The Gardens Magazine Summer 2021-22, Issue 131

SUMMER 2021–22 Issue 131 $9.95

WHAT A BUZZ THE GARDENS’ CICADAS BRING SUMMER TO LIFE

THE ART OF SCIENCE • SOLANDER • YEAR IN REVIEW • RESEARCH

Queensland Bottle Tree Brachychiton rupestris The last remaining specimen of the original plantings of this extraordinary Queensland tree is almost entirely lying on its side on the edge of Lawn 39, not far from the Choragic Monument. Other specimens, previously on Lawn 2 and Lawn 29, have both been removed due to age and decay. It is said to have been planted in 1846, grown from seed collected by Ludwig Leichhardt on his 1844-45 expedition in the Moreton Bay area of Queensland. There is strong evidence for this as seeds were given to the Herbarium at the Royal Botanic Gardens as well as to William Macarthur of Camden Park at this time. Most natural occurrences of Brachychiton rupestris are found in regions around the Tropic of Capricorn between the coast and the Great Dividing Range.

In its habitat, the water bottle trunk can reach a girth of more than seven metres and heights up to 15 metres. It is used as an impressive street tree in some south-central Queensland towns. Four young trees of this remarkable species have been planted recently in a new bed on Lawn 38.

Margaret Hanks 2

THE GARDENS SUMMER 2021–2022

Photos: Photo:©Alice RoyalBruyn, Botanic © Gardens Royal Botanic and Domain GardensTrust and Domain Trust

The Gardens’ Bottle Tree circa 1908

CONTENTS FEATURES 16 Recovery mode Fire ravaged

ecosystems remain vulnerable 18 Fine art An insight into the Gardens’ botanical illustrators 24 What a buzz It’s the cicada blitz

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GARDENS NEWS 6 Year in review A snapshot of FY 2021

9 Solander Win tickets to a

unique musical performance 22 Blue Mountains Botanic Garden A feast for the senses

IN EACH ISSUE 8 Books Reviews and the chance to win

10 Artefacts Unearthing treasures

from the Daniel Solander Library 12 Cutting edge What’s new in the world of botanical research?

14 First Person Meet Joshua Brown, Manager Aboriginal Strategy & Development 27 Plants Some tips on what to look out for this summer 30 What’s on Your guide to activities and events

On the co ver

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After growing beneath the soil for up to seven years, adult Masked Devil cicadas (Cyclochila australasiae) emerge on warm nights between September and November. They typically live for around six weeks.

THE GARDENS SUMMER 2021–2022

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NEWS

SUMMER UPDATE GIFTS ONLINE

NEW CURATOR JOINS MOUNT ANNAN

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THE GARDENS SUMMER 2021–2022

NYE CELEBRATION IS BACK

Foundation & Friends’ exclusive and ever-popular New Year’s Eve waterfront family picnic is back, with great-value member and member-guest tickets available.

Hosted on the Mare and Foal Lawn overlooking Farm Cove, the self-catered picnic-style event on Friday 31 December is perfect for all members of the family and runs from 5pm until 12.15am.

The event is enclosed in one of the few harbour-side locations where alcohol (BYO) is permitted.

Be quick to secure tickets as capacity is limited. Bookings are available from 1 November.

See full event details on page 30.

GREETINGS

Boston Ivy

by Angela Lober

Renowned Sydney artist Angela Lober has generously gifted the use of her artwork ‘Boston Ivy’ Parthenocissus tricuspidata for Foundation & Friends’ 2021 greeting cards.

The cards come in two styles, blank and ‘Season’s Greetings’, and are printed on a high-quality silk card with matching white envelopes.

They are available in packs of 10 from botanicgardensgallery.com.au or from Foundation & Friends’ reception.

Proceeds from the sale of these cards assist Foundation & Friends to continue supporting the horticulture, conservation, scientific research and education programs within the Botanic Gardens.

Photos: Craig Brokensha, © Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust

After more than three years away from the Gardens, Michael Elgey re-joined the fold in late August as the new Curator Manager at the Australian Botanic Garden.

Elgey was with the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney for eight years before he resigned as Horticultural Supervisor in 2018 and moved to Central Queensland to serve as Curator of Rockhampton Botanic Gardens and Kershaw Gardens.

Although Elgey enjoyed his Rockhampton role, as well as Queensland’s decidedly warmer climate, he says he had no intention of passing up a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to take the helm at the Australian Botanic Garden.

“From my time with the Gardens, I know it’s an organisation that puts people first and has development and innovation at the forefront of everything it does,” says Elgey.

“I’m also joining the Australian Botanic Garden at a particularly exciting time.

“For a start there is the organisational-wide Australian Institute of Botanical Science and the new National Herbarium of NSW moving out here, and around 17,000 plants are going into the landscape. Then there’s the Greening our City program, which will see 19,000 trees planted at the base of Mount Annan and surrounding areas once infested with African Olive. Already we’ve put in 5,000 and the rest will go in by the end of this financial year.

“This is very much a growth phase for the Garden.”

Elgey was the second person from the Gardens to be appointed curator at Rockhampton Botanic Gardens, and he has been replaced by another Gardens’ alumnus, Stuart Elder, who was most recently Supervisor Horticulture at the Australian Botanic Garden.

The Botanic Gardens Gallery is growing, with the addition of works from popular artists featured in past exhibitions.

As we head towards summer, the online range includes colourful tea towels, prints and Christmas decorations from Outer Island, hand-poured candles from Hunter Candles, and more.

The online store will feature an ever-changing range of products, so visit regularly to see the latest additions. Prices range from $15– $200.

Order at botanicgardensgallery.com.au

NEWS GARDENS SET TO UNVEIL RECONCILIATION PLAN

The Gardens will take its efforts to nurture strong connections with Aboriginal culture and communities to a new level in late November with the launch of its first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).

Pending final approval by Reconciliation Australia, the RAP will introduce a variety of new Indigenousrelated elements to the Gardens.

These include the creation of an Indigenous Seed Collector role, and the appointment of two Indigenous Youth Community Greening officers.

The broader strategy will also see First Nations’ languages introduced on plant signage across the Gardens and the development of a cultural awareness program for corporations.

Joshua Brown, Manager Aboriginal Strategy & Development, says that with the implementation of the RAP the Gardens will attain Reconciliation Australia’s ‘Innovate’ level.

“This phase will go for two years, following which we will build on these developments, with the aim of achieving Reconciliation Australia’s highest level, ‘Elevate’, within the next five years.

“The RAP really lays out our position on how we intend to continue supporting our local Aboriginal communities, including our First Nations Engagement strategy to ensure that every single visitor to our three sites leaves with a true connection to Aboriginal culture.”

AGM INVITATION

Members are warmly invited to attend Foundation & Friends 39th Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 30 November.

The AGM will start at 5.30pm in The Calyx, where members will be able to preview the soon-to-open Inside the Tide exhibition.

Members’ questions should be submitted to the Company Secretary by 25 November – email foundation.friends@ botanicgardens.nsw.gov.au

Mapping a swift decline

by Rachel Klyve

TRANSFORMATION RETURNS

After the online success of Transformation: Art in the Recycle in August, the innovative exhibition will return in December for an ‘inperson’ version at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney’s newly renovated Palm House and nearby Moore Room.

Curated by Robbie Macintosh and presented in partnership with TimeOut, Transformation aims to change perceptions of what qualifies as waste and bring attention to the intriguing and transformative world of eco-art.

The new show will feature exclusive pieces not previously exhibited, as well as a range of fascinating ‘reuse and recycle’ works by such artists as Ruth Downes, Sally Jackson and Jody Graham.

One of the artists featured is Newcastle-based paper sculptor Rachel Klyve, whose work Mapping a swift decline incorporates Swift Parrots crafted from old atlases.

“The Swift Parrot is one of only two migratory parrots in the world, breeding in old-growth Tasmanian forests in the summer, then traversing Bass Strait to winter in Victoria and NSW,” explains Klyve. “They follow

their internal maps to seek flowering eucalypts, which they rely on for nectar.

But humans have taken over vast swathes of the map and cut down the forests to make paper and other disposable products. The Swift Parrot is now critically endangered. As few as 1,000 birds survive.”

Transformation’s online exhibition, held earlier this year, generated more than $30,000 in sales and over 5,500 visits to its website. Popular purchases included: Tom Buckland’s paper birds, Rae Harvey’s scarves, and clutch-purses made from recycled leather by 9R design. Recycled glassware and 3D-printed vases from Upcycled Glassware were also snapped up quickly.

Works from all these artists will be available for sale at Transformation’s (physical) exhibition at the Royal Botanic Garden in December.

11 – 19 DECEMBER Palm House & Moore Room Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney 10am–4pm. Free entry Suitable for the whole family

The Foundation & Friends’ office will be closed from Friday 24 December, reopening on Monday 10 January 2022.

For Growing Friends Plant Sales, keep an eye out for the latest information in the Foundation & Friends enewsletter as we approach Christmas.

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NEWS

YEAR IN REVIEW FOUNDATION & FRIENDS CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE GARDENS IN FY 2021 DESPITE COVID-19 DISRUPTING KEY FUNDRAISING EVENTS. BELOW IS A SNAPSHOT OF KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS.

PEOPLE

3,212 MEMBERS

31%

VOLUNTEERS

341 320

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THE GARDENS SUMMER 2021–2022

FY20

$22,414

FROM THE CHAIR would like to start my reflections on the past year by first thanking our members, volunteers, donors and staff. It has been a challenging period for many of us, and without the commitment and passion of the Foundation & Friends family we would not have been able to achieve as much as we did. In particular, a big ‘thank you’ to our new CEO Pete Thomas, who, with the support of his team, has tirelessly and ably dealt with the many challenges our organisation has faced in these difficult times.

The most significant challenge was the impact of the global pandemic on our activities and income. With the cancellation of key events due to COVID-19, including our signature New Year’s Eve picnic, funds have been a lot tighter than usual. The Board was very active over the year supporting the organisation to carefully navigate this challenging financial situation.

