The Hilly Bits at Swinburne

Last one. This one could easily be construed as not being a park, but friends of mine and I use it like a park. And anyway, this is my blog, so I'll decide what's a park and what isn't. That being said, welcome to the wonderful world of...

The Hilly bits at Swinburne!

Since taking these photos I've realised that I probably didn't capture the hilliness quite so well as I'd have liked so I've posted another photo from our good friends at Google Earth to illustrate. The bits between the paths are all little hills, as is poorly illustrated in the photos below.

These hilly areas are great for a kick of the footy or a game of fris when traffic is minimal or just a relax or study in class time. The area is well lit and often safely populated at night, so a spot of intoxicated night fris can brighten even the most dull evening.

Not all fun and games...

There are other sections to this area, however the grass tends to be fake and there are signs much like the one in the photo on the left, so it is hard to argue a case for them being parks. This being said, there are still some nice plantings around those areas, tending to be use a lot of Westringia fruticosa as hedging.

Note the W. fruticosa in the hedging here

And here

Also worth noting here at Swinburne is the unbelievable cockatoo population. The photo on the right illustrates a very small portion of the cockatoos that frequent the area. Usually when they swarm conversations occurring outdoors have to cease until the racket subsides. And they poo on stuff.

L.E. Bray Reserve

Bird's eye view.

(Sorry, the formatting is doing my head in on this one so we're running with the old "slab of unparagraphed writing with captioned photos" setup). I like L.E. Bray Reserve. After extensive research I have been unable to find out who L.E. Bray is or was, however I do like their reserve. The layout of this one is quite strange. In the picture on the right, it is the green strip through the centre with no houses. Not so odd. The odd part is how narrow it is and the fact that a road splits it roughly east-west through the middle. This is due to that fact that is used primarily as a thoroughfare, however there is a lot more too this Reserve. The fact that it is primarily used as a cycling and walking path is actually a huge benefit for anyone looking to relax under a tree or play a ball game or some frisbee with friends, as it really doesn't see a lot of traffic and what traffic it does see is on the path that is pushed right up against a fence so it is really neither here nor there. The other possible downfall, especially in terms of ball sports and or fris, is the length and contrasting lack of width of this Reserve, however good planning and planting has led to plenty of diagonal stretches of green grass to run around and have as much fun as one likes. All in all I think that this hidden gem in the backstreets of the Glenferrie area is well worth a look, whether for a solo trip, a romantic walk or a trip with some mates to have a bit of a play.

Open space I

Open space II

Bench and path

Nice big trees/open space III

Victoria Road Reserve

So sorry to have left all of my avid readers hanging for so long, but between bad weather and the interference of other commitments, getting to parks has been a bit tough. Anyway, I'm back now, which leads us to park number four - Victoria Road Reserve.

Victoria Road Reserve is right across the road from Auburn train station, in Hawthorn East. It is home to the Boroondara Cobras Cricket Club and the Hawthorn Citizens Junior Football Club, hence the club rooms and oval pictured on the right.


The presence of these sporting clubs means that the Reserve is often filled with children of a weekend, and as such includes a reasonably well equipped playground.

 Victoria Road Reserve is not just for sporting types, however, with ample green, leafy, typically Hawthorn and surrounds-esque areas in which to relax in the grass.

This guy.

This greenery is kept nice and green (especially the oval) with the use of recycled water, kept in a large tank away from where children are likely to congregate.
On another note, one of my jobs is at a nursery that backs onto this park and whilst refolding a tarp, I found this guy. Sticky like a slug, long like a worm and colourful like a snake. No idea what he is. Just thought it was a bit interesting. If any of you (there must be literally thousands of you by now) have any ideas, feel free to comment.

Well, that's all for this one. Sorry again for the slightly dreary colours in the photos. Melbourne weather, huh?

William Angliss Park

In my defence, the weather was beautiful and warm and sunny when I chose this topic.

I had big dreams. Dreams of an assignment that involved sunny days and lounging about in the grass and picnics and all sorts of other lovely things.

