Episode 2: An Arid Garden for the Future
In this episode we learn about a special garden that Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria have created as a response to Climate Change.
After the substantial donation of over 3000 rare cacti, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria’s new Arid Garden, designed by renowned Landscape Architect, Andrew Laidlaw, is almost ready to open to public and it features some very special plants.
The Garden would not have been possible without the cacti and succulent collection of enthusiast, Robert Field, who donated over 3000 cacti and succulents over 400 species.
Well known Melbourne Landscape Architect, Andrew Laidlaw, also designed the Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden and Guilfoyle’s Volcano.
The Royal Botanic Gardens have re-opened to the public and the Arid Garden is due for completion in mid November.
To discover more about what’s going on at Royal Botanic Garden click through to their website here.
Would you like to read the text of this episode again? No problem. Below you can read the story, An Arid Garden for the Future.
Climate change, is one of the biggest threats to Melbourne Gardens and other public gardens throughout Australia. Melbourne’s future climate will be hotter and drier, with increased probability of extreme events such as heatwaves and floods. If future scenarios eventuate, with predictions of minus 15% annual rainfall and an increase of 3 °C in annual maximum temperature, the future climate of Melbourne in 2090 could be more akin to present-day Dubbo, NSW.
To address this, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria’s Melbourne Gardens, will launch a new Arid Garden, well suited to these future conditions.
It will feature over 3000 cacti and succulents, including 400 different species of plants.
Many of the plants were sourced from the renowned ‘Fields Collection’ of Victoria. Ralph Field, who began an extensive collection on his property in Tennyson, Victoria. The collection includes plants that were brought to Australia in the 1930’s, when German explorer and botanist Harold Blossfeldt collected cacti and succulents on South American expedition. Ralph’s son Robert continued to carefully maintain the collection.
Andrew Laidlaw, Landscape Architect at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, says the arid landscapes of the America’s have greatly influenced the design of the garden, including the pole cactus and the vistas of the Saguaro National Park in Arizona, where many of the plants were originally sourced from.
From a bird’s-eye view, the Garden design is based on the molecular structure of an arid plant, with a large space which is broken into smaller spaces with pathways on which to wander and view plants.
“Arid plants are well suited to our changing climate, they are very resilient, require little water and are aesthetically, very dramatic,” says Andrew. “If you think about an arid landscape, simplicity is what makes them so strikingly aesthetic. Simplicity is key to delivering a successful and exciting arid garden,” he says.
The tragic story of Thomas Chirnside who came to Australia with nothing but the bible, a little money and optimism. Joined by his brother Andrew and wife to be Mary, the friends successfully built a pastoral empire, bred famous race horses and acquired respect, fame and fortune. However, this was short lived and the three met devastating ends.