Weather favoured the day for the Argyle Garden Club coach trip to Canberra.
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Organised by coach captain Annette Cave, members enjoyed a tour of the Australian National Botanical Gardens and a wander around Cockington Green.
The ANBG opened in 1970 and have 6000 species set within 35 hectares. It's the only site in the world where such diversity of Australian native plants can be seen together. The gardens are divided into either plant families or regions. In small groups of 10, our volunteer guides showed us around.
We weaved our way through the regions and saw: huon pines in the Tasmanian rainforest, Sturt Desert peas in the Red Centre Garden (where the soil had been brought from desert regions in 2013), grass trees that had various uses by Indigenous Australians; and a eucalypt lawn where more than 70 species grow. A new banksia garden will open next year in honour of English botanist, Sir Joseph Banks.
Our enthusiastic guide took our group off the path to explore a gully and creek section of the 'Sydney Region Forest'. It was hard to believe we were just five kilometres from from Parliament House.
After a delicious lunch at the Pollen Cafe, we headed to Cockington Green.
I couldn't remember the gardens from when I was there last (about 25 years ago), just the quaint models of English villages and the tiny figures on the cricket pitch.
This visit I couldn't help but notice the spectacular displays of salvia, conifers, impatience, begonias and roses - to name a few - as they surround the English, Australian and international miniature building models, which are replicas of actual buildings, and most handmade on site. The visit ended with some members taking a steam train ride around the gardens. The day was enjoyed by all.
Goulburn Rose Show
Congratulations to members Dawn Thorn, Ann Hockey, Robyn Rawlinson and Barry Thompson who had entries in the recent Goulburn Rose Show and won, and to Robyn Rawlinson who created and entered the Garden Club's display in "150 years Celebration of the Railway in Goulburn" and won first prize.
Next meeting
Our next meeting will be at the Soldiers Club at 10am on Tuesday April 23. RSVP president Iris Sturgis, 0417 651 433, or secretary Lynne Howe, 4821 5264.