Instead I donned an overcoat and brolly and headed over to William Angliss Park.

William Angliss Park borders/incorporates Rathmines Road Reserve, the home of Hawthorn Amateur Football Club. This means that there is a nice big oval with goal posts and a (albeit small) grandstand.
The oval is great for a kick or a run or even to run around and play with the dog (the reserve is a leash-free area). It is well utilised by personal training groups however, which, whilst great for them, can prove to be quite the pain when trying to run laps of the oval.

The actual oval is not the only open space at William Angliss Park however, as the Google Earth image demonstrates, with an oval shaped flat, clear area right next door to the actual football ground. This space is often utilised by groups kicking footballs or having a knock of cricket.

 Another key feature of this park is the playground. With Auburn Primary School basically right next door, the playground tends to be heavily populated after school with children and parents.









In my humble opinion, the best part of this playground by a country mile is the sandpit with working excavator. You really need only look at this wonderful piece of machinery to understand the magic of it. I however happen to have spent much of my childhood living next door to a pair of boys that had one in their backyard. These things are amazing. If you have a child or a sandpit, I can't recommend one enough.

Callistemon salignus

Callistemon salignus

PLANT PROFILE:
Callistemon salignus
Family: Myrtaceae.
Origin: New South Wales and Queensland.
Leaves: Simple, alternate, narrowly lanceolate to 90mm long.
Flowers: Bottle-brush spikes in spring, extending into Autumn. Usually cream, but available in pink, red and mauve.


Callistemon salignus is a reasonably drought tolerant tree, however it flowers best when not under such stresses. It will grow well in most environments, including those areas where water-logging can be an issue. It is a reasonably common street tree and is good for attracting nectar and insect eating birds, however if planted too near to paving or bitumen, it has the potential to lift it with a vigorous root system.



Information sourced from:
The University of Melbourne 2012, Burnley Plant Guide, University of Melbourne, Parkville viewed 2 May 2012, <www.bpg.unimelb.edu.au>
Metropolitan Tree Growers 2012, Callistemon salignus, Metro Trees viewed 2 May 2012, <http://www.metrotrees.com.au/treehandbook/page-listings/callistemon-salignus.html>
Google Earth image from "Google Earth iPhone app", Google 2012 viewed 31 March 2012

Canterbury Gardens

Ahh, Canterbury Gardens.

I love this place. It's right next to Maling Road, a quaint, old-timey, cobble stone street with bakeries and a candy shop where you can get all sorts of cool stuff and if I let myself I'll ramble on for hundreds of words about how nice Maling Road is but this is about the Gardens.

Far from flat, the Canterbury Gardens are not for ball sports or any other sort of ruckus-causing. The Gardens are for nice things. Picnics, strolls naps, books and the like. If you want to go and kick a footy around, go to Central. If you want to go on a date and seem unbelievably romantic, grab a basket, wine and cheese it and head to Canterbury Gardens. You can lie in the grass on a hill in the sun or relax in the rotunda (supposedly. Gazebo? Undercover bit? I don't know.) which was built in 1909 and has been refurbished twice since.

The fact that the park is designed for nice things does not mean that it isn't well utilised for all sorts of gatherings, including barbecues and weddings.

There are a couple of planting beds around the Gardens, however there is more of a focus on trees and open space. This being said, the plantings tend to be immaculate in their design and maintenance.

Salvia leucantha

PLANT PROFILE:
Salvia leucantha
Family: Lamiaceae.
Origin: Mexico
Leaves: Simple, opposite, lanceolate to 150mm long. Grey-green upper surface, white underneath.
Flowers: Long raceme-like stems of densely packed small flowers above the leaves. The woolly calyx is rich purple-mauve, opening to reveal a white corolla, from late summer to early winter. 


Salvia leucantha is quite a drought-tolerant plant and does quite well in full sun and moist but well drained soil. The purple calyces of S leucantha  stick around after flowering, extending the season of display well into winter. S leucantha should be cut to the ground in early Spring . It is easily propogated using cuttings.



