30 April, 12.30 pm David Taylor and Kevin Collins ‘The New Banksia Garden at the ANBG’ - POSTPONED

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Thursday, 30 April 2020 - 12:30pm

POSTPONED - further information to follow

David Taylor, Curator of Living Collections, ANBG, and Kevin Collins, Banksia specialist from Western Australia, will talk about the new Banksia Garden at the ANBG.  They will take you through some of the challenges, thinking, planning and collaboration that has gone into bringing this garden to reality and why all the efforts are worthwhile.

Abstract

The Banksia Garden at the ANBG is a new garden celebrating, and dedicated to a very special and unique group of Australian plants.  Dave followed by Kevin will take you through some of the challenges, thinking, planning and collaboration that has gone into bringing this garden to reality, and why all the effort is worth it.

Biography

Dave Taylor is Curator of the Living Collection at the ANBG and Project Manager for the new Banksia Garden development.  His interest and work with Banksias started way back when he was a horticultural apprentice and chose to work specifically on prostrate Banksias from Western Australia as part of his assessment.  This fuelled a lifelong interest in the diversity and ‘cultivation challenges’ associated with Banksias.

Kevin Collins and his wife Kathy grow the world’s only complete collection of Banksias in their garden at Mount Barker, Western Australia.  Kevin's biography includes:

  1. A self-taught banksia and botany enthusiast who with wife Kathy, collected and grew from seed the world’s first and only complete arboretum of banksia species. Awarded a fellowship from Land and Water Australia.
  2. Co-author with Kathy and Alex George of the major reference “Banksias” 2008.
  3. Consulted locally, USA, UK and Western Europe on banksia floriculture.
  4. Current partners for ANBG Canberra’s new Banksia Garden for their 50th anniversary in 2020.
  5. Assisted several Australian and overseas students with their banksia PhD projects.
  6. 2001-2018. Ran a guided garden tourism enterprise on our property “Banksia Farm”, in Mount Barker, W.A. along with a banksia nursery and banksia seed enterprise.
  7. Current leader with wife Kathy of the ANPSA Banksia Study Group.
  8. Provided banksia blooms for KPBG Chelsea exhibit, Sydney Para-Olympic game bouquets and specimens for renown botanical artists, including Margaret Pieroni & Celia Rosser.
  9. Several appearances on ABC Gardening Australia, Better Homes and Gardens along with articles in Qantas In-flight, National and Australian Geographic.