With our current weather, it might not feel like it, but we’re almost at the end of the year! We’re making sure the Gardens are looking beautiful for Carols by Candlelight (which are on December 13 at the LEAF). As far as I know I don’t have to do anything - no one has said anything about me having to turn up as Santa yet!
It’s been such a slow boil spring, and water has been constant for us. It’s taken a while to get some heat in the ground, so things are taking their time to get going, but we’re finally starting to see it now.
Garden for Life is looking extremely flashy at the moment, and the Climate Matched Garden is popping, but most of our other Living Collections still seem to be right on the edge of bursting.
It’s not quite there yet, but the soft grasses, strappy foliage and bright pops of colour of the Summer Walk will definitely be the Gardens’ highlight over the next few months. My other favourite space at the moment is the Elm Forest. Now it’s fully in leaf, it’s become cooler and enclosed, like a room. The background noise drops away as you walk in, and all the bird and insect noise amplifies – it’s surreal.
It will be interesting to see the Bill Cane Collection once it really kicks off, and the roses in our Sensory Garden are standouts –particularly the David Austins. We’ve already trimmed a few and undertaken some deadheading, but we’ve got some rogues we’ll need to take out after they’ve sported back to their original root stock.
During summer, our number one priority will be ensuring we keep water up to things, particularly for our new plantings like Bill Cane. We still haven’t needed to start watering yet, but we’re almost at the point where we could have a sprinkle every now and then. As soon as we get a run of half decent hot weather, I’m sure I’ll have a few early starts to get the irrigation going. We’ll have a skeleton crew on over Christmas to just to make sure we keep water up to things.
Keeping the weeds down is another priority for us. The weeds are enjoying the wet weather as much as our plants, and haven’t changed over just yet - they’re still quite wintery. Our turf is also going off – we’re mowing every week to keep that at a reasonable length.
As well as our normal summer routine of watering, weeding and mowing, we’ve got a few special projects going on around the place. The Friends and I are planting out the rendered garden next to Bill Cane with some herbs and some natives during our last session of the year. As well as the Friends, I’ve had plenty of help from TJ and Oliver around the traps. Oliver’s been extremely helpful during his work experience with us, and is definitely good at what he does.
We’re also organising some tree work to round out the year. I’d like to do a general pruning, inspection and clean up, which we haven’t been able to because it’s been too wet. There’s a safety aspect that goes with that, but also the trees will be able to experience some rejuvenation.
We’ve also got some contractors working away on various projects – please be patient while they complete their works. Our new gates are looking great - the railing matches the front fencing, and the brick pillars are similar to our Guthridge Street entrances, which replicated the chimneys on the original caretaker’s cottage. Some of our gravel paths are being upgraded, and we’ve upgraded our Montgomery Street entrance with a small steel edging garden bed, planted up with Lomandra Lime Tuff. The arbour near the playground has had some new seating installed, ready to be repainted and planted up with some Wisteria.
We have so many birds and wildlife at the moment! We’re spotting plenty of regulars, and are loving our fledgling swamphens, King Parrots and even Pelicans around the place. TJ even spotted a Rosella the other day, which we don’t see too often. We made a new little mate a few weeks ago – an echidna pottering around near the Elm Forest!
Just as our other wildlife is being active, we’ve also spotted a few snakes – which is normal this time of year. My advice is to keep an eye out if you’re out lapping the lake, and always have your dog on a leash through the Gardens. They’re in their natural habitat so just don’t bother them and they won’t bother you.
After nearly a year working as Curator, I hope all our Friends volunteers, contractors, Council Parks staff and visitors to the Gardens have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and I look forward to welcoming everyone to the best regional Botanic Gardens in the state in the New Year!