Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Botanical garden in Mount Tomah, Australia.
Blue Mountains Botanic Garden is a botanical garden in Mount Tomah situated at approximately 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) elevation across expansive grounds. It houses thousands of plant species from around the world arranged throughout different sections of the property.
The land was granted to Susannah Bowen in 1830 and later used for dairying and three sawmills cutting coachwood, sassafras and brown barrel. From 1934 French-born horticulturist Alfred Brunet and his Australian wife Effie ran a cut-flower farm there, specialising in bulbs and cool-climate plants. They offered the land for a garden in 1972, and it opened to the public on 1 November 1987.
The name Tomah comes from a Darug word for tree fern, and the garden sits on land once owned by the Darug. An interpretive display by Suzanne Kenney tells a Darug story at points around the grounds. The Brunets' rhododendron hybrids, some planted by the couple, flower in spring.
Access is straightforward as the garden sits on well-signposted grounds with ample parking for vehicles. Visitors should prepare for changeable mountain weather conditions and wear comfortable shoes since the terrain is hilly.
The garden's name comes from the Darug word 'Tomah', meaning tree fern, and the site was a working cut-flower farm from 1934. French-born horticulturist Alfred Brunet and his Australian wife Effie grew bulbs and cool-climate plants there for Sydney florists before offering the land for a botanic garden.
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