Not only has Foundation & Friends remained in strong financial shape, together we continue to support your Gardens in many important ways. This

FY21

included a gift of $250,000 for the vital digitisation project, bringing our total commitment to $1 million. We have also funded many science and horticultural projects across the three Gardens.

I am pleased to say that over the past 12 months our relationship with the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust strengthened even further. This ensures as members and donors we will continue to have a key role in supporting the future work of the Gardens, including the recently established Australian Institute of Botanical Science.

To support the incredible and varied work of the Gardens we need to raise more funds. An important focus for Foundation & Friends in the coming years, supported by our newly established Development Committee, is to substantially grow our income from fundraising. The team is now working closely with the Trust to develop a joint strategy for our engagement with our many generous donors and funders that will provide an exciting roadmap to the future.

Ian Breedon

VOLUNTEER HOURS

INCOME

$170K

MEMBERSHIP FEES

23%

$288K EXHIBITIONS

41%

$260K

GROWING FRIENDS SALES

36%

$710K FUNDRAISING

37%

NEWS

SUPPORT

$476K CONTRIBUTED TO THE GARDENS

KEY PROJECTS

$250K Herbarium Digitisation

$60K Plant Pathology

EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

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EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

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FY20

633

PEOPLE TOOK PART IN WORKSHOPS, CLASSES, TALKS, WALKS AND DAY TRIPS

81%

$3.7M

TOTAL FUNDS HELD

FROM THE CEO

T

he past year was far from normal for all of us. It certainly drove Foundation & Friends to continually adapt and refocus as we navigated our way through the pandemic.

It was an interesting time to join this wonderful organisation as CEO, and I was consistently impressed by the grit and determination of our members, volunteers and staff as they worked to promote, support and protect your amazing Gardens.

To help us reduce our costs while events were put on hold, we operated with a leaner staff team and smaller operating model. This has not meant, however, less work. The moving of events, being COVID safe, working remotely and supporting our volunteers through uncertain times has stretched us. I would particularly like to thank our small team of staff and office volunteers for their incredible work through these difficult times.

A key part of Foundation & Friends’ work is to engage the public, and our volunteers again ran a wide range of events and activities. I started in the role at the same time as the Cultivate exhibition launched, which certainly set a high bar for our already well-regarded art events. Our other exhibition, Fungi x Botanica, was also a fantastic success, attracting large numbers of diverse

people fascinated by the world of fungi.

It was great to see queues forming to see the exhibition on the last weekend.

One area that continues to flourish is our Growing Friends Plant Sales. This unique offering is certainly building a strong customer base and I can only see a bright future at all three Gardens for our propagation and sales program.

A key event that we had to sadly cancel due to the pandemic was our exclusive members New Year’s Eve picnic. This is not only a key fundraiser for Foundation & Friends, but also a major source of new members. We have seen membership stabilise in 2021, and are developing exciting plans to again grow our community.

Foundation & Friends works with a wide range of sponsors, partner organisations and suppliers. Their support is often far beyond what was agreed, and the flexibility and assistance they have often provided through this challenging year has been incredible.

As we come out of lockdowns, the future for Foundation & Friends is bright. We touch on so many areas of the Gardens, and without our members, donors and volunteers, we would not have the stunning Botanic Gardens we have today. A huge thank you for all that you do for the Gardens.

Pete Thomas

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BOOKS

Dr Wiebke Finkler and Scott Davis Exisle Publishing RRP $45.00 This collection of stunning wildlife photography celebrates the charismatic creatures that serve as ambassadors for conservation campaigns around the world – from sea otters and penguins to polar bears and mountain gorillas.

The arresting images are the work of Scott Davis, a California-based marine biologist, expedition leader and professional photographer who has worked with National Geographic, the BBC and the celebrated television series Animal Planet. Accompanying his images are profiles of the iconic animals – among them our own kangaroos and koalas – by German filmmaker and science communicator Dr Wiebke Finkler, who currently lectures at Otago University on New Zealand’s South Island. As the title would suggest, despite the challenges facing many of the photogenic species featured, the authors embrace a determinedly positive outlook. This is reinforced through a series of Q&A interviews with the inspirational scientists, educators and environmentalists involved in a broad range of outstanding conservation projects – each of whom share their hopes for the future.

YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A BOOK

FLIGHT OF THE BUDGERIGAR

Dr Penny Olsen NLA Publishing RRP $49.99 This colourful history of one of Australia’s most iconic birds is as illuminating as it is entertaining.

Did you know, for instance, that after two live specimens were taken to London in the 1840s, the budgerigar bewitched high society – including Queen Victoria and Prince Albert – and quickly became one of Australia’s first mass exports? Ornithologist Dr Penny Olsen tells the little parrot’s fascinating story, from their role in the art, songlines and legends of the Warlpiri and Arrernte people, to their popularity as betrothal gifts in Japan and fortune tellers in Persia. She also relates how over the past 180 years, cage breeding has created in today’s domestic budgie, a creature as different from the free-living native budgerigar as “a chihuahua from a wolf”. Olsen – an Honorary Professor in Ecology, Evolution and Genetics at the Australian National University in Canberra – worked as a field biologist and ecological consultant before turning her hand to writing. She has now written more than 25 books on Australian natural history.

THE GOOD LIFE

Hannah Moloney Affirm Press RRP: $39.99 Hannah Moloney has in recent times added a dash of unconventional colour to Gardening Australia. She brings the same verve and enthusiasm to her debut book, which espouses her philosophy on creating sustainable and self-sufficient ecosystems. Drawing on more than 15 years’ experience in designing, constructing and managing projects around urban agriculture, small-scale farming, permaculture and community development, Moloney offers tips on everything from composting and growing your own food to building a water tank and forging stronger community ties. She also throws in some favourite recipes, including one for a simple soft cheese.

The advice is aimed at anyone who wants to make a difference in their home or community, regardless of whether they have “a half-acre, a backyard, a balcony or no outdoor space at all”. When she’s not appearing on Gardening Australia, Moloney runs Good Life Permaculture, a permaculture landscape design and education business in Hobart that creates resilient and regenerative lives and landscapes.

Foundation & Friends has a few copies to give away of the books featured above.

To be in the running to win, just email foundation.friends@botanicgardens.nsw.gov.au or write to Letters, Foundation & Friends, Cottage 6, Mrs Macquaries Rd, Sydney NSW 2000 by Friday 17 December. Be sure to include your contact details. In our Spring 2021 edition we gave members the chance to win Spirit of the Garden (Trisha Dixon), Plants with Power (Stacey Demarco and Miranda Mueller), Trees of Historic Berry (Hazel King & Peter Milthorpe) and Croak (Prof. Phil Bishop). Congratulations to our winners: Gail Dihm, Kristin Mbothu, Patricia O’Rourke, Joy Chapman, Margaret Hanks, Susan McMahon, Heather William, Therese Howarth, Keith Gliddon and Coral Cozens.

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Photos: © Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust

THE SCIENCE OF HOPE

EVENTS

SOLANDER

A CHORAL CELEBRATION

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everal islands and a variety of plants – not to mention the oldest botanical research library in Australia – are all named in honour of Swedish naturalist Daniel Solander. Now the pioneering scientist who circled the globe on the Endeavour, is to be the subject of a unique musical performance.

Anyone familiar with Solander’s life will know it was not short on drama. After a childhood in Sweden’s north, he studied in the 1750s under celebrated botanist Carl Linnaeus before travelling to London and securing a job cataloguing the British Museum’s natural history collections.

In 1768, he then embarked, along with Joseph Banks, on Captain James Cook's legendary voyage to the Pacific.

Solander contributed to Banks' Florilegium, and himself wrote a manuscript describing species collected from New Zealand during the expedition.

In addition, along the way he invented the Solander box, which is still used in libraries and archives for storing prints, drawings and herbarium materials.

Solander went on to accompany Banks on an intrepid voyage to Iceland, the Hebrides and the Orkney Islands, then returned to the British Museum.

In 1782, at just 49 years of age, he died suddenly from a stroke at Banks' London home.

Sydney-based Kate Reid is the first to admit she knew almost none of this before deciding to compose her song cycle, Solander, which will be performed by the Sydney Chamber Choir in February. In fact, she may never have encountered the naturalist if it wasn’t for one of her three sons, Toby, meeting a Swede and starting a family in Umea, a small town in the Scandinavian country’s north.

With a view to spending some quality time with her two grandchildren, in 2017 Reid, who studied composition at the Sydney Conservatorium, applied for – and secured – a month-long residency

at an international composers' school on an island just off the coast of Stockholm.

“I had to write something, so I began looking for a theme that connected Australia and Sweden, and someone mentioned Solander,” says Reid. “It turned out he was born about 175km from Umea, in the village of Piteå. I knew that part of the world, the extremes of its environment, and how starkly it contrasts with Australia. And the more I learned about Solander the more I liked and admired him as one those incredible scientists who embarked on these remarkable journeys of discovery.

On a personal level, I guess I also related him to my son, and his decision to establish a life so far from home.”

Reid’s song cycle incorporates seven movements and features a combination of voices, as well as just one instrument, a vibraphone, to add colour and texture.

She and theatre director Rodney Fisher wrote the lyrics and narrative, which will be spoken by celebrated Australian actor and director John Gaden.

The project hasn’t been without its own drama. It was originally to be performed in November 2020, but COVID-19 caused multiple delays.

“In some ways it’s done me a favour,” she says. “I've had the opportunity to do a lot of rewriting and adapting in the extra time, and as a result I think it’s an even better piece.”

David Carroll

‘If I was to tell his whole life story it would have been an opera’

WIN TICKETS

SOLANDER 12 FEBRUARY 2022 7.30PM–8.45PM The Governors Centre, Cleveland Street, Moore Park Tickets: $75 Book at trybooking.com/BOWRG

Foundation & Friends has two tickets to give away to Solander.

To enter the draw, just email foundation.friends@ botanicgardens.nsw.gov.au before 10 December 2021.

