THIS month, the Friends of Ballarat Botanical Gardens are encouraging people to discover species in the green space\u2019s collection they may never have explored before.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone knows about the begonias, and this year\u2019s display is in the conservatory until the end of May, but they\u2019re just one of many plant collections in the Gardens,\u201d FBBG president Terry O\u2019Brien said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring the Ballarat Heritage Festival, we are focussing on the oaks collection.\u201d<\/p>\n
Between Saturday, 21 and Sunday, 29 May, FBBG volunteers are running activities and education sessions about the Gardens\u2019 24 different species of oak trees, targeted at all ages, with family activities, tours full of quirky stories, a sit-down talk, and exhibition on offer.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the small beginnings of an acorn, big things grow. Some of our oaks were planted late 1800s and now add to the grandeur in these gardens. What a legacy has been left for us to enjoy,\u201d Mr O\u2019Brien said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Turkey oak, or quercus cerris<\/em>, at the northern end of the Prime Ministers\u2019 Avenue, has the largest canopy of this species in Victoria at about 30 metres.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is such a significant tree of this species that it is heritage registered, as are others in the Gardens.\u201d<\/p>\n Although they may seem very old to humans, the oaks at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens are young in the grand scheme of things.<\/p>\n \u201cThe English oak is regarded as the king of the forest in Britain and has the potential to live up to 1000 years, with a height of up to 40 metres,\u201d Mr O\u2019Brien said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is something magnificent and powerful about these large trees that makes us humans quite insignificant and transient.<\/p>\n \u201cStand at the base of the druids oak located behind the Craft Cottage and see if you agree.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr O\u2019Brien said oaks do not only provide impressive shade, but are drought-tolerant due to their deep root system, and their leaves are less flammable.<\/p>\n