American garden shaping up

riends of the Melton Botanic Garden committee member and coordinator of the project’s planting team Max Thompson at the garden. (Supplied).

Updates on the development of Melton Botanic Garden’s Californian, Central and South American garden were shared at the Friends of the Melton Botanic Garden’s meeting this month.

With Texas Madrone, Blueberry Ash, Valley Oak, and Mexican Weeping Bamboo some of those currently growing in the Melton Botanic Garden, the first plantings in this section began in July 2023 and will be completed over a five-year planting period from then.

Friends of the Melton Botanic Garden committee member and coordinator of the project’s planting team Max Thompson presented at the meeting, hosted on May 14, about how the plants will look in the garden in the future.

President John Bentley said the group has “got some really significant trees that we’ve planted that are going to be spectacular in a few years“.

“Max joined the group about two years ago and had an interest in the Californian, Central and South American garden, so he’s been helping plant and manage that garden since we first started planting,” Mr Bentley said.

“He took us on a time travellers journey and he looked at the plants as they are now and how they may be in 20-50 years time.

“I covered the design and the construction of the garden, so that covers getting all the soil there, the shaping of the garden, the creation of the paths and the beds.”

Mr Bentley said that if anyone would “like to join the Friends in managing this garden, then they would be most welcome.”

Details: fmbg.org.au