Rock, Water and Alpine

Rock Garden

For the past month I have been maintaining the gardens' Rock, Water and Alpine collections under the guidance of the collections curator, Robyn Abernethy. A diverse collection, the Rock, Water and Alpine section has been in development for over a century and boasts a vast array of beautiful and fascinating plants from around the world.

Dunedin Botanic Gardens’ Rock Garden is located in the lower section of D.B.G and is constructed on a northwest-facing hillside next to Lindsay Creek, a small waterway that flows through the lower gardens. The hospitable topography of the site allows for plants to receive maximum sunlight (bare in mind that this is the southern hemisphere folks- north is the new south!) whilst simultaneously being cooled by the amiable breezes that that blow down along Lindsay Creek. Construction of the rock garden began in January 1904 and was overseen by newly appointed Superintendent David Tannock. In 1911, the garden had grown to be 150m long and was populated by a collection of 150 native plant species.

Over the following century the rock garden has undergone numerous developments. After a period of degradation during the second world war due to lack of labour and supplies, a major renovation of the site was instigated between 1950 and 1960, which saw a reduction of the steepness of the slope on which the garden sat and the addition of terraces on the Lindsay Creek side. An assortment of new and larger rocks were also excavated from nearby ‘Three Mile Hill’ and incorporated into the design. The rock garden remained unchanged until 1989 when a large overgrown area at the north end of the site was developed, boosting it in size to over 2000m².

Today, the Rock Garden is one of the main features of the lower section of D.B.G, displaying around 940 plant species and cultivars ranging from bulbs and herbaceous perennials through to shrubs and trees. With only a staff of two to maintain the area, weeding it can be a daunting task. However, to the casual observer and the keen eyed horticulturalist alike the Rock Garden in Spring is quite a sight to behold. 

Looking West through the Rock Garden

Echium wildpretii  flowers close up.

Rock Garden circa 1914

Lower Gardens

Alpine House

Though significantly smaller in size than the Rock Garden, the botanics Alpine House displays a fantastic range of exotic alpine plants. Over 700 species from alpine regions around the world are housed in the gardens' propagation department though only around 20 will be displayed at any one time when they are deemed to be looking at their best. 

Alpine Display