Mount Annan's spectacular paper daisies unveiled

After months of hard work, the nets used to protect the young plants have now been removed, revealing a stunning and truly Instagram-worthy sight.

Paper daisies are a native flower to the Western seaboard, making The Australian Botanic Garden one of the few places visitors can enjoy mass plantings of the flowers on the east coast. Throughout September and October, magnificent species of Rhodanthe and Schoenia will cover 2000m2 of the Garden in a sea of bright pinks, whites and yellows (that’s the size of 1.6 Olympic swimming pools!)

Hit play below and listen to Curator Manager, John Siemon, and the legendary Graham Ross from Better Homes and Gardens talk about more amazing features at the Australian Botanic Garden. If you like the episode, subscribe on your podcast app to receive fortnightly science and horticulture content. 

Spring is always the best time to see your local botanic garden at its finest, particularly when stunning plants such as the paper daisies have been planted.

 

JOHN SIEMON, CURATOR MANAGER OF THE AUSTRALIAN BOTANIC GARDEN MOUNT ANNAN

The nets are placed over the various beds to ensure that younger plants are protected from birds and other local wildlife during early growth. When the weather begins to warm as we move into spring, these magnificent beds will grow to around half a metre tall.

This year the display will be joined by the iconic flower-bee sculptures, which have buzzed over from the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. These colossal creepy-crawlies will be a perfect addition to the new Instagram frames and decals which will be dotted around the Garden, guiding visitors to take the perfect photo.

This annual display draws crowds from all over Sydney, as one of the most stunning and ‘Instagram-able’ natural events in the Western Sydney calendar. If visitors want to create their own beautiful botanic display next year then paper daisy seeds will be available at the Visitor Information Centre. Here are our basic tips on growing paper daisies at home:

• Plant daisies in autumn, as the weather cools down, to ensure full bloom in Spring
• These species love sunlight!
• Ensure you have well drained soil.

The first stage of the net-removal process started today, with all nets to be removed over the next week. The display is best seen from the middle of September, when Spring is in full swing, in the flowerbeds around the Connections Garden. Be sure to share you images with us on Instragram @AustralianBG.

The removal of the nets marks the end of the stunning wattle display in the Wattle Garden, but there are still some weeks left to see the beautiful national emblem of Australia in bloom and covering the Gardens in a golden hue.