Springtime at Araluen

Spring has well and truly sprung and Araluen is blooming. Araluen Botanic Park is a hidden gem, featuring a diverse range of exotic and native species of plants. Occupying 59 hectares, set amongst a native backdrop of Eucalyptus, Marri and Blackbutt trees are delightful developed gardens.

I have visited Araluen many times, in all seasons, but nothing tops a warm spring day meandering around the multitude of winding paths admiring the sea of tulips.

First planted on the terraces of the Grove of the Unforgotten in 1934 the massed plantings are now home to Perth’s largest display of tulips. Flourishing amongst the native backdrop you can delight your senses on an enchanting journey through 145,000 tulips. You will find tulips hidden in every corner of the park, highlighting stunning bursts of colour from the 80 varieties of tulips.

But it’s not just tulips you will find at Araluen, they have internationally recognised Camellias, tea roses, colourful annuals, gracefully mature magnolias, rhododendrons, azaleas, peonies and waratahs. The sweet scent of the Magnolias in full bloom lure you through the park and the gorgeous colours make the stroll most enjoyable.

It is so relaxing to wander over bridges with softly cascading waters and enjoy the beautiful scenery with a picnic on the large grassed areas. It is essential to set aside several hours for rambling through the many walkways, up through the hillside, admiring the beautiful gardens, natural waterfalls and impressive displays of tulips. There are many park benches strategically placed throughout the park to rest your weary legs.

The bulbs are stored in the cool room until the end of May ready for the massed spring bulb plantings that take place in June. They do a double plant into each hole, where they plant two different varieties of bulbs. This gives five weeks of flowering instead of three as the first ones flower, then the second spot through for mixed colour and once the first have died down it leaves the second variety to take over.

Tulips are a brilliant spring flowering waterwise plant because they grow when the water is available in the soil and die back when the soils dry, in harmony with the environmental extremes.

It is definitely worth a visit to see Araluen ablaze in colour, but be warned, the crowds flock to Araluen to see the spectacular display. There is ample parking at Araluen and the fees are currently $20 for adults and $10 for children. Once inside take your time wandering around to enjoy a picnic and spend the day appreciating the impressive display.

Araluen Botanic Park is a slice of greenery amidst the bushlands of Roleystone, the lush tulips are like a make-believe world, where we could almost believe we are somewhere in Netherlands. Understandably, most people look at tulips and think of the Dutch, but just like Melbourne has the Tesselaar Tulip Festival and Canberra has Floriade, next time you see tulips you can think of Perth and the breathtakingly beautiful, Heaven in the Hills. Another worthwhile botanic garden to explore is Springfield Botanical Gardens in Missouri USA, a local treasure offering lots to see any time of the year.

Have you been to Araluen and seen the tulips? Does this sound like an ideal place to relax and escape to a green space?

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