It always looks just about perfect.Thanks for the shots!

[Walter John]

You folks in Austalia have it great. It always looks just about perfect.Thanks for the shots!

Hi Bubba, the number if times I've seen people from OS get it wrong here is too many times to count, We show some palm pics of South East Queensland and along the coast to Cairns then over to Ari in Darwin and that becomes the impression, we are a tropical paradise (nothing personal bubba, just making a comment). The real aussie story is that the majority of Australia is covered in desert, hot unforgiving sands of time complete with wild camels and not forgetting that a third of the country is in cool temperate regions with point zero zero zero two percentage battle hard palm growers like the Tassie devils in there for all their worth giving it to us, praise to you guys on the apple isle. I think you get my drift that I and a few others are rather lucky.