Please type ‘Solander giveaway tickets’ in the subject line, and be sure to include your name and mobile number.

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ARTEFACTS

A MOST EXACTING MAN AMONG THE DANIEL SOLANDER LIBRARY’S MANY TREASURES ARE WORKS BY INNOVATIVE AUSTRIAN BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATOR, FERDINAND BAUER, WHO CIRCUMNAVIGATED AUSTRALIA WITH FLINDERS. MIGUEL GARCIA REPORTS.

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s the youngest son of Lukas Bauer, court painter to the Prince of Liechtenstein, Ferdinand Bauer entered the world in January 1760 with art in his blood. Tragedy swiftly delivered him to the world of botanical science.

Just a year after he was born in the Austrian town of Feldsberg*, Bauer was orphaned, and along with his two brothers became wards of Father Norbertus Adamus Boccius, physician, botanist and prior of the local monastery.

The Bauer boys, under the tutelage of Boccius, became acute observers of nature. Then in 1780 Ferdinand and his brother Franz set out for Vienna, where Baron Nikolaus von Jacquin, Director of the Royal Botanical Garden at Schönbrunn Palace, put them to work illustrating his Icones Plantarum Rariorum, 1–3 (Vienna 1781–93).

Four years later, during a visit to Vienna, English botanist Dr John Sibthorp was so impressed by Ferdinand's work that he engaged him as a natural history painter for a journey around the Mediterranean. The expedition embarked in 1786 and by the time it arrived in England in December 1787 Bauer had produced more than 1,500 sketches of plants, animals, birds and landscapes. Many of the illustrations appeared in the Flora Graeca (London,

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1806–40), a work lauded by Sir Joseph Hooker, who for more than 20 years was director of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, as "the greatest botanical work that has ever appeared".

On a subsequent visit to London, Bauer met Sir Joseph Banks, who in 1800 secured him the post of botanical draughtsman on Matthew Flinders’ circumnavigation of Australia on the Investigator. Under the direction of botanist Robert Brown, Bauer honed his skills as a scientist, collecting specimens and crafting magnified drawings of dissected flowers and plant organs. Some of his most stunning depictions were of Western Australian species made at King George Sound and Lucky Bay between December and January 1801–1802.

‘Illustrationes was a commercial failure, abandoned after the publication of just 50 sets’

Bauer returned to England in late 1805 armed with an astonishing 2,073 drawings – more than 1,700 of them featuring plants from Australia, Norfolk Island, Timor and the Cape. He set his sights in the following years on producing Illustrationes Florae Novae Hollandiae. Unfortunately, his perfectionist standards undermined the project. His brother Franz, who served as botanical artist at Kew Gardens from 1790 to 1840, claimed that Ferdinand could find no-one capable of properly engraving or colouring the plates, forcing him to undertake every part of the work himself. In the end, despite his efforts, Illustrationes was a commercial failure, abandoned after the publication in 1813 of just 50 sets.

One of those extremely rare copies sits within the Daniel Solander Library’s collection. Uncoloured and clearly revealing the striking detail of Bauer’s illustrations, the publication was bequeathed by the Reverend William Woolls, who died at Burwood in 1893.

Woolls migrated to Sydney in 1832, aged just 16 years, from Winchester, England, and taught at private colleges before setting up his own school at Parramatta. A keen botanist, he delivered popular lectures on native flora, wrote papers for horticultural

ARTEFACTS Rev. William Woolls

publications, and later earned a PhD for a dissertation on the botany of the Parramatta region. He is commemorated in the genus Woollsia (subfamily Epacridoideae) and in the names of six species.

As for Bauer, in 1814, disappointed at the failure of Illustrationes, he returned to Vienna and settled in a modest house near the Schönbrunn Botanical Garden. Before his death from dropsy in March 1826, he continued to paint, his work appearing in English publications such as Aylmer Bourke Lambert’s 'Description of the Genus Pinus’ and John Lindley’s ‘Digitalis’^.

Despite attracting acclaim from contemporaries such as Banks and Flinders, Ferdinand was never immortalised by memorials. He is, however, mentioned in Franz's epitaph in St Anne's Chapel in Kew, which reads: “In the delineation of plants (Franz) united the accuracy of a profound naturalist with the skill of the accomplished artist, to a degree which has been only equalled by his brother Ferdinand.” His memory also lives on in the genus Bauera and Cape Bauer in South Australia.

Scarlet Banksia (Banksia coccinea) from the Library's Illustrationes Florae Novae Hollandiae

Doryanthes excelsa

Chloanthes stoechadis

*Now Valtice in the Czech Republic. ^The Daniel Solander Library collection includes both works.

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RESEARCH

Archidendron hendersonii

Cryptocarya laevigata

Sloanea woollsii

THE CUTTING EDGE RESEARCHERS WORKING WITH THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF BOTANICAL SCIENCE PUBLISH MORE THAN 90 PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES EACH YEAR. DR BRETT SUMMERELL HIGHLIGHTS A FEW RECENT PROJECTS.

Argyrodendron trifoliolatum

Emmenosperma alphitonioides

Davidsonia pruriens

Pittosporum angustifolium

Cynanchum elegans

Dysoxylum fraserianum

The study into the storage potential of Australian rainforest seeds examined a selection of fruits representing fleshy and dry, dehiscent and indehiscent types.

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RESEARCH UNDERSTANDING FAMILY TREES

Researchers at the Australian Institute of Botanical Science invest considerable time and effort into understanding the relationships between plants – at a species and genus level, but also at a family and order level. The aim is to gain a better understanding of how different species are related to each other, and from this infer how they might respond to the environment, how they will adapt to changes in circumstances, and how they might fight off pests and diseases.

Given that most plant families are trans-continental, resolving the nature of these relationships usually involves collaboration between scientists in many countries.

Two recent papers1,2 have seen three of our botanists, Dr Marco Duretto, Margaret Heslewood and Dr Peter Wilson, play critical roles in determining the relationships in two extremely important plant groups in Australia – the family Rutaceae and the order Myrtales.

The Rutaceae is of course well known for the economically important genus citrus, but also contains many prominent Australian species such as boronia and zieria, whilst the Myrtales includes the Myrtaceae (which incorporates eucalyptus) and Onagraceae (fuchsia) families amongst others. The analyses are complex but involve morphological features, genetic information and DNA sequence and genomic data.

Both publications are the culmination of years of detailed collaborative work by dozens of authors located across most continents. The results not only elucidate the taxonomic placement of many unusual genera for the first time, but also provide a solid framework for future research. One of the more surprising results from the Myrtales study was that the closest genus to the eucalyptus group is the distinctive, large-seeded tropical rainforest species Lindsayomyrtus racemoides (Daintree Penda – a native to north-east Queensland, Moluccas, New Guinea and New Britain).

SEED BANKING RAINFOREST SPECIES

Seed banking of rainforest species is hindered by a lack of knowledge as to which species are tolerant of desiccation and freezing.

Dr Karen Sommerville and the team at the Australian PlantBank assessed a massive 313 different Australian rainforest species for seed banking suitability by comparing the germination of fresh seeds to those that had been dried at 15% relative humidity and stored at −20°C after drying.

The team compared desiccation responses to environmental, habit, fruit and seed characteristics, in order to identify the most useful predictors of desiccation sensitivity. They found3 that the likelihood of a species being sensitive to drying out was significantly increased by a species having a tree habit or having fleshy fruit with a high moisture content (or a combination of the two).

The responses observed in this study were combined with earlier studies to develop a simple decision key to aid prediction of desiccation responses in untested rainforest species.

GENOMICS GUIDES MANAGEMENT OF THREATENED SPECIES

Owing to decreasing costs and increased efficiency, it is now conceivable that conservation genomic information can be used to improve the effectiveness of programs to aid the recovery for many, if not most, threatened plants species.

In a recent paper 4, Professor Maurizio Rossetto and the Research Centre for Ecosystem Resilience team highlighted how a simple genomic study could be used as a critical initial step in decisionmaking for conservation managers.

In the paper they provided biodiversity managers and conservation biologists with a simple, standardised workflow for genomic research that can guide efficient collection, analysis and application of genomic information across threatened plants.

They also used two case studies Banksia vincentia and Daphnandra johnsonii – to demonstrate how generating genomic information as early as possible can enhance conservation outcomes.

It turned out that Banksia vincentia was not a distinct species and did not warrant conservation, however, the opposite was true for Daphnandra, and genomic information could guide which individuals should be used to expand the population.

Zieria covenyi, a critically endangered member of the Rutaceae family

“The Rutaceae contains prominent species such as boronia and zieria.”

Paper details: 1. A new subfamily classification of the Citrus family (Rutaceae) based on six nuclear and plastid markers. TAXON, doi.org/10.1002/tax.12543.

2. A nuclear phylogenomic study of the angiosperm order Myrtales, exploring the potential and limitations of the universal Angiosperms353 probe set. American Journal of Botany, bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ doi/10.1002/ajb2.1699.

3. Assessing the storage potential of Australian rainforest seeds: a decision‑making key to aid rapid conservation. Biodiversity and Conservation, doi.org/10.1007/s10531-021-02244-1.

4. A conservation genomics workflow to guide practical management actions. Global Ecology and Conservation, sciencedirect.com/science/article/ pii/S2351989421000421?via%3Dihub

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FIRST PERSON

JOSH BROWN

Photos: Tad Souden

WORIMI, MANAGER ABORIGINAL STRATEGY & DEVELOPMENT

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FIRST PERSON What are your key responsibilities?

I provide executive strategic advice, support and project management in relation to the organisation’s Aboriginal Strategy. This covers areas such as organisational cultural awareness, employment initiatives, community engagement, and support for Aboriginal businesses across our sites.

What first got you interested in education and how did it lead to a career?

Growing up I was always into my sport and would talk about how I was going to represent Australia in whichever one I played at the time. Mum always drilled into me how important going to school was, and school instilled in me, from an early age, a sense of pride in my culture because I was around my cousins, playing sport and doing cultural activities like dance. But at school I also became aware of racism, and not just from students. I realised there were serious fundamental issues that needed to be addressed throughout our education system. These two passions – sport and culture – and a desire to ensure culture is taught properly at an early age to kids, as well as to the adults who mentor them, led me into a career in education.

