Stories : Tasmania
She’ll be Apples…
A bit of apple tree-via … William Bligh, of the Bounty fame, pulled in to Adventure Bay on Bruny Island and planted Australia’s first apple tree. It thrived in the temperate climate and so Tasmania became Australia’s orchard. Depending on your beliefs, the very first apple popped up in the Garden of Eden and was mighty tempting. Granny Smith apples (best variety for cooking) were first grown by Mary Anne Smith in Eastwood, Sydney in the mid 1800s. I’m not sure who the Jonathan was who lent his name to those apples, but they certainly are delicious!
Being a temperate climate, Tasmania’s gardens are delightful any time of the year... hosts of daffodils in spring to roses in winter to the autumn’s deciduous trees blaze of colour. You’ll find rhododendrons, magnolias, ferns, cacti, succulents, formal gardens, mountain gardens, alpine shrubs, tulips, poppies, lavender and much, much more.
Many private gardens open regularly and welcome visitors, there are guided tours of gardens throughout the state and the national parks and reserves boast masses of wildflowers. Garden lovers will enjoy the Avi-Fauna and Flora Gardens at Margate, the Magnus Garden at Woodbridge, Morella Gardens on Bruny Island, the Scented Rose Garden at Glazier’s Bay and Jackson’s Daffodil Farm at Geeveston.
