On a warm Sunday, 9 Yarra Yarra members, students and 4 visitors made up a group keen to explore some of the gardens at Monash University. Ably led by Colin Gould, who spent several years working on these gardens, we noted the impressive number of mature trees, Colin pointing out their propensity to drop large limbs. All the plantings at Monash University since it started have been devoted to Australian plants (partial list to follow).
We stopped by the Engineering Department where some remains of the West Gate bridge and the story of its collapse were displayed. There were some lovely mature Melaleucas and indigenous plantings nearby. We proceeded to some newer developments, all quite healthy and lush despite the ongoing dry spell, irrigation being evident. After a cuppa we proceeded to the Earth Sciences garden, a magnificent display of nearly 500 rock specimens (some weighing up to 14 tons) ‘laid out to represent a pattern of rock outcrops and set among beautiful native plants representing each geographical region in Victoria’. Impressive and inspiring. Colin then took us back via the Rainforest section and two quite different pond areas. All in all an interesting and enjoyable day. Special thanks to Colin.
Some of the trees encountered:
Allocasuarina cunninghamii, A. torulosa, Angophora costata, Araucaria bidwillii (Bunya Bunya), Syzygium anisatum (was Backhousia anisata – Aniseed Myrtle), Brachychiton acerifolius, populneus, x grafted, Elaeocarpus reticulates, Corymbia citriodiora, C. maculata, Eucalyptus saligna, E. sideroxylon, Melaleuca linariifolia, M. styphelioides, Melia azedarach
Other plants encountered:
Alyogyne huegelii, Banksia marginata, B. robur, various Correas, Dianellas, Grevilleas, Lomandras, Thomasia, Eremophila nivea (mass planting), Indigofera australis, Lepidozamia, Leptospernum laevigatum, dwarf L. petersonii, Macrozamia communis, Marianthus bicolor, many Xerochysums
Report by Peter Smith
Australian Plants Society Yarra Yarra Inc. 