Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney is a 74-acre oasis in the heart of the city, featuring over 27,000 plants and an impressive number of rarities. A recent visit to the garden revealed a wide range of plant species, including stromanthe, philodendrons, and gigantic bird’s nest ferns, as well as familiar Pacific Northwest garden plants like zinnias and roses. The garden also includes an impressive succulent collection and a stunning 150-foot-long, 20-foot-high curved living wall inside The Calyx.
The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney is a must-visit destination for plant enthusiasts, with its diverse range of plant species and stunning design ideas. According to Fionuala Campion, owner and manager of Cottage Gardens of Petaluma, the garden is an absolute magnet for anyone plant-obsessed, with 74 acres to explore and over 27,000 plants on display.
Plant Varieties at the Royal Botanic Garden
The garden features a wide range of plant species, including stromanthe, philodendrons, and gigantic bird’s nest ferns, which are typically found in humid, subtropical environments. However, the garden also includes many familiar Pacific Northwest garden plants, such as zinnias, fuchsias, petunias, salvias, geraniums, begonias, hydrangeas, and roses, which were found thriving throughout various borders. The garden's succulent collection is also impressive, with many happy succulents and cacti on display, despite the humid climate.
Exotic Unusuals
The garden is home to many exotic and unusual plant species, including blue ginger, red tower ginger, beehive ginger, and two urn plants - Aechmea rubens and Aechmea fendleri. These plants are oversized, lush, and humidity-loving, but are worth trying in more sheltered regions of the Pacific Northwest climate. The garden also features a beautiful border filled with familiar gaura, petunias, salvias, limonium, and more, with the glittering waters of Sydney Harbour and the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge as a backdrop.
Design Ideas Worth Bringing Home
The garden features many stunning design ideas, including a 150-foot-long, 20-foot-high curved living wall inside The Calyx, which is artfully arranged with ferns, colorful impatiens, and over 5,000 contrasting heucheras. The wall is supported by a specialized system that provides exactly the right conditions for the plants to thrive. The garden also features many beautiful plant combinations and displays, such as fountains spilling over with petunias and other colorful annuals, and a lovely late-summer border filled with a gorgeous tapestry of salvias, coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, and billowy ‘Rozanne’ geranium. The following table shows some of the plant species found in the garden, along with their corresponding USDA hardiness zones:
| Plant Species | USDA Hardiness Zone |
|---|---|
| Stromanthe | 11-12 |
| Philodendrons | 11-12 |
| Bird’s Nest Ferns | 11-12 |
| Blue Ginger | 10-12 |
| Red Tower Ginger | 9-10 |
| Beehive Ginger | 8-11 |
| Aechmea rubens | 10-12 |
| Aechmea fendleri | 10-12 |
| Zinnias | 3-10 |
| Fuchsias | 6-11 |
| Petunias | 4-12 |
| Salvias | 4-11 |
| Geraniums | 4-11 |
| Begonias | 6-11 |
| Hydrangeas | 3-9 |
| Roses | 4-9 |
The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney is a truly inspiring destination, with its diverse range of plant species and stunning design ideas. As Fionuala Campion notes, traveling internationally and visiting botanical gardens can be a rewarding experience, and the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney is no exception. The garden's design ideas, such as the curved living wall and beautiful plant combinations, can be replicated in home gardens, and the garden's plant species can be used to create stunning displays and borders.
