Justicia species unidentified [1]

An unidentified species of Justicia or a related genus. See Justicia carnea Lindl. for more information.

Added on February 22 2010

Rosa rubiginosa L.

It forms a shrub growing to 2m or more, very branched, the leaves sweetly scented when bruised, the flowers single, usually solitary or 2 or 3 together, pale pink and cup-shaped, borne in summer.  [FNSW, Paul (1848, 1888), Gore, Rivers (1854), Don, Willmot].

Added on February 11 2010

Reinwardtia indica Dum.

Frost tender, open, erect to spreading shrub with elliptic, finely-toothed, green to greyish leaves, to 8cm long, and axillary clusters of funnel-shaped, bright gold-yellow flowers, to 5cm across, from autumn to spring.  To 90cm.  [RHSE, Hortus].

Added on March 20 2009

Acacia linifolia (Vent.) Willd.

Fully-hardy, sparsely branched, arching shrub with narrow, linear leaves (phyllodes) and terminal, rounded heads of fragrant cream flowers in slender racemes from summer to winter.  To 2m.  [RHSD, Beadle, FNSW].

Added on February 15 2009

Disocactus x mallisonii (Otto & Dietr.) Barthlott

A hybrid cactus, Disocactus flagelliformis x D. speciosus. Frost tender, pendant, perennial cactus with dark green, ribbed stems, dark yellow spines and funnel-shaped, diurnal red flowers, to 7cm long, mainly on the upper stems.  To 15cm.  [RHSE, Hortus].

Added on March 02 2010

Amorpha fruticosa L.f. var. oblongifolia E.J.Palmer

See  Amorpha fruticosa L.f. for a description of the species.   Oblongifolia is a cultivar with narrow leaves and purple flowers.  [RHSD].  

Added on November 22 2009

Corylus avellana ‘Cosford’

A cultivar of Corylus avellana L. ‘Husk hairy, as long as the nut, and deeply cut. Nut large, oblong. Shell of a light brown colour, very thin, so much so as to be easily broken between the finger and thumb. Kernel large, and well flavoured. An excellent early nut, and the tree is an abundant bearer.’ [Hogg – Fruit Manual p.131/1860].

Added on April 25 2010

Improvements to Hortus Camdenensis

The Hortus software has been upgraded. This led to some minor errors in the layout of plant names, particularly in the headings of Plant Profile pages but these have now been largely overcome. Improvements are also progressively being made to the content of the Hortus in three main areas, botanical and horticultural history, cross referencing and illustrations. Some enhancements will be done as the opportunity arises but most will be completed family by family. This will take at least two years to complete.

Published Sep 14, 2010 - 04:06 PM | Last updated Aug 12, 2012 - 04:36 PM

Sir William Macarthur on Vines and Vineyards

Sir William Macarthur wrote extensively on vines and Vineyards. It is our intention to publish all his writings in the Hortus.

Published Aug 01, 2010 - 04:58 PM | Last updated Oct 04, 2010 - 04:47 PM

Working Bee dates

Working Bee dates for 2012.

Published Jun 29, 2010 - 02:59 PM | Last updated Jan 10, 2012 - 05:19 PM

Open House and Gardens

Camden Park House and Gardens will be open to the public on Saturday 22nd September, 2012, from 12.00 noon until 4.00 pm, and Sunday 23rd from 10.00 am until 4.00 pm.

Published Dec 30, 2009 - 02:58 PM | Last updated Jan 09, 2012 - 05:31 PM

Australian native plants in the Hortus

Australian native plants were important to the gardening enterprises of Camden Park.  Even today Australian trees such as Araucaria species, Agathis robusta, Brachychiton populneum, Lagunaria pattersonia, Grevillea robusta and several species of palm very much define the landscape of the gardens.  Australian plants, particularly native orchids and ferns, were sent to England in large numbers in exchange for the exotic plants that were so much desired by Macarthur and his fellow colonists.

Published Mar 13, 2010 - 05:22 PM | Last updated Jul 30, 2010 - 02:32 PM

Memorandum from the Antipodes: Colouring of Grapes

The following Memorandum was submitted to The Gardeners’ Chronicle by William Macarthur in 1854. Although written in response to a particular problem aired in the columns of the newspaper some months earlier, it adds considerably to our understanding of commercial wine production at Camden Park, in particular the preferred grapes and the style of wine best suited to the colonial conditions. We are also given insights into the problems caused by ‘sudden abstraction of labour attending our gold crisis’, which caused considerable disruption of agrarian and other commercial activities in Australia for some years.

Published Jun 30, 2011 - 04:42 PM | Last updated Jul 21, 2011 - 11:12 AM

Letters on the Culture of the Vine Part 2: Climate and Soil

Letters on the Culture of the Vine and Manufacture of Wine by Maro, pen-name of William Macarthur. Letters I and II deal with climate, site and soil.

The entire book is reproduced in the Hortus in ten parts. For background information and Macarthur’s Introduction to the book see Part 1.

Published Sep 01, 2010 - 03:26 PM | Last updated Jul 21, 2011 - 11:16 AM

Letters on the Culture of the Vine Part 10: The Wine Cellar

Letters on the Culture of the Vine and Manufacture of Wine by Maro, pen-name of William Macarthur. Letter XVIII, the final letter, describes the construction and operation of a wine cellar. Although Macarthur writes ‘I have not had so much experience practically in the construction of this description of buildings, as with the majority of the details, upon which, I have endeavoured to communicate information’ it seems likely that the building he describes in such detail is modeled on the Wine House at Camden Park, the remains of which survive. Indeed, in discussing the perfect site, he also writes that ‘such in fact is the description of site adopted at Camden’. The illustration used here is a photograph of the ruins of the Camden Park Wine House showing the brick and sandstone vats built in the cellar of this building 170 years ago. These are ‘of two sizes, which contain respectively, 900 and 1,700 gallons; and we use them, as well to ferment in, as to store the wine in afterwards.’ So well built were these vats that William Macarthur asserted ‘they will probably endure without repairs for generations’. He was certainly correct in this as, although they have not been used for more than 100 years and have been open to the elements for much of this time, three of these vats are still in good repair today. The other two are partly collapsed. In this final letter Macarthur also describes the construction of brick wine bins such as are to be seen in the cellars at Camden Park house. A photograph on one of these bins is given in Part 9.

The entire book is reproduced in the Hortus in ten parts. For background information and Macarthur’s Introduction to the book see Part 1.

Published Oct 03, 2010 - 03:00 PM | Last updated Jul 21, 2011 - 11:10 AM