#PlantLoversChallenge #LoveSeasol #BotanicGardensDay 2022

Proudly sponsored by Seasol International, we held the #PlantLoversChallenge throughout the month of May.

The challenge was to simply tell us (and show us!) why you love plants, and you could win 1 of 3 Seasol Hampers valued at $50 each!

We were very impressed with the entries. So many plant lovers out there! It was hard to choose, but the three major winners are:

Natsuko Locke, from Wannanup in WA, who wrote: I love kangaroo paws, unique and bright coloured Australian iconic flower which make me happy. I’m very proud to success for growing from seeds.

Belinda Burns, from Stanhope Gardens, NSW, who wrote: Banksia spinulosa, my kids call them dinosaur toothbrushes! They look prehistoric, but oh so majestic! Beautiful native blooms in the backyard.

Emma Karpin, from Bilgola Plateau, NSW, who wrote: Memories of Snugglepot and cuddle pie and the thought that the big bad banksia man is nearby make me smile when I see this flowering!

We hope you followed us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, or subscribed to our YouTube channel!

Online Events with Costa Georgiadis

This year’s theme was Plant Passions.

We hosted and presented forums and webinars aimed at industry professionals and the plant lovers out there.

Costa Georgiadis hosted online events throughout May. Each had around 5,000 viewers via Costa’s social media pages, from all over the world.

The four webinars were:

Plant Stories – Thursday 5 May at 7:00pm (AEST)

With Toni Roberts, Director and Designer at Hatchling Studio, and Raydeen Cuffe, Visitor Experience Team Member at Wellington Botanic Garden.

Watch it here.

Rare Plants Large and Small – Thursday 12 May at 7:00pm (AEST)

With Matt Coulter, Horticultural Curator at Botanic Gardens (SA), and PhD students at ANU (Canberra), Tobias Hayashi and Ryan O’Donnell.

Watch it here.

Plant Hunting – Thursday 19 May at 7:00pm (AEST)

With Emma Simpkins (nee Bodley), Botanical Records and Conservation Officer at Auckland Botanic Gardens, and Andre Messina, Botanist at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

Watch it here.

Paleobotany and Gondwana – Thursday 26 May at 7:00pm (AEST)

With Professor David Cantrill, Chief Botanist and Director at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

Watch it here.

Webinar winners

At the beginning of each webinar, Costa informed the viewers that they could win a Seasol prize pack if they answered a question correctly at the end. This kept everyone on their toes! The winners were (surprisingly) all from Victoria. They were:

• Paula McGlashan, from Truganina
• Wesley Webster, from Glenroy
• Kalli Thodis, from Doncaster East
• Terence Moon, from Monbulk.

Plant Treasures – In Conversation

Nurseries and living collections play an important role in conserving native plant species. We hosted an Industry Webinar with ANPC on Thursday 12 May and chatted about current practice and future needs.

We heard from plant experts as they discussed topics including:
– cutting propagation in the conservation nursery
– trials, tribulations, and triumphs in managing a seed orchard
– biosecurity considerations in living collections.

You can view the webinar recording here.

Botanic Gardens Day – Sunday 29 May 2022

Botanic Gardens Day is an annual day of celebration, to shed light on the role of plants in our lives and the important work botanic gardens undertake every day to conserve them for future generations.

More than 100 botanic gardens, arboreta and gardens across Australia and New Zealand will celebrate Botanic Gardens Day with their respective communities.

Find your nearest BGANZ garden

Costa Georgiadis was out and about on Botanic Gardens Day

On the morning of Botanic Gardens Day, Costa was on Melbourne Radio 3CR Gardening Show (855 AM www.3cr.org.au) with John Arnott, Clare Hart, Tex Moon and Tim Uebergang from Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. If you missed the show, you can listen here.

If you were in the Cairns area, you could pop in and see Costa Georgiadis live at the Cairns Botanic Gardens on Sunday 29 May. Watch him as he gets a tour of the Watkins Munro Martin Conservatory with the curator, Dr Charles Clarke, here.

If you were online, you could join Costa for breakfast via Facebook or Instagram, live from Cairns Botanic Gardens, and then head out to your nearest botanic garden and celebrate botanic gardens day.

Check your local botanic gardens website or Facebook pages to see what great activities they had planned for Botanic Gardens Day.

Botanic Gardens Day Background

Launched in 2016, by ABC TV’s Gardening Australia Host, and Botanic Gardens Day Australian Ambassador, Costa Georgiadis and New Zealand Ambassador, Jack Hobbs. Each year this event has over 100 botanic gardens, arboretum and gardens in Australia and New Zealand taking part and celebrating the vital work botanic gardens do for plant conservation.

Many Gardens hold special events on the day every year. To find out what your local garden is planning check your local Gardens websites and social media channels for details.

Thanks to our Botanic Gardens #PlantLoversChallenge partner Seasol International for their fantastic and ongoing support.

If you have any questions please forward to Dr Rebecca Harcourt: media@bganz.org.au