Tell us about your career prior to joining the Gardens?

I started out as a PE teacher. I wanted a career focused on sport, but one where I was able to actively teach Aboriginal culture. I enjoyed coaching and organising school sports, but I came to understand that our current education system is flawed in that culture isn’t really valued by many school leaders, despite whatever policies may be in place. So, I left to go to Walanga Muru* at Macquarie University to gain experience in supporting Aboriginal university students in their studies and career pathways. This gave me an array of skills in stakeholder engagement, network building, collaborating with external organisations and creating student cultural and educational engagement initiatives from scratch.

I realised that I still wanted to have an impact on cultural education in the school setting, but without being confined to just one school. Then I saw

the Botanic Gardens was advertising for an Aboriginal Education Coordinator.

It’s been my best career decision.

What have been some of the highlights of your work?

There have been so many great experiences – going up to the Northern Territory to deliver education programs, our corporate NAIDOC events, trips away with our Community Greening teams, and installing the first ever trial of Cookaroo Flow, which celebrates poetry created by First Nations students from Sydney and the NT. My most humbling highlight was the establishment of our National Sorry Day event at the Australian Botanic Garden. I witnessed the Stolen Generations Memorial on my first trip out to Mount Annan in 2017. At the time there was a lack of connection and engagement between the Gardens and the local Dharawal community. By simply picking up the phone and connecting with a range of local stakeholders we were able to put together a special event that carries on to this day. It allows local Aboriginal community members, schools and Stolen Generations survivors to come together and remember a significant period in Australia, while providing a community support network.

What is your favourite plant or section in the Gardens?

I would have to say the Grass Trees – they hold so much historical and cultural significance and for me are a major symbol of native Australian

‘My most humbling highlight was our National Sorr y Da y event’

plants. In saying that, I do love all our native foods within the Gardens, particularly the native raspberries, Davidson plums and finger limes.

When you are not working, what do you like to do?

Wouldn’t be hard to guess – I love my sport. Outside of that though and since I’ve always been a coastal person, I like to spend as much time around the beach or exploring new coastlines while getting my partner to try whichever bush tucker plants we find.

Tell us one thing that might surprise people to learn about you.

I’ve combined all my great experiences to start a passion project called Deadly Ed. It’s an Aboriginal education company on a mission to ensure all kids and adults have access to quality and authentic Aboriginal educational experiences, information and support, no matter their background or where they are located. *Walanga Muru provides a unique space for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to study and relax in a nurturing home-awayfrom-home environment.

THE GARDENS SUMMER 2021–2022 15

BOTANICAL SCIENCE

RESILIENT &

FRAGILE AREAS RAVAGED BY THE FIRES THAT SWEPT ACROSS NEW SOUTH WALES IN 2019/20 ARE SHOWING SIGNS OF RECOVERY, BUT AS DR BRETT SUMMERELL REPORTS, WEAKENED ECOSYSTEMS REMAIN HIGHLY VULNERABLE.

I

t is now two years on from the Black Summer fires that devastated vast areas of Australia – including our own Blue Mountains Botanic Garden – during the summer of 2019/20. The impact on plants was immense and highlighted how a changing climate could potentially transform our native ecosystems.

Since the fires swept through the Blue Mountains the region has been blessed with higher-than-average rainfall on a frequent basis. This has stimulated new growth, supported the germination of seed and the establishment of seedlings, and greatly aided recovery. Of course, this cannot be expected to continue long-term and for all these plant populations to fully recover they need to be able to continue to grow, flower and produce seed to replenish the seed bank in the soil and on plants. For some species this process is relatively quick – a few seasons – but for others it can take up to 10 years, or in the case of rainforest species, decades.

Over the past two years teams of scientists from around the country have been assessing and monitoring the impacts of the fires on a broad range of species – including birds, mammals, amphibians, invertebrates and of course plants. Our teams have been scouring affected landscapes, looking in particular for threatened species, to determine how they are recovering.

They have also kept an eye out for plants that were stimulated by the fires to generate a flush of flowering and subsequent seed production, enabling

16 THE GARDENS SUMMER 2021–2022

us to fortify the seed bank at the Australian PlantBank.

Spring 2021 should have provided a great opportunity to assess how the recovery of plants was proceeding in what promised to be a bumper flowering season. Unfortunately, COVID-19 put a major roadblock in our way, but we were able to get special permissions to assess the recovery of some ecosystems, particularly in the Blue Mountains.

One thing this process has highlighted – as has all our work to date – is that there is no single story to be written. Each type of ecosystem is responding differently, and in each location there are subtle differences depending on the aspect, soil and geology, and the intensity of the fire. There are instances

Epicormic growth at Mount Banks, Blue Mountains National Park

in all types of ecosystems where the fires have been so intense that recovery is poor and it will take many more years for the bush to fully recover, if it can.

Nevertheless, a few generalisations can be made.

A large number of the plant species in the heathland communities, for instance, are well adapted to recover from fire – many have the capability to produce epicormic shoots from surviving stems, or to produce lignotubers (swollen stem bases on or below ground level) that are establishing new shoots. Additionally, the soil seed bank has seen new seedlings popping up everywhere. Of course, it is now critical that conditions over the next few years (at least) support continued growth and, most importantly, flowering and seed production, so that the soil seed bank is replenished, providing capacity to recover from the next fire.

In the woodlands and forest, especially the wetter forests in parts of the Blue Mountains, the recovery in some locations is quite heartening, particularly where the fire was less intense. There is no doubt that a lot of the structure of these forests has been severely compromised, with trees losing limbs, partially collapsing, or falling over. But there are benefits from this through the creation of hollows and other habitat for birds, mammals and an array of other creatures. Where the fires were particularly intense there has been a complete loss of the canopy and this

BOTANICAL SCIENCE

Photos: Dr Brett Summerell

‘Each type of ecosystem is responding differently’

is going to take some considerable time to recover – if it ever does.

One of the overriding perspectives that I took from these assessments was that the bush – at this point in time – is displaying a combination of resilience and great fragility.

Numerous species have certainly bounced back after the fires, with lots of epicormic growth, thousands (possibly millions) of new seedlings and a great flush of green growth.

As we move through spring many species are flowering in great abundance, providing food resources for birds, mammals and invertebrates.

At the same time, my concerns about the fragility of the bush have grown partly from reading the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Sixth Assessment), which highlights, among many other things, the likelihood of more frequent and extended drought conditions and bushfires. With so much of the recovery at a stage that could so easily be adversely affected by another extended drought or fires, it is all too easy to envisage a situation where so much of this recovery is wiped out in a figurative blink of the eye.

There is no doubt that we can expect future scenarios similar to what we experienced in 2019/20, and there is a continuing need to address the climate crisis globally and nationally.

At the Australian Institute of Botanical Science our focus will be on ensuring that vegetation is restored sustainably, plants are protected against invasive disease, and insurance collections of threatened and at-risk species are in the Australian PlantBank seed bank.

However, we all have a role to play in reducing emissions, recycling and reusing, and in advocating corporations and governments to make positive changes that genuinely reduce humanity’s impact on the natural world.

Hardenbergia violacea at Ruined Castle walking track, Blue Mountains National Park

Waratahs in flower in the Blue Mountains National Park

THE GARDENS SUMMER 2021–2022 17

PROFILE

ART FOR SCIENCE’S SAKE BOTANICAL ARTISTS ARE BECOMING A RARE AND ENDANGERED SPECIES, BUT NOT IN THE GARDENS,

Lesley Elkan and Catherine Wardrop

18 THE GARDENS SUMMER 2021–2022

Photos: © Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust

WHERE THE VALUE OF SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATION HAS NEVER BEEN IN DOUBT. DAVID CARROLL REPORTS.

PROFILE

‘Our illustrations will li ve a lot longer than us, so we’d better do it well’

Hibbertia fumana

F

ossicking through archive boxes as part of the Herbarium digitisation project recently, Catherine Wardrop and Lesley Elkan were surprised to discover some hitherto unknown works by the much-revered Margaret Flockton.

It’s not uncommon for the pair to chance upon ‘lost’ botanical illustrations included in scientific reports or notes filed decades earlier, but further investigation of the boxes yielded literally hundreds of additional “jewels” by the woman who in 1901 became the Gardens’ first permanent botanical illustrator.

“We thought Margaret did around 2,500 illustrations in her 26 years with the Gardens,” says Wardrop, who for the past 17 years has job-shared the Gardens’ botanical illustrator role with Elkan.

“But, as a result of our sifting, it looks like the figure may be more up around 4,000. She was just incredibly prolific.”

By comparison, Wardrop and Elkan estimate that in their time together at the Gardens they have produced around 600 illustrations.

“Of course, Margaret didn’t have email. She didn’t have children. She was working under [Director] Joseph Maiden, who I think would have been very driven.

And she didn’t have the annual Margaret Flockton Award to run each year.”

Wardrop and Elkan are both past recipients of the celebrated award, which they helped launch in 2004 and have managed since 2009. Each year they spend around two months directing the program, which involves printing, framing, judging and hanging works submitted from almost 90 artists around the world. The exhibition itself regularly attracts thousands of visitors.

“This year, once again, it revealed some extraordinary illustrators,” says Elkan. “The number and quality that we

received from South America alone, for instance, was amazing. And we are also now seeing entries from countries such as Thailand and Indonesia.”

All of which would suggest the world of botanical illustration is alive and kicking. Yet Wardrop and Elkan are now thought to hold the only two permanent illustrator roles in herbaria in Australia. In the face of relentless funding cuts, other organisations instead employ illustrators on a freelance and piecemeal basis – a less-than-optimal arrangement given the copyright is held by the freelancer.

Not that the Gardens has been untouched by funding restrictions.

When Elkan joined, it employed two full-time scientific illustrators and a part-time artist, who mostly focused on illustrations for signage.

