Botanic Gardens Trust, Sydney, Australia

Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW

Event Name World’s largest outdoor Begonia garden
Start Date 26th Jun 2007
End Date
Duration N/A
Description

World’s largest outdoor Begonia garden

Media release: 26 June 2007

Begonias are tropical and sub-tropical plants generally kept in glasshouses, but the world’s largest outdoor collection of Begonias is at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.

To achieve this feat, plants and seeds were collected from private and public collections in Australia, USA and France. The Begonia garden now has 80 species and a further 60 cultivars growing.

The Begonia Garden was inspired by a veteran of 17 years volunteering at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Begonia Society of NSW member, Peter Sharp.  A team of volunteer begonia enthusiasts assist staff at the Royal Botanic Gardens to maintain and develop the collection.

A path winds through the Begonia Garden with seats at either end.  Palms, ferns, a selection of colourful exotic plants and large rocks add texture to the huge range of Begonia plants and the whole precinct protects the first tree planted in the Royal Botanic Gardens, a Manna Ash (Franxinus ornus).

Visitors will see a border of Begonias with pale pink flowers at the southern end of the garden. This cultivar is Island Gem bred by Peter Sharp, the driving force behind the creation of the world’s largest outdoor collection of Begonias.

Hi-res images can be downloaded from our website, contact Stevie King for login details.

This media release was issued by Stevie King at Royal Botanic Gardens.
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