Araluen Botanic Park Tulip Festival opens in WA

By Deryn Thorpe

Left to right: Faye Arcaro (former HMAA member), Colin Barlow, Bob Melville, Deryn Thorpe, Sue McDougall and Yates’ WA State Sales Manager Gemma McQuade.

150,000 tulips put on an impressive spring display.

HMAA member John Colwill is a long-time supporter of Araluen. Note the spectacular heath banksia (Banksia ericifolia) flowering behind the tulips.

Nothing brings HMAA members together like a garden event and Araluen Botanic Park Tulip Festival opening, earlier this month, was the perfect opportunity for a get-together with afternoon tea.

The festival features displays of more than 150,000 tulips and 36,000 spring blooms, which were planted by groups of volunteers in autumn. The gardens have an internationally recognised collection of camellias and an abundance of azaleas and deciduous magnolias, which also put on a spectacular show during the festival, which runs from August to October.

Araluen Botanic Park in Roleystone is a 45-minute drive from the Perth CBD. The park covers 59 hectares, much of it native bush, and has been open to the public for 90 years.

This year the festival, which is sponsored by Yates, features an augmented reality show where visitors can chase fairies and catch frogs by scanning QT codes.

The event was launched by the Honourable Kim Beazley AC, Governor of Western Australia and attended by the Hon Matthew Swinbourn MLC, Hugh Jones MLA, Member for Darling Range, and Armadale Mayor Cr Ruth Butterfield.