“We are still in an extremely fortunate position because at the Gardens the illustrator role is appreciated in its importance to communicate botanical science to the scientific and broader community,” she says. “Other illustrators have not been so lucky.”

The botanical art world received a further blow last year when the University of Newcastle discontinued the country’s only dedicated natural history illustration degree. It’s a course that both Wardrop and Elkan knew well, having completed an earlier iteration before landing their current roles.

While Newcastle provided an important nexus for the pair, the paths that led them to the world of botanical illustration were quite different.

Elkan was in her third year of a bachelor’s degree in environmental biology at the University of Technology Sydney when a fellow student asked her to do some illustrations for his PhD work on aquatic ecology.

“I really enjoyed it, so my brother contacted the Gardens and asked what books I should get if I was interested in botanical illustration. The two full-time scientific illustrators at the time, David THE GARDENS SUMMER 2021–2022 19

Mackay and Nicola Oram, kindly pointed me in the direction of Newcastle.”

Elkan’s timing was fortuitous. Shortly after graduating she got back in touch with the Gardens, only to discover that after 10 years in the role, Mackay was leaving. In late 1995 she started in a temporary capacity, before eventually securing a permanent part-time role.

Wardrop’s journey was just as serendipitous. After leaving school she pursued a degree in print making in Canberra, with her graduating work focusing on ‘flowers as a metaphor’ – a theme she explored through detailed glass engravings and wallpaper.

“I then heard that at the CSIRO you could be employed to draw flowers, so I turned up with my wallpaper and a lovely botanist was crazy enough to give me a go. I learned my botany on the job, and then a couple of years later I headed to Newcastle.”

After missing out on the coveted permanent role Elkan eventually secured, Wardrop returned to Canberra but remained engaged by doing some volunteer work. Then in December 1998, following Oram’s departure, she landed a part-time role.

The pair eventually began sharing the Garden’s one remaining full-time position in 2004 – an arrangement Wardrop thinks works, in part, because their styles as illustrators are so similar.

“At the same time, we bring different and complementary strengths to the

role. For instance, I tend to always be thinking of the next thing, while Lesley has a great capacity to remember what we’ve done in the past.”

Today – or at least in pre-COVID times – a typical week mostly involves collaborating with the Gardens’ botanists to illustrate newly-named plant species.

The finished work is then incorporated into scientific papers published in Telopea* or other scientific journals.

In addition, the pair produce illustrations for NSW Flora Online – PlantNET^, as well as for signage and brochures.

Among the hundreds of illustrations they’ve completed, there are plenty that have stood out. A highlight for Wardrop was drawing in 2003 the first flowering of Amorphophallus titanum.

“I sat with it for three days and created three full scientific plates. I also noticed a feature that I don’t think anyone else had noted before. Unfortunately, the botanist in charge was retiring, so the illustrations were never published.”

Given the importance of their work – and the constant reminders of the standards set by their illustrious predecessors – Wardrop says she and Elkan are “absolutely” conscious of a connection to the past and the future.

“We are always aiming for the level of quality that Margaret Flockton set, and at the same time we are always aware that our illustrations will live a lot longer than us, so we’d better do it well and provide the complete botanical story.”

Elkan says it’s always been an honour to draw something for the first time, and now, in the face of a changing climate, their work is only becoming more vital.

“A lot of the plants we illustrate may be rare, threatened or even extinct in the wild, so we are providing an important visual record of botanical diversity.

For instance, I recently drew Hibbertia fumana, which was thought to be extinct, but was rediscovered in 2016 on land in south-western Sydney that was being surveyed alongside the site of a new freight terminal. It’s still at risk because of habitat loss, degradation and fire.”

Wardrop says she and Elkan are keen to stay in their roles for “as long as we can draw and perform at the highest level”.

As to the future of botanical illustration itself, Elkan says the decision to close the Newcastle course was undoubtedly a blow that reflected a lack of understanding of just how important botanical art is to society.

“People have an extraordinary love for hand-drawn or painted illustrations, and they are often in awe of them in a way they are not with photographs.

By removing unwanted information and highlighting what’s important, a hand-drawn illustration can tell a plant’s life-cycle story and its plight, and they somehow make it more accessible.”

“A photograph can’t do what we do,” says Wardrop. “It can’t reconstruct a dead flower. You can’t reimagine with photography. And a large part of our responsibility and role is to interpret the science, the written taxonomy, and recreate from material at hand, a full and convincing representation of the plant.”

Despite the challenges facing scientific artists, Elkan remains optimistic.

“Although the permanent jobs might not exist, I’m still seeing lots of talented illustrators out there, many of whom are exceptionally creative in their endeavours to make money – from launching their own projects and books to liaising with other gardens.

“If someone really wants to become a botanical illustrator, they will.”

*The Gardens’ journal of plant systematics. ^NSW Flora Online – PlantNET, is the Gardens’ online Plant Information Network System, providing the community with information on NSW plant names, their distribution and conservation status.

20 THE GARDENS SUMMER 2021–2022

Photos: © Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust

PROFILE

PROFILE

Elkan with her ‘secret weapon’

DRAWING IN THE DIGITAL AGE

To the uninitiated, the precise and refined world of botanical illustration might appear to have been largely unbothered by the technological advances of the past century. The reality is a little different.

Back in 1901 when Margaret Flockton began creating and reproducing works of art for the Gardens, she used an elaborate printing technique called lithography, which involved a waxy crayon and a limestone plate. Today, Lesley Elkan and Catherine Wardrop still create preliminary drawings using graphite on paper, but they complete their finished works entirely digitally, using a stylus and drawing tablet.

“The technology is now so good, and so perfectly suited to producing the clean lines and stipple we require, that we believe our digital drawings are just as good as our old technical pens on film, and they are much more time-efficient to produce,” says Elkan.

“With a tablet, we also have the option of being able to ‘undo’, which

can be very helpful when trying to draw long parallel lines!”

On average, a full-plate illustration – which includes a flowering or fruiting branch, along with floral dissections – will take between three and five days, depending on the quality of source material provided. Photos, along with flowers or vegetative material preserved in alcohol, are particularly helpful, while the most challenging drawings are those in which the pair work from just a single pressed, dried specimen.

When it comes to technology, Elkan and Wardrop do have another “secret weapon” besides their drawing tablet – a binocular drawing microscope that uses a special 'drawing tube’ to refract an image of their drawing hand over the magnified specimen.

“Rather than measure and transfer, it allows us to actually trace, enabling us to draw more accurately.”

The combination of art and technology allows the pair to produce between 30 and 40 full plates a year, along with many smaller drawings.

‘People ha ve an extraordinar y love for hand-dra wn illustrations’

THE GARDENS SUMMER 2021–2022 21

IN FOCUS: THE BLUE MOUNTAINS BOTANIC GARDEN Red Wattlebird feeding on nectar produced by the magnificent Puya alpestris ssp. zoellneri (family Bromeliaceae)

SENSE & SENSIBILITIES SUMMER AT THE BLUE MOUNTAINS BOTANIC GARDEN IS AN ENTICING TREAT FOR THE SENSES. SENIOR HORTICULTURIST MARION WHITEHEAD TAKES AN IMMERSIVE TOUR.

F

rom the structure of deciduous trees revealing themselves in winter to bright bulbs poking their heads above ground in spring, different seasons offer very different ways to immerse yourself in the garden.

Summer is no exception, especially at the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, where visitors are surrounded by all manner of sensory experiences.

SMELL

There is nothing like the smell of rain falling on a summer day. In 1964 two Australian scientists working at the CSIRO published the first scientific

22 THE GARDENS SUMMER 2021–2022

description of that odour and gave it a name: “petrichor” (from the Greek “petra” for stone and “ichor”, the blood of the gods). Petrichor is caused by a soil-dwelling bacterium creating a chemical compound called geosim as it breaks down organic matter in the soil. The smell has been shown to improve our mood, with our noses able to detect the scent of geosim in the air even when diluted to parts per trillion.

SIGHT

In the cool, dark Gondwanan Garden which many visitors retreat to in the heat of summer, the ferns appear to

glow in the early summer afternoons.

This is due to what is known as the Purkinje Shift – an adaptation like night vision that means in lower light conditions our eyes become more sensitive to the blue end of the colour spectrum, making green colours appear illuminated. The effect can only be experienced through your eyes and not the lens of a camera, making it a great opportunity to take a breath and enjoy the moment.

SOUND

Thanks to its volcanic soil, Mount Tomah has some towering trees, particularly the

IN FOCUS: THE BLUE MOUNTAINS BOTANIC GARDEN

‘Gunnera leaves feel like rough, uneven sharkskin’

local Eucalyptus fastigata. And if you put your ear to the trunks of these tall trees on the hottest summer days, sometimes you will hear a strange ‘popping’ noise. This is the sound of cavitation, as the water column in the xylem breaks. When the soil is dry, the tree struggles to draw water up through its roots, releasing it out through its leaves. When the tree is unable to draw up enough water this creates a bubble in the water column, making a sound similar to when you slurp up the last of a drink through a straw.

Photos: Greg Bourke, Marion Whitehead, © Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust

TOUCH

One of the most beautifully tactile plants in the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden’s collection is the prehistoriclooking Gunnera tinctoria. Located beside The Beach, the leaves of Gunnera tinctoria feel like rough, uneven sharkskin and are one of the most pleasing plants in the collection to touch. Often referred to as “dinosaur food” and native to southern Chile, Gunnera tinctoria grow up to 2.5 metres tall. A more diminutive member of the genus is endemic to Tasmania.

Eucalyptus fastigata

Gunnera tinctoria

Ferns can appear to glow in the early summer afternoons

TASTE

While eating anything growing in the Gardens isn’t encouraged (nor allowed), there are some magnificent edible, wild-collected native blooms that flower at the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden during the summer period. A good example is the Xanthorrhoea arborea in the World Heritage Garden, which was wild-collected from nearby Capertee and is abundant in the surrounding bushland. It has a beautiful honey, floral flavour when the nectar is sucked from the flowers.

