Gardening Australia presenter opens Botanic Gardens feature

ABC TV Gardening Australia presenter Jennie Churchill will open an impressive new feature at the Australian National Botanic Gardens on Sunday 27 October, at 1.00pm.

One of the Gardens’ most popular features, the Rock Garden, has been extensively redeveloped with the assistance of the Friends of the Australian National Botanic Gardens.

The new extension is dominated by spectacular grass trees, Xanthorrhea johnsonii, and a fascinating range of Western Australian wildflowers. Different forms of Mulga, Acacia aneura, have also been planted to display their various leaf sizes, shapes and colours.

"More than 1300 plants have been used, representing 360 species" said Mr Robin Nielsen, Director of the Australian National Botanic Gardens. "The open, sunny and free draining site is ideal for these medium sized desert shrubs, and they will benefit from the shelter provided by the rocks and larger plants as well as the deeper pockets of soil mix found around the rocks."

Large rocks of Black Mountain sandstone were used in the retaining wall, and large granite boulders, from Harcourt Hill, have been placed to drift into the lawn area. The existing Rock Garden was constructed in 1980, using boulders removed during the construction of the Tuggeranong Parkway.

A new path has been constructed to allow a close up view of the smaller plantings, and also provide wheelchair access into most of the Rock Garden from the Main Path. A number of benches along the length of this gracefully curving path provide long distance views to the city.

Contact: Paul Ziesing

paul.ziesing@deh.gov.au

25 October 2002