Araluen volunteer George Davies with garden supervisor Alan |Colman.
Camera IconAraluen volunteer George Davies with garden supervisor Alan |Colman. Credit: Supplied/David Baylis

Spring has sprung for Araluen blooms

Staff ReporterComment News

Garden supervisor Alan Colman said the rose collection had burst into bloom weeks earlier than usual.

He said more than 2000 rosebushes grew in the park, representing about 500 varieties, many of which were too large to be common in domestic gardens.

They are mostly heritage varieties, including some ancient tea roses and countless Alister Clarks, and the next type to flower will be the French Gallicas, which have only a short spring season but a ‘fantastic’ scent.

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‘You only get one chance to look, about six or eight weeks,’ he said.

Mr Colman’s next project is making a species garden of entirely wild rose varieties, rather than the hybrids found in nurseries.

So far, he has about 35 ready to plant, sourced mostly from private collections around Perth and other parts of Australia.

Volunteers Jackie and George Davies from the Heritage Rose Society love to lend a hand.

They meet with other volunteers every Thursday morning and spend an hour or two ‘dead-heading’ the roses.

They always need more volunteers. Call the park on 9496 1171 for details.