THE GARDENS SUMMER 2021–2022 23

IN FOCUS: THE AUSTRALIAN BOTANIC GARDEN

A BEAUTIFUL

NOISE

DON’T KNOW YOUR RAZOR GRINDER FROM YOUR FENCE BUZZER? THE GARDENS’ CELEBRATED

G

reek poets have written odes to them. French sculptors have crafted them. And Chinese artists have embraced them as motifs since the Shang Dynasty. So why does the cicada seem so quintessentially Australian?

The answer is that while plenty of cultures might worship these boisterous bugs, Australia is the undisputed cicada capital of the world.

Of the 3,000 or so cicada species spread across every continent other than Antarctica, more than 800 of them are found only in Australia. And among our endemic collection are the two intriguing specimens that entirely make up one of the two cicada families – the Tettigarctidae, also known as the hairy cicadas.

Botanic gardens are often great places to encounter cicadas and at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan visitors might also, if they’re lucky, spot one of the country’s leading experts on the creatures, Restoration Biology Officer Dr Nathan Emery.

Nathan became an aficionado as a child, when his father took him and his siblings on cicada-spotting field trips around Sydney’s national parks. It’s a passion that father and son still share today. In fact, over the past eight years, the pair have identified around a dozen new species in New South Wales and Western Australia, the most recent being the Dharug Squeaker (Haemopsalta eximia), which they discovered in northwest Sydney.

24 THE GARDENS SUMMER 2021–2022

Given cicadas are the loudest insects in the world, they are of course virtually impossible to ignore during an Australian summer. But what might surprise people, says Nathan, is just how little we know about them.

“We have more cicadas than any other country, yet around half of them have yet to be scientifically described,” he says. “Australia has such diverse species due to our distinct vegetation communities and our long isolation. Our cicadas are also more unpredictable than those in other parts of the world – we don’t know what triggers their emergence, whereas in America, for instance, they can pinpoint down to the

Dr Nathan Emery with a Dharug Squeaker

week when some species will emerge.”

What we do know about the cicada lifecycle is that after mating, adult females lay their eggs in plant stems.

The eggs hatch and small wingless nymphs fall to the ground and burrow below the surface where they live – sometimes for many years – and feed on the sap from plant roots. When a nymph reaches full size, it digs its way to the surface (usually emerging at night in late spring or early summer) and climbs on to a tree trunk or other object to moult (shed its skin).

One of the things we are unclear about, says Nathan, is whether different cicada species prefer specific trees.

“We know there are plants some cicada species favour. For instance, the Green Grocer prefers leafy trees that offer good canopy cover for protection from predators. Another green coloured species, the Bladder Cicada, prefers plants that have dense green leaves or thick shrubs and hedges, which offer camouflage.

“What we are also starting to see through my citizen science project, the Great Cicada Blitz, is a greater preference for native species, such as eucalypts, callistemons and melaleuca.

Because nymphs live so many years underground, it could be they want to ensure their brood is associated with plants that are more likely to survive for that time. But it could also be about the nutrient levels in the tree sap or camouflage. The fact is we still have a

Photos: Dr Nathan Emery

CICADA EXPERT DR NATHAN EMERY IS HERE TO HELP. DAVID CARROLL REPORTS.

IN FOCUS: THE AUSTRALIAN BOTANIC GARDEN Cherrynose

‘A round half of Australia’s cicadas are yet to be scientifically described’

Green Grocer emerging

Southern Red-eyed Squeaker

THE GARDENS SUMMER 2021–2022 25

IN FOCUS: THE AUSTRALIAN BOTANIC GARDEN

Alpine Hairy Cicada

26 THE GARDENS SUMMER 2021–2022

Mount Annan’s residents this summer, Nathan can offer a few tips.

“The peak months are from late October to just after New Year. Explore on a warm day, when the males will be calling, and look around the base of native trees for shells, which might indicate that broods are emerging.

Be as quiet as possible and walk around slowly to triangulate.”

If you can’t get to Mount Annan, never fear, the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden have their own cicada communities, with some species overlapping across all three locations.

Mount Tomah is particularly enticing for cicada lovers. Besides being populated by the Razor Grinder, Alarm Clock Squawker and the Redeye, it’s also a home to the Alpine Hairy Cicada, one of the two members of the Tettigarctidae family. This ancient relic of the Jurassic period is incapable of making sound, so to attract a mate the male instead vibrates the substrate.

Good luck finding one.

The second edition of Dr Nathan Emery’s A Photo Guide to the Common Cicadas of the Greater Sydney Region is now available at cicadarama.square.site. If you would like to win a free copy of the Guide, put yourself in the running by emailing your name and contact details to foundation.friends@botanicgardens. nsw.gov.au. Please type Cicada guide in the subject line.

Golden Twanger

THE GREAT CICADA BLITZ NEEDS YOU!

As a rule, cicadas don't like urban and suburban environments... except in Australia. The presence of species such as the Black Prince, Silver Princess and Floury Baker in a major city such as Sydney is considered something of an oddity in cicada circles.

Their abundance in suburban areas may have contributed to the particularly colourful and charming common names of Australian species because it's thought many of them were initially coined by children. It also means almost anyone in Australia can contribute to our understanding of the insects, which is why Dr Nathan Emery launched citizen science project, The Great Cicada Blitz.

“Cicadas emerge in different areas at unpredictable times, and I have a normal day job, so the Blitz has allowed me to gather information I couldn’t otherwise obtain,” says Nathan.

“Over the past six years, people across New South Wales have uploaded almost 12,000 observations and audio recordings from 95 different species. Once the data is all standardised, we will run statistical models, which will provide a variety of insights, including whether cicada species are more likely to be found on particular native or exotic plants.”

If you would like to contribute to the Great Cicada Blitz’s seventh season, head to inaturalist.org/ projects/the-great-cicada-blitznsw-australia

Photos: Dr Nathan Emery, © Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust

lot to understand about their ecology and their habitat requirements.”

During his time at the Australian Botanic Garden, Nathan has so far logged 12 cicada species, among them the delightfully named Southern Bark Squeaker, Zipping Ambertail and Fence Buzzer.

“That’s a fairly common number for any area around Sydney that has a lot of vegetation. In the Sydney basin region, there are upwards of 40 species, which is about the same amount as all of New Zealand. But it’s taken me around three years to note that diversity because some species may not emerge in one area every year.

It can take a mass emergence year for them to make themselves known.”

When it comes to announcing their presence, it is only male cicadas that 'sing', and the majority do so by using muscles to buckle and unbuckle a pair of "tymbals" on the side of their abdomens.

Each species is thought to produce its own distinctive mating songs and acoustic signals, such as distress calls.

Cicadas are renowned for generating the loudest insect-produced sound (so loud it can be dangerous to the human ear), but some small species have songs so high in pitch that they are inaudible.

Ironically, regardless of the specific decibels produced, most cicadas are notoriously difficult for people and predators to spot. Partly that’s because their pitch is nearly constant, the sound continuous to the human ear and they ‘sing’ in scattered groups. However, if you want to catch a glimpse of some of

PLANTS

PLANTS IN THE

GARDENS DISCOVER MORE ABOUT THE WONDERFUL PLANTS TO LOOK OUT FOR NEXT TIME YOU VISIT THE GARDENS.

‘A ttractive specimens grow adjacent to the Cadi Jam Ora Garden’ ARABIAN COFFEE Coffee arabica Family Rubiaceae In terms of world trade, coffee is second only to petroleum and its by-products in monetary value.

Coffee trees are thought to have originated in Kenya and Ethiopia, later spreading to Arabia about the 6th century. The Arabs were the first to brew coffee, followed by the Egyptians several centuries later, probably around the 16th century. Coffee reached England in the first half of the 17th century, where it became an important part of the social and political scene.

There was known to have been a coffee house in Oxford by 1650, and by 1675 England is reputed to have had 3,000 of them! Some became centres for political and religious debate. King Charles II tried to have them closed as “seminaries of sedition,” but the ensuing uproar forced him to rescind his order.

Coffee is a very striking plant to grow and makes a great screening plant, a specimen shrub or even a large pot plant. In the Sydney region it is likely to grow up to 5m tall. The leaves are dark glossy-green while the starry flowers which are scented and white, appear in spring. The average tree will

produce its first berries after three to four years and, in the right environment, will go on producing berries for many years. Initially coffee berries are green, becoming deep-crimson when ripe.

Normally each berry contains two seeds or beans. Trees have been known to remain productive for over 30 years in ideal conditions. Commercially the average coffee plant produces its first crop after about three years. Nowadays most commercial production of coffee is centred in tropical America, mainly Brazil, Colombia and the West Indies.

It is also grown in part of south-east Asia, Papua New Guinea and a small amount in Queensland.

Ideally, coffee plants should be grown in locations sheltered from strong wind and shaded from the hottest afternoon sun in summer. Soil must be well drained and for best results, enriched with organic material such as aged manure or compost. The root zone should be mulched with a good layer of compost or straw to aid moisture retention and keep the roots cool. Take care to keep the mulch clear of the stem to avoid rotting of the base or collar of the stem.

Water regularly until plants are well established then water deeply, but less often, to encourage a well-developed root system. You may like to harvest and dry ripe berries, and even consider roasting and grinding some. You are unlikely to produce the finest brew, but it could be an interesting experiment!

Growing Friends Plant Sales usually offer coffee plants, which are attractive at all stages of growth, with their dark glossy foliage and scented flowers as they mature. You can see some attractive specimens of coffee trees growing in bed 20 adjacent to the Cadi Jam Ora – First Encounters Garden, and in bed 84 just north of the Herb Garden.

Margaret Hanks, Growing Friends, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

THE GARDENS SUMMER 2021–2022 27

PLANTS Pincushion protea, Leucospermum ‘Scarlet Ribbon’

ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN SYDNEY Summer is on our doorstep and the plants are at their best, exhibiting vibrant growth and glorious flower displays. As well as captivating our senses and providing visual delights, they serve to provide an important pollen source for our onsite bees and insects. Throughout summer there will be a mass of annual displays, including the flower bed lawn near Farm Cove showcasing a mixed flower palette.

