Feature: Pangaringa Botanic Gardens

Pangarinda Botanic Garden was established by local members of the Australian Plant Society. Situated on 30 HA of Crown Lands, Pangarinda Drive, Wellington East, South Australia, the plantation has been planted in sections to represent plant regimes from different parts of Australia.

This garden is a link in a chain of endeavour to conserve Australia's threatened flora. We prioritize species from the highly modified drier agricultural regions of southern mainland Australia.

Winter is one of the best times to visit Pangarinda as there is such a huge collection of hakeas growing there and is the time when most are flowering. The very striking blue flowered Hakea Iehmanniana blooms right in front of the information bay at present. This Hakea is not common in cultivation. There is also the sky blue Lechenaultia biloba flowering at the same time throughout the gardens. Some species of the Kangaroo Paw are beginning to bloom, as well as Banksias, Dryandras and Petrophiles.

When visiting, make time to walk the marked walkway, it will take walkers from the information bay through plants of WA into the Oympic 2000 plantings of local vegetation. When the Tailem Bend School Pupils started planting in 2000 there were only weeds. Today the walk takes you through a bush land of favourite places for many of our bird life. Watch out for the small quails that scoot across from one bush to another. Also the noisy babblers, flying low from one bough to another. Note the danger calls from the New Holland Honey eaters when birds of prey fly past.

In May look out for Robin Red Breasts hopping along the fence, as well as a Golden Whistlers, giving their beautiful calls as they flit amongst the acacias.

Visit a collection of Australian plants that is amongst some of the best.