Tuesday, November 2, 2022

Orchid Extravaganza a huge success!

Nearly 1300 people visited the Ken Burgess Orchid House and many more attended the plant sale in Queens Park at the recent Orchid Extravaganza.

Orchid sales were the main focus but other stallholders had a range of foliage plants including begonias and tassel ferns. Native Plants Queensland (SGAP Mackay) had a stall selling a range of native plants and Mackay and District Orchid Society (MDOS) sold a range of orchid propagating material and fertilisers.

MDOS and Pioneer River Orchid and Plant Association (PROPA) both ran raffles. There were presentations throughout the day on a range of topics including how to grow, divide, propagate and care for orchids.

Thank you to everyone who attended. We look forward to seeing you next year!

Carols in the Gardens

Carols in the Gardens, hosted by Star 101.9 and Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens, will take place at the Meadowlands Amphitheatre on Saturday, December 3.

This year’s event is a combination of Carols in the City and Christmas in the Gardens.

There will be an amusement area and a variety of food stalls to enjoy. You also have the opportunity to bring chairs or a blanket and enjoy a picnic. As the event in being held in the Botanic Gardens, this is an alcohol-free event.

Before

After

What's flowering in the Gardens

The team installed a new planting along the Cane Wall in August of this year.

The plants have been loving the recent rains and are currently displaying beautiful flowers. If you are looking to add any of these species to your own garden, please see the list below.

Artanema fimbriatum, Chrysocephalum apiculatum, Eleocharis geniculata, Eremophila debilis, Geranium solander var solanderi, Hypoestes floribunda, Juncus usitatus, Lobelia gibbosa, Lobelia membranacea, Pratia concolor, Rostellularia adscendens, Wahlenbergia gracilis, Wahlenbergia capillaris, Wahlenbergia sp., Xerochrysum bracteatum, Xyris complanata

Pollinator Week: November 12 - 20

If you have visited the Gardens recently, you would have noticed the increase in flowering plants as well as insects.

Australian Pollinator Week is a designated time when communities, businesses and organisations can come together to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators and support their needs. It acknowledges our important and unique insect pollinators during the spring.

The pollinator pictured here is Amegilla sp., commonly known as a Blue-banded Bee.

Keep an eye on our Facebook page for more details regarding activities during the week.

More information

What's on display in the Lagoons Gallery?

Current exhibition: "Whitsunday Wlidlife" by Art Whitsunday Inc.

"Whitsunday Wildlife” is a collaborative exhibition by members of Art Whitsunday Inc. This exhibition features original artworks which highlight the broad theme of wildlife in the Whitsunday region.

Each artwork is the artist’s individual reflection or interpretation of this theme.

This exhibition will be on display in the Lagoons Gallery within the Botanic Gardens Café until Sunday, December 4.

The Café and Lagoons Gallery are open Wednesday to Friday, 9am to 2pm, and weekends, 8am to 3pm (closed Mondays and Tuesdays).

December holidays

There will be a variety of school holiday activities in December. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for more announcements.

The Gardens Shop has plenty of gift ideas for any nature lovers in your life. Stop in to get your holiday shopping sorted.

At this stage Visitor Information will be closed for the holiday period from Saturday, December 24 and will reopen on Tuesday, January 3.

Birdlife Mackay Monthly Bird Surveys

Birdlife Mackay holds monthly bird counts in the Botanic Gardens to assist in monitoring the status and trends of local bird populations across the Mackay region.

If you are a keen bird lover/bird watcher, we would love you to join in!

The next bird surveys in the Botanic Gardens will be held on:

Friday, November 25
Friday, December 30
Friday, January 27

Meet the group at the Viewing Deck (next to the Café) at 6am (please note earlier start time during the warmer months). For more information, please contact activitiesbirdlifemackay@outlook.com

New day and time for free guided walks

To accommodate the warmer weather and encourage visitors who cannot attend morning sessions, our free guided walks will be held every Wednesday at 4pm for the month of November.

We would love to see you get involved and join us to learn about different plants in our Living Collection. Walks start from Botanic Gardens Visitor Information (Administration) at 4pm and go for an hour at a leisurely pace.

Book your spot by phoning the Gardens on 4952 7300.

For information on the Mackay Regional Botanic Garden's programs and events visit the
Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens website

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Mackay Regional Council · Gordon Street · Mackay, QLD 4740 · Australia