This will be complemented by other assorted annuals scattered throughout the garden beds, including lavender, celosia, petunia, cleome, ameria, lobularia, gomphrena, gaura, pentus, tagetes and verbena. The Meadow will be buzzing with activity due to the diverse array of flowers, and this year the horticulture staff have opted to experiment with a variety of new seed blends, including six different types of sunflower. This will ensure ample seeds are deposited into the ground for next

28 THE GARDENS SUMMER 2021–2022

year’s Meadow cycle and support our bee and insect populations through the emergence of new seedlings throughout the year. As always, we have multiple projects and gardens transitioning. The Palm House beds 10a and 10c will feature a new display of South African Asteraceae. In addition, plants will be added to key horticultural collections including vireya, camellia, zamia, cycad and macrozamia. All have been carefully selected by the team to diversify our species collection. The Bicentennial Bed now features a large salvia collection and will be producing a magnificent assortment of flowers of all shapes and sizes. The roses will also be in full force, with fragrant bursts of sweet scents from ‘Mr Lincoln’ and ‘Pope John Paul II’. The first flush this year came in October and we can’t wait to see some new roses (integrated from a bare root stock order in July) develop and flourish.

Madeline Arnott-Bryce, Supervisor Horticulture

Splashes of colour throughout the Meadow

Choragic Monument at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney surrounded by summer annual displays

PLANTS

Photos: Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah, Alice Bruyn, Ian Black, Charlotte Sandes, © Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust

Corymbia ficifolia ‘Summer Red’

Christmas Bells

Growing Friends Volunteer Raoul de Ferranti

GROWING FRIENDS AUSTRALIAN BOTANIC GARDEN

BLUE MOUNTAINS BOTANIC GARDEN

Think of a native tree and for most of us, gum trees spring to mind. These tall iconic trees have even been immortalised in song. But with the shrinking size of ‘the great Australian dream’, the vision of a home among large, towering behemoths is unattainable for most. If you still lust after a gum tree or two in the yard, there is a solution – Corymbia ficifolia ‘Summer Red’. This member of the Myrtaceae family originates from southern Western Australia and has been hybridised to produce a 5m high x 3m wide rounded tree perfect for small and large gardens alike.

‘Summer Red’ is sought after for its summer display of bright vermillion red blooms, which engulf the tree. It is also prized for its large fruit once flowering has finished. ‘Summer Red’ is often multi-trunked but can be pruned to create a single trunk. It is quite a fast grower and prefers a sunny position but will cope with some shade when young. Find a spot with well-drained sandy soil. On the eastern seaboard, ‘Summer Red’ is grafted onto a sturdy rootstock to better cope with the heavier soils.

It can tolerate the occasional light frost but detests humidity. It is quite happy as a potted specimen and a container such as a wine barrel makes a perfect choice. Corymbia can also be found in shades of pink, orange and white.

Simon Reid, Horticulturist

Blandfordia grandiflora are commonly referred to as Christmas Bells as they flower around Christmas time. Their cheery yellow and red bell-shaped flower is hard to miss in the sandy and sparse heathlands they often inhabit.

A genus containing only four plants, Blandfordia are native to eastern Australia. They were grown widely in cultivation in the early 19th century in greenhouses and conservatories around the world and as a cut flower.

They love sandy soil and spend the year appearing totally unremarkable, like a small strappy grass, until they bloom. As Christmas Bells are normally red from the base of their petals, tapering down to yellow tips, the yellow specimen pictured is quite unusual. You’ll find it in our beautiful Heath and Heather Garden.

Marion Whitehead, Senior Horticulturist, Nursery

GROWING FRIENDS

PLANT SALES The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney Mon–Fri 11am–2pm, Sat 10am–2pm The Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan Mon–Sun 9am–4pm The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah Mon–Sun 9.30am–4.30pm *Christmas/New Year hours may vary

As I write this piece for the summer edition of The Gardens magazine, the Growing Friends volunteers have received wonderful news.

After being locked out of our nursery activities at the Sydney, Mount Annan and Mount Tomah Gardens for four long months, we reopened Sydney Growing Friends Plant Sales on Monday 18 October and are hopeful that our Growing Friends Plant Sales operating from the Visitor Centres at Mount Annan and Mount Tomah will reopen shortly.

During the extended lockdown, the Growing Friends volunteers have been meeting regularly on-line to support one another and now we find that there is much work for us as we welcome customers back to our Sydney Plant Sales and prepare for re-openings at Mount Annan and Mount Tomah. Certainly, we have been greatly encouraged by the magnificent support received from the Gardens’ horticultural staff in caring for our stock and reporting on the quality of our sales collections.

With summer nearly here and many of our nursery stock bursting into flower, we are confident that we have wonderful offerings for our customers and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Stay tuned for news regarding the reopening of our Mount Annan and Mount Tomah nurseries via the Foundation & Friends’ e-newsletter, Facebook and Instagram posts.

Raoul de Ferranti, General Coordinator Growing Friends

THE GARDENS SUMMER 2021–2022 29

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WHAT’S ON For more information about events, and to book, visit botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On. All activities have been planned with your safety in mind, including social distancing and hygiene measures. Events with the BF symbol are organised by Foundation & Friends, and these can also be booked by calling the office on (02) 9231 8182.

DUE TO THE EVERY-EVOLVING NATURE OF COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS ON OUR EVENTS, PLEASE CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION.

NEW YEAR’S EVE PICNIC IN THE GARDENS

Mare and Foal Lawn, Royal Botanic Garden Fri 31 December, 5pm–12.15am Welcome 2022 from one of the most desirable locations in Sydney – the Royal Botanic Garden. Foundation and Friends of the Botanic Gardens invites you to experience New Year’s Eve at our exclusive open-air waterfront picnic.

Situated on the Mare and Foal Lawn – one of the best vantage points in town – this self-catered picnic-style event is perfect for groups of all ages, including families with children. The event is fully enclosed in a secure area, where you will be able to stretch-out with your picnic rug and beach chairs to enjoy the fireworks show. The Mare and Foal Lawn is one of the few harbour-side locations in Sydney where alcohol (BYO) is permitted. Capacity is limited so that guests may have the freedom to relax in the ample space provided. Bookings available from Mon 1 November.

Suitable for all ages M $130 Member’s guest/s $150 (conditions apply) MC NC $30 (free under 5yrs) i BF botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On KEY: M Foundation & Friends’ member NM Non-member MC Member’s child NC Non-member’s child F Free Morning tea provided L Lunch provided R Refreshments provided MP Materials provided B rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au BF Book through Foundation & Friends New member gift voucher can be used i More information with booking

MT

30 THE GARDENS SUMMER 2021–2022

Photos: Craig Brokensha, Merchant & Green, Shutterstock, Mim Sterling, Charlotte Sandes, © Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust

CELEBRATION

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CLASSES, WORKSHOPS & TALKS

CHRISTMAS WREATH-MAKING

DIY NATURAL SKINCARE INSPIRED BY THE SEA

OUTER ISLAND WINE & CANVAS

The Calyx, Royal Botanic Garden Sat 4 December, 10.30am–12.30pm and 1.30pm–3.30pm Join the creative team from Merchant & Green to make a beautiful Christmas wreath. You’ll be supplied with premium ingredients including a natural driedvine wreath, metallic and fresh foliage, botanically-inspired decorations, and a gift bag in order to take your creation home. The emphasis is on using sustainable and biodegradable materials where possible. Suitable for 15+ M $85.50 NM $95 botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On

The Calyx, Royal Botanic Garden Sat 11 December, 10.30am– 12.30pm and 1.30pm–3.30pm Join Polly from Sage Cosmetic Coaching to learn how to make your own natural skincare using ingredients from the sea. Take home three luxurious products to enjoy yourself or give away as gifts.

You will make all your products from scratch. Suitable for 13+ M 4 $ 5 NM 5 $ 0 botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On

Maiden Theatre, Royal Botanic Garden Thu 10 February or Fri 11 February 6.30pm–9pm Sip wine, laugh with friends, and create your own masterpiece with the passionate artists behind Outer Island.

You will be guided, step-by-step, in creating your own painting of a Gardens-inspired bird to take home.

A great night out with friends, after-work drinks, or the first step toward learning to paint in a fun, relaxed environment.

M $85 NM $95 R MP i BF botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On

ASTRONOMY AT THE CALYX

FUNDAMENTALS OF PROPAGATION

TOMATO FESTIVAL SYDNEY

The Calyx, Royal Botanic Garden Thu 10 February, 7.30pm–9.30pm Join us for a night of astronomy and stargazing, surrounded by the captivating ‘Inside the Tide’ exhibition. Over a glass of wine discover what the night sky teaches us with First Nations astronomer Drew Roberts from Shared Knowledge. Then travel through space to visit mysterious planets with Dr Angel Lopez-Sanchez.

M $37 NM $41 MT MP i BF botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On

With Greg Lamont Maiden Theatre, Royal Botanic Garden Wed 16 February, 9.30am–12.30pm Join expert horticulturist and Growing Friends volunteer, Greg Lamont, to learn how to propagate plant species from the living collection of the Gardens. Guests will learn the fundamentals – from cuttings made from a range of indoor plants, garden shrubs and succulents, to understanding potting mixes and plant care. Guests will enjoy hands-on propagating, with take-home samples.

M $70 NM $85 MT MP i BF botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On

Online event Sat 19 February–Sun 20 February, Session times will be available on the website later in the year.

Celebrating its ninth year, Tomato Festival Sydney will go online in 2022, offering a fabulous range of inspiring live sessions for tomato lovers of all ages. Learn how to grow the humble tomato, cook tasty recipes honouring the tomato and more! botanicgardens.org.au/ tomatofestival

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EXHIBITIONS

IKEBANA AT THE CALYX

The Calyx, Royal Botanic Garden Sat 4 December–Sun 12 December, 10am-4pm Workshops and demonstrations on Sunday 5 & 12 December After every storm comes a rainbow.

