
Vaucluse, near Sydney. Frederick L Fisher, 1874, watercolour.
© Sydney Living Museums.
Florilegium: plant stories from Sydney Living Museums' gardens
Native plants and exotic species from abroad have shaped Sydney’s gardens from the earliest days of the colony. The tales of their discovery, collection and exchange, and the horticultural trends that drove their popularity, unearth fascinating insights into some of Sydney’s most significant gardens and personalities.
From the lost inner-city garden of NSW Colonial Secretary Alexander Macleay at Elizabeth Bay and the extensive grounds of William Charles Wentworth’s Vaucluse harbourside villa, to the mid-century plantings surrounding Rose Seidler’s modernist home and the Bunya-dotted rural setting of Rouse Hill House & Farm, SLM’s gardens reveal captivating stories spanning more than 200 years.
Select a plant story below to discover the living history of SLM’s gardens.