SERIES 36 | Episode 13
Costa visits the Children’s Garden in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, to take a look at how plants can be used for play.
The garden, opened 21 years ago, set revolutionary new standards in nature-based play.
Costa looks at some of the elements that make this space such a favourite with kids.
It has been scaled for children and includes some fascinating foliage, as well as places to hide away, roll down grassy knolls, run through water, or just sit and enjoy a picnic.
The gateway leads you through a stand of snow gums that sit among slices of local basalt rock and strappy grasses. When growing above the snowline, snow gums develop a low, twisted form as a response to the wind and weight of ice in winter; at home you can encourage this shape by weighing down branches to encourage lower, horizontal growth.
When pruning, think of being at a child’s height and prune lower to reduce the canopy to their level. This also encourages denser growth, as has been achieved in a tunnel of paperbark trees that envelops you as you walk through. This also creates a great contrast between the scratchy leaves and the soft, tactile, papery bark.
A stand of wonderfully wide boab trees has been planted so that you can’t quite see around them – perfect a for a game of hide-and-seek.
A stand of bamboos has made a perfect maze for running through and hiding, too. It’s a lot harder for adults to get between the densely planted stems, so a perfect retreat for little people!
Featured Plants SNOW GUMEucalyptus paucifloraBROAD-LEAFED PAPERBARKMelaleuca quinquenerviaQUEENSLAND BOTTLE TREEBrachychiton rupestris
Filmed on Bunurong & Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country | Melbourne, Vic
