Come and meet the newly elected Committee of Management, enjoying supper after the AGM and guest speaker John Bentley, President of Melton Botanic Garden. AGM at 5.30, Guest Speaker at 6.15 pm and Supper at 7.00 pm.  Free Event.

The oldest Botanical garden was in China in 138 BC when Emperor Wu had 2,000 different plants in hothouses. Over 2,000 years of Chinese horticultural endeavour enrich gardens in the rest of the world. Come and see how many of our plants had origins in China. Meet your guide at the front gates.

As the 14th July is ‘Bastille Day’ the Friends are going to celebrate with a French Supper and a movie, The Secret Garden.  Come along and enjoy the Bastille Day Menu: Mushroom Vol-au-vents , Quiche Lorraine, Vegetarian Quiche, French Onion Soup with Baguettes, Blue Cheese Canneles, Goats Cheese and Tomato Tarts, Savoury Croissants, Macaron Raspberry Sponge Biscuits,  Profiteroles, Chocolate Éclairs and Fruit Flan. The venue this year will be the Newcomb Library Theatrette (upstairs from the Newcomb Library, there is a lift for easy access) the corner of Queenscliff and Wilsons Rd. The Secret Garden is the enchanting classic story by Frances Hodgson Burnett, telling the story of a prickly and unloved 10-year-old girl, born to wealthy British parents in India. When they die suddenly, she is sent back to England to live with her uncle, Archibald Craven (Colin Firth) at Misselthwaite Manor, a country estate deep in the Yorkshire moors. With only the household maid for company Mary begins to uncover many family secrets, particularly her sickly cousin Colin who has been secretly shut away since birth. Mary discovers a wondrous garden, locked away and lost within the grounds of Misselthwaite. She befriends local boy Dickon and, through his knowledge of nature and the garden’s restorative powers, together these misfit children restore and delve deeper into the mysteries of the garden – a magical place of adventure that will change their lives forever.

Meet your Guide at the Front Gates Geelong' Botanic Garden has three centuries of gardens. Join your Guide and explore how the political, social and scientific trends of the times influenced their development. Discover how the trends of the times affected their layout and design, and how they still speak to us today.

TICKETS NOW SOLD OUT. We have great pleasure in inviting you and your friends to the Friends of the Geelong Botanic Gardens  Annual winter lunch on Tuesday 17th June 12-3pm at Mt Duneed Estate. The cosy venue will be the Vineyard Room with panoramic views across the vines towards the Barrabool Hills. Head Chef Daniel Duve will prepare a gourmet two course lunch followed by tea or coffee. Drinks will be available at bar prices. The venue provides generous onsite parking, with disability access.                                                                  Following lunch our guest speaker will be Caroline Davies. 'GARDENING IN POTS' Before her current inner-Melbourne garden, Caroline Davies had five larger gardens, over the years, with the majority of plants in the ground. For the past twenty-six years her focus has been on contained plants. Initially she was influenced by the pot gardens in Greece filling flights of steps, ledges on walls, balconies and window-sills. With her long association with the Mediterranean Garden Society, her preference was for drought-tolerant plants, but her collection is eclectic ranging from Vireya rhododendrons and shrubby begonias to cyclamen and snowdrops. Closely connected are the links with gardening friends, places in the wild where such plants grow, and the challenges associated with their culture. It is an addiction which fills her later years with joy and a retreat from the present turbulent world. Caroline ran wildflower and garden tours for some 30 years with her late husband, David Martin. Caroline was the past President, 2016-2022, of the Mediterranean Garden Society. During the lunch our fabulous raffle will tempt you to purchase tickets with the draw at the conclusion of proceedings. Bookings have now closed. Please contact the office for further information Ph: 03 5229 0071 Email: info@friendsgbg.org.au.  

VOLUNTEERS SOUP LUNCH GUEST SPEAKER: JOHN ARNOTT In appreciation for our wonderful volunteers, ALL PAST AND PRESENT VOLUNTEERS are invited to celebrate the gift of volunteering and friendship. FREE EVENT RSVP for Catering Purposes Please - due by Friday 16 May Please Inform the Friends of any dietary requirements. If you are, or have been, a Friends' volunteer and would rather RSVP to the office, please contact the Friends Office on 03 5229 0071 or info@friendsgbg.org.au

Car-pool with friends for a great day out in late Autumn, visiting Friends patron Stephen Ryans’ private rambling “Tugurium” garden at Mt Macedon, commencing with a delicious morning tea before the tour.  At 12.00 pm a home-style 2-course lunch at the Macedon Horticultural Society Hall, followed by tours of two more glorious private gardens, will complete a wonderful day for garden lovers. All-inclusive ticket and all welcome. An itinerary will be provided on booking.

