Plant yourself in Wollongong for Botanic Gardens Week celebrations

It’s now 10 years since Botanic Gardens Day was born. It marks a special milestone for Wollongong’s own Botanic Garden, whose staff were instrumental in instituting what’s become a much-anticipated annual celebration throughout Australia and New Zealand.

It was at the 2015 Botanic Garden Australia & New Zealand (BGANZ) National Congress in Wollongong that our own garden staff initiated the plan for a national event that was held for the first time in May 2016.

Now in 2025, this national event has been expanded to become a week-long celebration where everyone is invited to visit their local botanic garden to explore their garden collections, connect with nature and learn about the role they play in protecting plants for future generations.

Commencing on 19 May, Botanic Gardens Week will be celebrated by more than 100 botanic gardens across Australia and New Zealand with a theme of: Guardians of the Green – Protecting our Future.

Wollongong Botanic Garden will host a series of free activities throughout Botanic Gardens Week (19-25 May). Sunday 25 May will see a host of free community workshops, nature walks and tours, including the return of the popular Behind the Scenes Nursery Tours between 11am and 3pm.

Brand-new activities include the Compost Creations – a fun and engagement drop-in activity for kids - Wild Native Bees Walks, Rose Garden Results Talks and Poetry to Music performances.

The Garden’s expert horticulturalists and Wollongong’s Botanic Gardens Week ambassador John Gabriele, host of ABC’s Compost Heap Show will be on hand to help residents select the right plants for their gardens the pop-up native plant sale on the Towri Centre Deck.

Apart from being a tranquil place to enjoy nature’s offering, this theme highlights the important role botanic gardens play in conservation, education and outreach in their local communities.

“If you’ve ever set foot in Wollongong Botanic Garden, for a walk, a picnic, a family gathering, you know just how spectacular it is,” Lord Mayor of Wollongong Councillor Tania Brown said.

“While we’re all familiar with its natural beauty, our Botanic Garden facilitates a host of Council’s community and environmental programs across our whole local government area and supports key objectives of our Urban Greening Strategy.

“The Botanic Garden Nursery looks after endangered plant species to support scientific research and supplies locally sourced plants to our more than 40 volunteer Bushcare and Dunecare programs, as well Council's own natural area regeneration teams.

“Our Botanic Garden Is certainly a community asset to be celebrated, and I encourage people to get out and experience it during Botanic Gardens week.”

Program , Sunday 25 May, 11am to 3pm.

• Native Plant Sale:11am to 3pm. Towri Centre
• Compost Creations Kids Activity: Turpentine Lawn
• Behind the Scenes Nursery Tours: 11am & 1pm. Towri Centre Deck
• Wild Native Bees Walks: 11am, 12pm & 2pm. Towri Centre Deck
• Rose Garden Results Talks: 12pm & 2pm. Rose Garden
• Anti AI Aesthetic - Poetry to Music: 11am & 1pm. Turpentine Lawn
• Garden Discovery Buggy Tours: 11am to 3pm. Leaves from Duck Pond
• Friends In the Garden (FIG) Stall: 11am to 3pm. Towri Centre
• Buzzing about Native Bees Stall: 11am to 3pm. Towri Centre
• Nature Wellness Trail: all day from the Turpentine Lawn