The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden at Mount Tomah is located 1000 metres above sea level within the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. The original owners of the land were the Darug people, and ‘Tomah’ is reportedly translated as tree fern. It was originally covered in rainforest, and the fertile soil is attributed to ancient volcanic activity. It is located on the Bell’s Line of Road and the area was initially explored in an attempt to find an alternate crossing to the Blue Mountains.
The site of the botanic gardens has had a varied history, and in the 1930s it was purchased by Alfred and Effie Brunet and used for cut flower production, supplying into the Sydney market. They proposed the transfer of their property to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, and the park has been open to the public since 1987.
The garden is set out over 252 hectares, and is Australia’s largest botanic garden. It is a cool climate garden with plants grouped according to their geography. There are a number of different gardens for exploration, including a formal garden inspired by traditional garden design, rock garden, bog garden, rhododendrons, conifers and woodlands.
Highlights include a Wollemi pine and giant redwoods, the bright rockery plants and the wide grassed expanses, tempting bare feet and encouraging picnics and relaxation. The majority of plants are signposted, and I wandered through rose and vegetable plots, passed by the lushly lawned picnic areas, traipsed through patches of rhododendrons and azaleas, found the rockery and flannel flowers and the extremely unusual turquoise flowers of a Chilean plant.
You could easily spend all day wandering around the sprawling garden, with something of interest just ahead to encourage you on. There are various tours on offer, and I was able to get a good grounding of the park on a garden shuttle bus tour. There is a fine restaurant and cafe if you feel a bit peckish or forgot to pack your picnic lunch.
This is a magnificent place, breathtaking in its beauty, with much to offer as the seasons change throughout the year.
Where do you go for a slice of botanical beauty?
[Photo: one of many wonderful vistas from Mt Tomah]
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The mixture of altitude (about 1,000 metres above sea level) and the soil conditions combine to create conditions in which these plants thrive, and they are at their best in autumn and winter.
When most plants seem to be conserving energy for spring, these South African plants are full of colourful energy.
The blooms are popular as cut flowers, and there was a display of them in the visitor centre. The pictures behind the protea feature some of the beautiful bark around the extensive gardens.
The day I visited the garden was one of a clear sky with warm sunshine, with only the chill on the wind as a reminder of winter.
Proteas are available for sale at the garden, and there is a guide to growing them at home here.