Information sourced from:
The University of Melbourne 2012, Burnley Plant Guide, University of Melbourne, Parkville viewed 2 May 2012, <www.bpg.unimelb.edu.au>
iGarden 2012, Salvia leucantha, iGarden viewed 2 May 2012, < http://www.igarden.com.au/plant-type.jsp?t=Salvia%20(J-O) >
Easy Weddings 2012, Garden Weddings - Canterbury Gardens, Easy Weddings viewed 2 May 2012 <http://www.easyweddings.com.au/garden_weddings/wedding_location.asp?garden=4>
Google Earth image from "Google Earth iPhone app", Google 2012 viewed 31 March 2012

Central Gardens ("Rocket Park")

So I finally went to a park.

It's called Central Gardens, but is more commonly referred to as Rocket Park, because the focal point of the playground is a giant rocket. Do not adjust your sets, viewers - there is a playground, and it does have a giant rocket in it. I must admit that providing you, my loyal readers, with a photo of the park and its famous rocket was less than comfortable given that I wanted to take the photo in nice weather and nice weather and parks do not combine to make a scene that a 22 year old man should necessarily be photographing, given the tendency for such places to be full of young children and their parents. This being said, photograph I did (from a safe distance) and I am hoping that you appreciate the mental turmoil I went through to show you exactly how awesome a giant rocket with a slide coming out of it is.

If the crowd in the photograph is unusual in any way, it is because it is small. On most nice days (and even some not-so-nice days) the Rocket Park can see upwards of a dozen families enjoying the playground facilities.

Another crowd puller in terms of families and groups of students from nearby Swinburne University is the seating and barbecue facilities, with a nearby block of public toilets. Especially on weekends, these facilities tend to be brimming with people enjoying the weather, company and scenery with a few snags or snag substitutes.






Rocket Park is not just a playground and barby however, in fact the biggest draw card for this magnificent place is the wide, green open areas.
These open spaces are utilised by many Hawthorn locals and Swinburne students whether it be for study, recreation in the form of a run, a frisbee session or a bit of a kick, running, riding, enjoying a good book or even just to lie in the grass with a significant other and enjoy the scenery.

Large open spaces.

Colour.

Speaking of scenery, there are some really attractive plantings around the garden with some areas having lots of colour, some having more of a tropical feel and some consisting mainly of Hedychium gardnerianum.

Tropical

Hedychium gardnerianum

PLANT PROFILE:
Hedychium gardnerianum
Family: Zingiberaceae.
Origin: India, Bhutan, Nepal.
Leaves: Dark green, rubbery, 450mm x 150mm
Flowers: Late summer. Borne in spikes 300mm long. Yellow with long red-pink stamen. Very fragrant.

Hedychium gardnerianum is widely used for its vibrant inflorescences and ease of cultivation.
This ease of cultivation (especially in tropical and sub-tropical climates) has lead to the ornamental plant being classed as an invasive weed in NSW north of Sydney, Queensland, New Zealand and Hawaii.
The plant spreads easily through its seed dispersal via dumped garden waste and by birds and its rhizomes.
When controlled properly, the plant makes an attractive addition to a tropically themed garden or bed.

Information sourced from:
The University of Melbourne 2012, Burnley Plant Guide, University of Melbourne, Parkville viewed 31 March 2012, <www.bpg.unimelb.edu.au>

Chu, JKY 2005, Hedychium gardnerianum, International Environmental Weed Foundation viewed 31 March 2012, <http://www.iewf.org/weedid/Hedychium_gardnerianum.htm>
Google Earth image from "Google Earth iPhone app", Google 2012 viewed 31 March 2012

A welcome note from our founder...

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Welcome to "Gongle goes to parks..." - the hip new blog from regular and proficient park-goer, Gongle. It will feature Gong, it will feature parks and it will definitely feature much interaction between the two.
Hold onto your hats, friends - it's going to be a bumpy ride,

Gong.