Friends of Ballarat Botanical Gardens

FBBG NEWS 

Friends Quarterly Meeting   Thursday 19th May, 10am, Robert Clarke Horticultural Centre

We have a varied program of speakers with updates and news covering Fairyland, History group, Fernery, Australian Friends Conference. Lots of happenings at this meeting to interest members, including morning tea.

Ballarat Heritage Festival

There is plenty happening in May for the Friends, including our quarterly Members Meeting, the Ballarat Heritage Festival (May 21st– 29th) https://ballaratheritagefestival.com.au/ and the National Botanic Gardens Open Day (May 29th). 

A lot of the focus for our activities during May will be on our Mighty Noble Oaks. We have an interesting and varied collection in our gardens and we are using this time to celebrate them and learn more!

Photos: Ann Brech & Kim Nolan

 

Ballarat’s Mighty Oaks Exhibition   21st–29th May, 9am-4.30pm daily, Statutory Pavilion, Free

Photos and information panels informing how oaks fit into the world. Over 20 Oaks (all found in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens) will be highlighted.  Read about the oaks and then go and find them and be amazed! 

 

Talk - Celebrating the Oak   Sunday May 22nd, 2pm, Robert Clarke Centre, $10 (includes afternoon tea)

John Hawker, long time horticulturist and former adviser with the Heritage Council of Victoria will present fascinating celebratory stories about the Oak. John has assisted the National Trust with development and management of the Register of Significant Trees in Victoria.  Please book using the link: https://www.trybooking.com/BYZKV  *Please email or phone the office if you need any help with bookings.

 

Walking Tour - Quirky Stories Behind the Oaks  Sunday May 29th, 2pm, Meet outside Conservatory, Free – no need to book 

Join us on this special day - National Botanical Gardens Day - for a guided tour of the mighty Oaks that were once yesterday’s acorns!  Discover the variety of Oaks and find out more about their individual stories and their impact in our world.

 

Family Fun - Heritage at Botanikids - A Digital Microscope Peek into Ancient Oaks!  Sunday 29th May, 10am-12pm, Gatekeeper’s Cottage, Nursery Drive near Fernery  

See heritage oaks, collect leaves and acorns, bark and sticks.  Discover the weird and wonderful world of ancient oaks on a digital microscope.  Plant your own Aussie ‘oak’ and create a cork and acorn creature.

Cost: $5 per child (cash or card) Supervising adult with child (Age 6-10 recommended), Register on Ballarat Botanikids Facebook: ‘Heritage Kids Post’

 

A visit from Gardening Australia host – Costa!

We had an unexpected visit from Costa last week when he was filming in the gardens!  He checked out our Plant Trolley, visited some of our growers in the Nursery and then visited our Cottage to see what Botanikids do! He is passionate about gardening and was so interested in everything the Friends are doing!

He was so impressed with the Cottage and what Julie and her team do with Botanikids he did a live video stream on facebook.  Click on the link below to see it.  It is such a fantastic promotion for the Friends, the Gatekeepers Cottage and the Botanikids!

Costa visits the Botanikids in the Gatekeeper's Cottage Video

The Friends Nursery with some of our Growing Friends

Costa loving our Plant Trolley - Ann and Kim thought he might like to buy a plant!

Costa with our Botanikids!

Costa was very impressed with our new Microscope in our GateKeeper's Cottage!

The new 'Evolution of Plants Display'

 

Our Newsletter - 'Wellingtonia' Autumn 2022 

 

BotaniKIDS Fairyland Walk