PLANT NURSERY LOCATED at the Rear of the Geelong Botanic Gardens Looking for something different and priced well below major retail outlets?  Come and be tempted by our Salvias, Pelargoniums, Australian Plants, Perennials, Grasses and Succulents, sourced from our beautiful Botanic Gardens.  Access can be arranged from Nursery for pickup of large plant purchases.   Entry is from the Gardens only. 

Ellis Rowan was a world-famous Australian artist who will be honoured with a public statue in Mt Macedon where she lived. Mount Macedon and District Horticultural Society has commissioned the life-size bronze sculpture of Ellis Rowan, who explored Australia and remote parts of the world hunting for wildflowers, rare plants, insects and birds to paint. Ellis was a prolific artist from the 1870s to 1922, winning the approval of botanists and the patronage of Queen Victoria. Today few people know her name. Join the Friends at the CWA Hall in Boundary Road, East Geelong, for supper and to hear our patron Stephen Ryan talk about Ellis’s contribution to botany and the art world. You will have the opportunity to donate to the appeal for the statue honouring Ellis’s legacy. Receipted donations are tax deductible and all are welcome. This is a Free Event, however Bookings are Essential  

EVENT FULLY BOOKED Thursday 27 February 2025 9.30 TO 11.30 AM Free Event including GUIDED WALK & MORNING TEA Maximum 50 people each date The Friends of Geelong Botanic Gardens will host a special guided walk for Geelong Seniors. You will be in the hands of trained Guides offering an introduction to Geelong's garden jewel, Geelong Botanic Gardens. This will be followed by a professionally catered morning tea and a welcome to the Gardens by members of the Friends, who wish to encourage Seniors to actively enjoy the ever-changing Gardens and learn a little about the plant collections, in the company of other Seniors. By popular demand, we will offer a walk and morning tea on two different days, to cater for larger numbers. This event has been supported by a City of Greater Geelong Positive Ageing grant. BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL! Book here online or contact the Friends' Office on 5229 0071 or info@friendsgbg.org.au to book your place and receive a confirmation itinerary.

EAST GEELONG GARDEN: Location details provided after payment. A late Summer garden has been lovingly created by member Helena Buxton, who has opened her garden many times but is excited to show us her newly styled garden. Reflecting the need for water conservation and drought proofing our gardens, Helena has been thoughtfully working towards these goals. A visit to the garden at Arundel at the end of Summer offers a view into a changing landscape. Since arriviing in Geelong 15 years ago trees have become a dominant feature. The growth and shade that the trees, offer is now presenting opportunities for garden change. A few experiemental beds have tested plants, this is an ongoing task and each season new species are adopted and others eliminated. Join the Friends for Morning Tea and the popular Friends’ Plant Sale that is usually held in Spring, in this wonderful large productive garden.        BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL If you would rather pay for your ticket in person, please contact the Friends' Office on 03 5229 0071, the office is open Mon-Frid 9.00 am to 2.00 pm.   

Learn this traditional art of single brush stroke and double colour loading, to produce the classic subjects of the Four Seasons: Bamboo, Orchid, Chrysanthemum and Plum Blossom. Also, butterflies, bees and some Australian flowers. Suitable for all levels from beginners to advanced. Left handers catered for. Tradition-History-Philosophy Further images and bio: www.stephencassettari.com   Day 1 Brush Storkes-Use of Bamboo brush Bamboo-Use of double colour Lunch Orchid-Harmony of composition Chrysanthemum-Introduction to Insects   Day 2 Plum Blossom-Harmony of Opposites Lunch Wattle-Gum Blossom-Chi rhythm Past -Present-Future   Equipment list:- Bamboo brush-Available from tutor $5 (cash only) Set of watercolour tubes Newsprint paper-Scrapbook Low water container Two white saucers-as palette Old tea towel Small cup-for Chinese tea PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE: The Workshop will be held in the Austin Grey Centre at the Geelong College, 85 Aphrasia Street, Newtown. *Next to Keith Humble Centre (Corner Aphrasia St and Claremont Ave) , enter via Aphrasia Street Street Parking available