At a glance:

• The Perennial border/ Heritage roses

• Native Border

• Pinetum

• Other Collections of Interest

The Gardens collections have developed, as an eclectic mix of native and exotic plantings, including a significant collection of Pelargonium. The Geelong Botanic Gardens holds the Ornamental Plant Conservation Association of Australia Collection of Pelargonium.

The Camellia walk has been supported through the support of the Friends and is to be further developed to include a number of other garden plants from temperate Asia .

The Perennial border/ Heritage roses

Community groups in consultation with the Geelong Botanic Gardens staff actively manage both collections.

The perennial Friends spend the majority of Wednesday mornings in the maintenance and development of the popular perennial border. A large team from the Heritage Rose Society undertake a range of activities towards the upkeep of this feature garden which displays a wide range of historic Roses including a number of interesting species and early cultivars.

Native Border

The Australian native border was developed in the early 1960s associated with the extension of the gardens in the late 1950s. The focus for the Australian border in light of the collections review will be to emphasise native plants from a number of distinct plant communities. This is something of a biocimatic or habitat based approach as many zoos and botanic gardens now facilitate with the displays of regional flora and fauna. The plant communities proposed for the border include Scrublands, Woodlands, Open Forest and Closed Forest .

Pinetum

The surrounding Eastern Park landscape is one of very few Pinetums' in Victoria . The Eastern Park collection of Coniferous plant material is significant with many unusual and rare specimens located throughout. For example, there are six distinct variants of Cuppressus torulosa , and several outstanding specimens of the endangered Pinus torreyana . Stage One collections will have a representative collection of conifers from arid environments and will be featured as ancient plants within the Gondwana plantings.

Other Collections of Interest

The gardens have many other collections, several of which will be emphasised and refocussed within the collections review. These include; Salvia, Australian Native Orchids, Ariods, Fuschia, Bulbs, Buddliea, Berberis, Bromeliads, Palms, Cacti and Succulents, Carnivorous plants and Cycads.