Attila Kapitany's garden, Melbourne

[MikeT]

I returned last week from a trip to Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. Many highlights, including half a dozen Botanical Gardens, and I'll try to post some pictures of some of the succulents seen. I had contacted Attila Kapitany before leaving the UK, and arranged to visit his Melbourne garden. It was one of the highlights of the holiday. My wife has never before been so enthusiastic for anything succulent related. My sister-in-law, not a succulent fan, was similarly impressed, and bought several plants for her garden (in Melbourne).

It was tricky finding enough adjectives to describe the garden. After 'brilliant', 'fantastic', 'beautiful' and a few more, the supply was inadequate. If you are ever going to be in the area, it is a 'must see'.

Some of you will no doubt have read some of Attila's books, including his Australian Succulent Plants an Introduction. He's also had some articles published in the Journal, including Australian native succulents (Cactus World Vol 26 p133-9, Sept 2008).

First picture is courtesy of Atilla's wife, Michele. Attila is on the left, myself on the right.

[MikeT]

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There's a limited range of colour: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, pink, white, brown, silver, gold, bit of black ... that's about all. Edit: forgot about grey, some of that in the foliage.

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Some of the basalt rocks found on the site:

Chorisia speciosa, not an Australian native:

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and detail of the trunk...

[MikeT]

Yellow Sedum cultivar and blue Senecio with 'Sunburn'

seating area..

I think this is Aeonium 'Velour'

[MikeT]

The lake is outside the garden, but some of the views make use of it

The blue stream flowing across the garden heads towards the lake

I'm not sure Attila cares for his livestock as well as he does his plants ...

the flowers are Australian Calandrinias

basalt rocks (foreground) make seats around the BBQ

In some areas, the colour is from foliage without flowers

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[MikeT]

one of the native Oz Bulbines

South Africa isn't the only place with endemic Mesembs. From the angular leaves, I think this is Carpobrotus

Mainly Carpobrotus, but with some Disphyma

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This is xDisphyllum 'Sunburn', a hybrid created by Attila, described in the March Journal.

[MikeT]

Did you notice? There are some cacti among the other succulents

Some Australian Bottle Trees (Brachychiton).

and finally one I hadn't come across at all previously, another Oz native, Doryanthes palmeri. It's more impressive than my photo suggests, especially when looking up at it

For more about the garden, look here.

I shouldn't finish without thanking Attila for his time in giving me a tour of the garden; it was a real pleasure to experience his enthusiasm for the garden, for the plants and for his work in identifying and publicising Australian native succulents.

[Keith L]

Thanks for sharing these impressive views with us, Mike.

Apart from the native Bulbine and Calandrinia (and were you implying the Carprobrotus is also native?) did you see any of the other native Australian succulents which he has done so much to make us aware of?

Regards

Keith

[MikeT]

The Carpobrotus is native, Keith

I saw Carpobrotus and Disphyma in a few coastal areas, the Carpobrotus being commoner, in Victoria for example along the Great Coast Road, Melbourne coast, and Phillip Island, and also in New South Wales near Sydney. It was also common on the coast in New Zealand, growing with Disphyma by the road along the beach in Christchurch, and again further north on the East coast, though I think this was C. edulis, which isn't native. Attila's book on Australian succulents lists 5 Carpobrotus species as native, 4 of them endemic. Brachychiton were growing in the Melbourne and Sydney Botanical Gardens, didn't spot any in the wild. I have a few pictures of succulents, not yet ID'd. Most of these were in coastal areas. I did spot this one growing epiphytically on a palm tree near Port Douglas, in Queensland, and think it's Dischidia nummularia.

Plenty of succulents in the Botanical Gardens, I'll get some of these posted when I've sorted through the pictures and downsized them.

I did buy some Australian succulent seeds, and will have to get the propagator going soon to get them sown.

[Liz M]

Stupendous is another word to describe the garden, it is wonderfu. lHe has the advantage of hot dry weather and it was summer.
The mesem flowers were dazzling and I am so envious. Fabulous Aeoniums and I think the big one was Aeonium 'Velor'. Looking forward to the next batch of pictures.

[Tina]

Stunning photo's and thanks for taking the time to post them.