Best and honest seeds

Ancient, ongoing indigenous knowledge informed and informs First Nations caretaking of the landscape of this continent. The traditions of looking after country have a structure and rules based on thousands of years of observation and knowledge sharing. 

For the first colonists in South Australia, growing food was a matter of survival. Seeds and plant cuttings travelled with them across the seas or were acquired along the way, laying the foundations for the fledgling colony. Nurseries soon sprang up, providing plants, expertise and a hub for sharing seeds, cuttings and gardening wisdom.

As the colony became established, practical food production gave way to a growing passion for ornamental gardens, exotic blooms and native flora. Yet beneath the beauty, competition could be fierce. Early horticultural shows sometimes sparked deep and bitter rivalries as gardeners vied for recognition and prestige.

Join us for a fascinating journey into the gardens of the past, exploring how plants, people and passion helped shape colonial society and left a lasting legacy on the community we know today.

Note: Auto-caption is used in this video which may result in typos or grammatical errors.

Image: J.B. Hack's farm at Echunga Springs, watercolour. SLSA: PRG 50/34/2