Australia has seen much hardship over the past year. Let’s take time to celebrate our lives, look to the beauty of nature, and awaken our senses with gorgeous and uplifting ikebana art on display at The Calyx.

Suitable for ages 10+ F botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On

Sally Jackson

TRANSFORMATION OPENING NIGHT

Maiden Theatre, Royal Botanic Garden Fri 10 December, 6pm–8pm View the exhibition in person, ahead of the public, mingle with artists, sip wine, and enjoy shopping for artworks.

After a successful online exhibition, Transformation will include drawings, printmaking, photography, jewellery and sculptures, all featuring recycled material in an effort to shine the spotlight on our disposable lifestyles.

Suitable for 18+ M $55 NM $65 R i BF botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On

Round 2 Timbers 5

TRANSFORMATION EXHIBITION

Palm House & Moore Room, Royal Botanic Garden Sat 11 December–Sun 19 December, 10am–4pm This unique exhibition shines a spotlight on how we can reduce waste by the clever recycling and reuse of various materials including plastics, textiles, wood, glass and organic-found materials. All artworks are for sale.

Suitable for all ages F botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On

Bruce Illingworth

THROUGH THE SMOKE, THROUGH OUR EYES The Calyx, Royal Botanic Garden Tue 14 December–Sun 23 January, Open daily, 10am–4pm Showcasing the stories of our Blue Mountains Botanic Garden staff in response to the 2019 Gospers Mountain bushfire, this exhibition provides a moment for reection and a powerful opportunity to acknowledge and document the impact of the largest forest fire in Australia’s history on the Garden.

F botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On

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TRANSFORMATION X ARCHIE ROSE DISTILLING CO.

Maiden Theatre, Royal Botanic Garden Fri 17 December, 5.30pm–8pm Foundation & Friends and Archie Rose Distilling Co. present a night to enjoy a memorable cocktail while immersing yourself in the recycled art of the Transformation exhibition.

Enjoy appetising canapés and ticket includes an Archie Rose cocktail.

Suitable for 18+ M $50 NM $60 botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Presented by Cilla Campbell, Bathurst Street Printmakers & Creative Outdoor Group The Calyx, Royal Botanic Garden Mon 24 January–Sun 6 February, Open daily, 10am-4pm ‘Birds of a Feather’ showcases linocuts and mono-prints as well as pastels, watercolours, and charcoal and ink drawings. All participating artists have been mentored by Cilla Campbell, who they have studied and exhibited with since 2007.

F botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On

Photos: Hiroko Prado, Greg Bourke, Archie Rose Craft Spirits, Marinco Kojdanovski, © Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust

Hiroko Prado

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GUIDED AND SELF-GUIDED WALKS

GHOSTLY GARDEN

ABORIGINAL BUSH TUCKER TOUR & ABORIGINAL HARBOUR HERITAGE TOUR

Palm Grove Centre, Royal Botanic Garden Every Thurs, Fri & Sat, 11am & 1pm, sunset tours every Fri & Sat Our guides will immerse you in the rich Aboriginal culture of the traditional custodians of the Sydney city area, the Gadigal. Discover the ongoing connection of Saltwater People to Sydney Harbour and the ways plants in the Garden are used by the Gadigal.

Day tours: M $27 NM $30 MC NC $20 Sunset tours: M $38 NM $42 rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/aboriginal-experiences

Woolloomooloo Gate, Royal Botanic Garden Fri evenings at Sunset, 3 & 17 December, 14 & 28 January, 11 & 25 February Take a twilight adventure through the Garden in this spine-tingling event.

Hear spooky and kooky stories, and strange happenings from the Garden's past, as flying foxes flit above your head and owls stare from the treetops.

Suitable for adults and ages 12+ Adult must accompany under 18s M $37 NM $42 botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On

SUNSET SPOTLIGHT TOURS

NATURE THERAPY WALKS

• Palm Grove Centre, Royal Botanic Garden 19 December, 23 January, 20 February, 10am–12noon • Visitors Centre, Australian Botanic Garden 5 December, 9 January, 6 February, 9am–11am • Visitors Centre, Blue Mountains Botanic Garden 11 December, 15 January, 12 February, 10am-12noon Slow down and connect with nature through a series of sensory experiences.

Suitable for families and ages 13+ M $32 NM $35 botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On, australianbotanicgarden.com.au/What-s-On, bluemountainsbotanicgarden.com.au/What-s-On

• Visitors Centre, Australian Botanic Garden, Fri 21 January • Woolloomooloo Gate, Royal Botanic Garden, Sat 22 January Experience the Garden and its fascinating night-life on this adventure by torchlight.

We'll visit biodiversity 'hotspots' such as the ponds to look for nocturnal animals – some who fly in for the night, others who are long-term residents. We'll use our senses and some tech-gadgets used by our scientists to help us locate animals.

Suitable for adults and families M NM $42 botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On australianbotanicgarden.com.au/Whats-On

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ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN

KIDS IN THE GARDEN CHRISTMAS CHILDREN’S PROGRAM

• Royal Botanic Garden, Mon 20 December • Australian Botanic Garden, Tue 21 December • Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Wed 22 December (Santa’s Studio only) Join us at Santa’s Studio where your little elves can create beautiful Christmas crafts and presents from a range of art mediums and natural materials.

Additionally, in ‘Dreaming of a Green Christmas’, children will be able to join in the adventures of two elves who have been sent to Australia to prepare for Santa’s visit, but things don’t quite go to plan.

MC NM Visit website for pricing botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On, australianbotanicgarden.com.au/What-s-On bluemountainsbotanicgarden.com.au/What-s-On

• Royal Botanic Garden • Australian Botanic Garden • Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Various dates from 11 January–25 January Coming to the Gardens this summer are workshops that allow kids to build a miniature garden and experience a taste sensation with Indigenous bush foods and ingredients.

MC NM

botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On

•N ature Classroom (in front of Farm Cove Eatery), Royal Botanic Garden every Thu 10 February–31 March, 10am–12noon •B owden Centre, Australian Botanic Garden, every Wed 9 February– 30 March, 9.30am–11.30am •B runet Meadow, Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, every Fri 11 February–1 April, 10am–12noon Bring your little one along to explore, grow and develop in nature. Each week’s program is a combination of nature-based activities, games and stories, combined with supervised free-play time.

Suitable for children aged 2.5–5 years and their carers. Bookings essential.

MC NM Single Class $18, Full Term Pass $126 botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On australianbotanicgarden.com.au/ What-s-On/Seedlings-Nature-School bluemountainsbotanicgarden.com.au/ what-s-on/Seedlings-Nature-School

34 THE GARDENS SUMMER 2021–2022

Photos: Alice Bruyn, © Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust

SEEDLINGS NATURE SCHOOL

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

Foundation and Friends of the Botanic Gardens Ltd, Cottage 6, Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney 2000 Phone: (02) 9231 8182 Chief Executive Officer: Peter Thomas foundation.friends@botanicgardens.nsw.gov.au botanicgardens.org.au/foundationandfriends Office hours: Mon–Thu, 9am–3pm facebook.com/FoundationandFriends instagram.com/FoundationandFriends

MINDFUL YOGA CLASSES IN THE GARDEN

Bowden Centre & PlantBank, Australian Botanic Garden Led by Shanti Meera of Aum Unlimited Yoga. There will be a five-week mini-term from 14 Nov. Suitable for beginners and mixed-level experience ages 14+ M NM $188 for 10 weeks; $126 for five weeks, aumunlimited.com

MEMBERS ONLY HELPING HANDS Discover the work that goes into maintaining the Gardens and learn from the horticulture staff, taking direction from the team. Please wear sturdy boots and bring a hat, gloves, sunscreen and water. Join online as a Foundation & Friends member to participate in this exclusive and fun activity.

Members Only F

BF

i

Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah Education Centre Wed 1 December, Wed 2 February, 8.30am–12noon Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan Meet at the main car park Wed 8 December, Wed 9 February, 8.30am–12noon Royal Botanic Garden Sydney Foundation & Friends Terrace Thu 16 December, Thu 17 February, 8.45am–12noon botanicgardens.org.au/What-s-On

EDITORIAL Editor: David Carroll Designer: Lauren Sutherland Coordinator: Helen Goodall Arts writer: Sue Wannan Scientific advisers: Dr Marco Duretto, Dr Brett Summerell and John Siemon Regular contributors: Dr Brett Summerell, Miguel Garcia, Margaret Hanks, David Laughlin, Ryan Newett and John Siemon

Printer: Bright Print Group Print Post approved: PP 100004091 ISSN 1324 - 8219 Printed in Australia on paper made from FSC-certified and other controlled materials.

FSC® helps take care of the forests, and the people and wildlife that call them home.

Foundation and Friends of the Botanic Gardens supports the important work and programs across your Botanic Gardens – the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan and the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah. Our mission is to grow a strong, supportive community to advocate and raise funds for our Botanic Gardens and their vital horticultural, scientific, education and conservation work.

Join our vibrant community of members today by phoning (02) 9231-8182 or visiting rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/Join-Support/Foundationand-Friends-of-the-Botanic-Gardens

THE GARDENS SUMMER 2021–2022 35

ART IN THE RECYCLE An exhibition challenging people’s perception of “rubbish”, celebrating the reuse and recycling of waste through art.

11-19 DECEMBER Open 10am - 4pm The Palm House and Moore Room Royal Botanic Garden Sydney rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/transformation All artworks for sale. Free Entry.

Proudly supported by

Pinball by Tanya Reinli

Welcome in the new year at our spectacular harbourfront picnic on the Mare and Foal Lawn in the Royal Botanic Garden. With outstanding views this family-friendly BYO event is a great way to begin 2022.

BYO Picnic Tickets from $130

PICNIC Member Exclusive Open Air Event 2019 NYE Picnic by Craig Brokensha