‘Wirilda’ Rhododendron Garden

‘Wirilda’ Rhododendron Garden

‘Wirilda’ Rhododendron Garden by Joanne Priestley  Introduction Toolangi is home to lush mountain forests of gigantic Mountain Ash and some incredible ‘European’ tree specimens. The Copper Beech (Fagus sylvatica f. purpurea) at ‘Arden’ was planted by C.J. Dennis and...
Toolangi Potato Research Station (The Spud Farm)

Toolangi Potato Research Station (The Spud Farm)

Toolangi Potato Research Station (The Spud Farm) by Corina Horstra by Corina Horstra   Introduction Today, potatoes make up an important part of the Australian diet, but in the 1930s the potato was an even bigger part of what Australians were eating every day. So when...
Strawberry Runner Plant Growing in Toolangi

Strawberry Runner Plant Growing in Toolangi

Strawberry Runner Plant Growing in Toolangi by Joanne Priestley by Joanne Priestley  In the 1950s, the yields from strawberry fruit crops in Victoria were low and declining. To a large extent this was due to repetitive vegetative propagation of plants infected with...
Rimington’s Nursery

Rimington’s Nursery

Rimington’s Nursery by Joanne Priestley by Joanne Priestley  George Rimington arrived from England in 1871 and in 1877, established the Parkhill nursery in Kew, Melbourne. George, his five sons, and grandsons expanded the business over the years to include several...