Botanic Gardens
Rose garden
The David Jones Memorial Rose Garden provides colour right through the summer into early winter, with its peak flowering being early spring and autumn.
Wagga Wagga provides ideal growing conditions for roses. When in full bloom the rose garden is ablaze with colour.
Exotic Section
This area contains trees, shrubs and flowers from areas other than Australia and tends to be the most colourful part of the gardens. The borders surrounding this section are ablaze with annuals and herbaceous plants, with various shrubs making periodic splashes of colour.
There are many tree species here, ranging from large Planes and Poplars to small Pistachios and a Dawn Cypress which was thought to be extinct for millions of years until found growing in China.
Rainforest Gully
The rainforest gully is accessed by the red gum steps and displays assorted ferns and rainforest trees. The whole area is kept moist and humid by an automatic spray system that operates throughout the day to create the conditions required to grow these rainforest plants and trees in a very hot and dry climate like Wagga Wagga.
Some picnic tables are situated on the edge of this area so people can take advantage of these conditions during the summer months.
Australian Native Flora Section
This pleasantly secluded area is entered via a lattice arch festooned with Hardenbergia (Happy Wanderer). Plants are grouped by genus with beds of Grevillea, Banksia, Hakea and Eremophila.
Many of the shrubs featured in these borders have been left unpruned and have grown naturally.
Water Wise Garden
The Water Wise garden was developed to demonstrate and provide practical advice on landscaping and irrigation which can be used to reduce water usage. The garden displays are all hands-on and systems can be seen and touched. Both native and exotic plants are incorporated into the garden, all of which are labelled for easy reference.
Island and Bamboo Garden
These gardens overlook a pond and have been developed with the assistance of the Wagga Wagga Sunshine Rotary Club. With a Gazebo surrounded by a spectacular bamboo garden this area is very popular for weddings and is booked out most weekends.
Camellia Garden
This garden was established as a Bicentennial project by the Quota Club of Wagga Wagga, the Hume Region Branch of the Camellia Society, the Wagga Wagga City Council and various other sponsors.
Within the garden you will find one of the most comprehensive collections of Camellias within Australia.
Camellias are not the only plants to be found in this area, as interest has been added by including other plants with similar cultural requirements, including Azaleas, Magnolias, Japanese Maples and Rhododendrons.
The establishment of this garden was taken as an opportunity to cement a sister city relationship with Kunming in China, the cultural home of the Camellia. This relationship was furthered by the generous gift from the City of Kunming of a Chinese City Entrance Gate, Pavilion and a marble Chinese lantern.
A team of craftsmen from the City of Kunming, using tools and materials that have hardly changed in 1000 years constructed these flamboyant features.
The best times to view this garden are August for the Camellias and October for the Azaleas.
Shakespearean garden
This small garden was developed with funds provided by the Shakespearean Society of Wagga Wagga.
The garden is designed on the stylish line characteristics of the Elizabethan period. The small formal beds are planted and trimmed to form what is known as a Knot Garden, which is a style typical of the time.
Most Elizabethan gardens were enclosed as is this one, and were an extension of the functional herb garden.
Tree Chapel
This Chapel was funded by the Combined Churches of Wagga Wagga, as part of a Bicentennial Project.
Initial works involved cutting into the existing hill to form the bowl shaped amphitheatre that you now see. During this excavation work a layer of solid rock was uncovered at the base where the altar now stands. It was decided to utilise the rock stratum as the wall of the altar dais, since its character was sympathetic with the rustic atmosphere that was to be created.
All other fixtures within the Chapel have been made of rough timber in an effort to recreate the naturalistic atmosphere of an early Christian period.
Clergy of the receptive Churches of the Inter -Church Council dedicated the chapel on 27th July 1986.
Cactus and Succulent garden
This area features drought resistant plants from Africa and America, which is another Bicentennial Project with the assistance from the Cactus and Succulent Society of Wagga. All plants within the garden originate from areas with low rainfall and have adopted succulence as a method of withstanding drought.
Although the shapes and spines may not appeal to all, no-one can deny the beauty of the flowers these plants produce. The best time for observing flowering is in late spring and early summer.
