SPRING in the Gardens 2014
TOURS
Booked Guided tours of the gardens.
Make arrangements for these tours at the
Conservatory or through Robert Clark Centre on 5320 5135.
Costs for these tours are $5. Local Ballarat groups are discounted - $2 per head.
A guided Sunday morning tour
Every Sunday morning in spring at 11am.
Meet at Conservatory. No booking required and no charge but donations to FBBG ( Friends) appreciated.
Self directed tours
Collect brochures with maps and information on the Statues, Significant Trees and Prime
Ministers Avenue.
Prime Minister Avenue
Check out the new addition in this avenue.
Julia Gillard - installation date - 9th October, 2014
Join the Sunday morning tour on 19th October at 11am that will focus on the PM avenue.
PLANTS
Sales
Growing Friends have plant sales from the trolley outside the Conservatory every day.
On Tuesday each week 1pm – 4pm and the second Sunday each month 1pm – 4pm
Plants are also available for purchase at their nursery near the Robert Clark Centre.
Tree of the month
Check out the information display in the conservatory. In 2014 the trees focused on are Gondwana trees. Gondwana trees are survivors from a far distant past when we had the supercontinent before it split up.
Bedding displays
Spring displays will include iceland poppies in the shades for yellows, oranges, pinks and white and also a mixed blue display of violas. Flowering from October will be foxgloves in shades of pink and apricot and mid September the red tulips planted with the violas around the statue house will be flowering. The main walk will have plantings of dutch iris and mixed anemone and the beds next to the conservatory will have mixed ranunculus flowering from late September early October.
Conservatory displays
The winter floral display in the Conservatory features Cyclamen, Cineraria, and Primula, with showy ornamental Kale & other complementary foliage.
The spring display in mid October will see a change to the very popular Schizanthus (or ‘Poor Man’s Orchid) Display. Whilst not a true orchid, this annual never fails to impress.
This spring will also feature for the first time, a selection from our newly acquired species Orchid collection.
BotaniKIDS
Friends of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, BotaniKIDS : Educating Group children’s
program. Enquires and bookings email:
Pick up Nature Quest BotaniKIDS pamphlet at the Conservatory to enhance that visit to the Gardens! Regular sessions for the under fives in the popular Coffee and Cake mornings. The
parents are treated to homemade cake and coffee while children are involved in book readings, Songs, nature walks and crafts.
Meet in the Robert Clarke Horticultural
Centre. 10am to 12 pm. Booking required. Gold coin.
September 23rd Coffee and Cake: Spring into Spring to celebrate all things flowering.
Octboer 22 Children’s Week activity: Crafty Botanicals from 1-3pm. Ages 3-10 yrs. No charge
November 11th Coffee and Cake: Remembrance Day, with Red Poppies.
December 3 Coffee and Cake: Christmas Ho Ho Ho
BALLARAT GARDENS IN SPRING EVENT
Friday 24 October, Saturday 25 October and Sunday 26 October 2014
Download the 2014 Ballarat Gardens in Spring brochure.
Announcing three days of celebrating gardening for the annual Ballarat Gardens in Spring event.
Organised under the umbrella of the “Friends” group the 7th Ballarat Gardens in Spring will feature our very popular Speakers’ Luncheon on the Friday with talks by prominent gardening personalities. The event will be held in the Robert Clark Horticultural Centre with morning tea and lunch in our magnificent Conservatory.
On the weekend, following the speakers’ luncheon (now SOLD OUT), a number of private gardens will open in the Warrenheip/Dunnstown and Invernay areas from 10am to 4pm each day.
This is the opportunity to see the work of other gardeners and be able to talk to them in their gardens. The open gardens are a way to get new design ideas, to discover new plants or simply to have a relaxing day out with family and friends.
For full details, please follow this link to the Ballarat Open Gardens website.
SPRING WONDERS
One of the heralds of spring in the gardens is the weeping apricot (in the western bed), Prunus mume 'Pendula' and surprisingly this year it was coming into blossom in late June.
Click on the Spring 2014 brochure below to read about the Spring Wonders at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens: Horse Chestnuts, Waratah, Roses, Monocotyledon Bed, Forest Pansy, Salvias, Tupelo, Southern Magnolia and Azaleas.