Wet season brings lush growth at the George Brown Botanic Gardens
There’s a flurry of activity at George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens after a lively wet season delivered a welcome splash of new growth and with it, a list of challenges and opportunities for the year ahead.
During the week of 15 April, we took delivery of our ‘bio control’, a predatory ladybird, to help in the elimination of the papaya mealybug (Paracoccus marginatus) which has seen many Darwin gardens under attack, particularly the pawpaw, frangipani and hibiscus plants.
The ladybirds were released at sites which showed papaya mealybug infestation. They will reproduce as they eat their way through the mealybug population. Ongoing monitoring to check their progress and plant health will occur. We will closely monitor their progress and check the health of the plants at risk.
One key attraction of the Gardens to the local community is the regular plant sale run by the Friends of the Darwin Botanic Gardens. The last plant sale was held from 8 am – 12 noon Sunday 21 April. Hundreds of people visit the Gardens to pick up a bargain at the plant sales. The Friends continue to be a strong and committed support of the Gardens and our activities. Keep an eye out for the next plant sale in a few months!
Sunday 26 May is Botanic Gardens Day 2024, where more than 70 botanic gardens across Australia and New Zealand host a day of celebration to highlight the role and beauty of plants in our lives. An important part of the day is displaying the work botanic gardens and arboreta undertake every day to conserve gardens for future generations.
Each year the Botanic Gardens Day has a specific theme with this year’s theme being ‘more than a garden… protecting our plants and landscapes’. This year’s theme reflects the fact that botanic gardens and arboreta are not only nice places to visit, but they also engage in ecological research, safeguard plant diversity through living collections and seed banks, in educating and empowering communities to instil a greater understanding and awareness of environmental sustainability.
Details of our upcoming Open Day at the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens will be communicated in coming weeks.
