Melbourne University garden tour: the System Garden

This week on The Horti-Culturalists, the last of our four part series looking at the wonderful grounds and gardens of the University of Melbourne. This week we're going to take a look at the System Garden and meet head gardener Virginia McNally who'll explain JUST what a system garden is and what it's used for! The university grounds are open to the public so do take a look if you are in Melbourne and the System Garden is open during the week only. Many thanks to The University of Melbourne and to head gardener Virginia McNally for taking the time to explain the garden to us. The plants and plan groups we cover in this video are:
Cycads
Cephalotaxus - Japanese Plum Yew
Taxodium distichum
Agathis moorei
Phyllocladus aspleniifolius - celery pine
Dyckia rariflora
Puya mirabilis
You can watch our other videos featuring the grounds of the University of Melbourne here: • UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURN...
0:00 introduction to the System Garden
1:30 interview with Head Gardener Virginia McNally
9:47 moss, lichen & ferns
10:16 Cycads
13:06 Cephalotaxus - Japanese Plum Yew
13:58 Taxodium distichum
15:50 Agathis moorei - Kauri pine
17:40 Phyllocladus aspleniifolius - celery pine
19:45 Angiosperms
21:11 Dyckia rariflora
21:43 Puya mirabilis
22:09 Bee & insect hotel
23:17 Asteraceae - the daisies

[@dewdan11dnd46]

🫶✨🌿My goodness, I didn’t want this vlog to end. Virginia and the team, are maintaining and nurturing, such a beautiful space. Stephen and Matthew, thanks for showcasing and walking us through the system garden, genesis. Each vlog is anticipated with interest. Not that I know or, may remember many of the taxonomic families or,species, which they belong but, nonetheless it’s a beautiful education. 👍💞🌱

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching - so glad you enjoyed it!

[@railiedouglas3018]

Thanks for the tour gents! Very enjoyable.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Our pleasure!

[@galecunningham1250]

Wonderful and informative! Really enjoyed this video. Thanks so much.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Many thanks for watching!

[@kimutaikatwa381]

Hi, I am Kimutai from Kenya. Big fan. I like your Melbourne tours. In the tours that you have done, I have seen one or two tree aloes, probably aloe dichotoma or quiver tree. Despite using it as a backdrop in some scenes I haven't seen it featured. I think you need to include this beautiful african tree in one of your future videos. My suggestion.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching - we'll see if we can work it into a future video!

[@enac1]

Great video! Learned so much, thanks!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@HolidayGlow]

What a great concept and beautiful garden! Happy to see Plum Yews in there - one of my favourites - and curious to know what the silvery blue cycad at 11:40 is? What interesting looking foliage!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

I think you are talking about Encephalartos horridus. Regards Stephen

[@ceceliahuynh]

Why do shasta daisies smell so funky? They make lovely cut flowers but they are a rank, odiferous presence in a vase.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Unfortunately it is what it is. Their scent is probably quite attractive to their pollinators. Regards Stephen

[@MDA-rs4uf]

when it comes to taxodium ,,,,,,i grow them but my favorite is taxodium ascendens..... do you like it ,,, as well as i do???.. i love the more rounded whispy needles.... i have several and they have become my favorite and i probably won't plant another distichum... i am going to try one that i've never tried before but am hoping will be o.k. here called mucranatum... i'm sure i didn't spell it right at all but it's mexican and they do not send up the "knees" which are indeed a pain in the you know what..... a fellow from texas sent me 3 so i'm planting them soon in my swampy area.....

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Ascendens is indeed a lovely thing. Mucronatum is visually quite similar to distichum but don’t hold that against it. Regards Stephen

[@MDA-rs4uf]

this next question isn't associated with a video but i'll ask,,,,,,,, do you like Enkianthus Campanula...... i have just learned to grow it after killing a couple but now i have 2 that are going well...... i really like it and hope that it will get big enough to enjoy.... these 2 are about 3 ft. now....

[@gardenwitheden]

Great video! I'm a new subscriber! BTW I also have a small gardening channel 🌽🌶🍆🍅🥒

[@thehorti-culturalists]

welcome aboard and we hope you like our content. Good luck with your channel by the way. Regards Stephen