Mainly Amaryllids Garden           

'Enriching Australia's Horticulture'

PO Box 173, Barnawartha, 3688, Victoria.  Phone/Fax: 02-60267377.

Email: plants_man@bigpond.com   

More about us.

Greetings and welcome to a brief history on Mainly Amaryllids Garden. Thank you for taking the time to inquire about of beginning, I hope you enjoy your stay.

 'Once you get the bulb bug, you will be hooked'. Ring a bell?  It took a little while for this to sink in for me, but, in time, I got the idea. And boy I am hooked!  I love growing bulbs.  Especially Amaryllids!  

Mum's Rose

Dash with a lovely yellow

I have been growing something in the ground or a pot for as long as I can remember. From Natives to Orchids, Ferns to Epiphiliums, Indoor plants, the list goes on. This, I have found, is the case for many gardeners. We all try growing different things. Maree, my beautiful wife, started buying packet bulbs from the local supermarket around 6 years ago. This is when I became interested in bulbs.  Mainly Amaryllids Garden began as an idea I had whilst visiting a local bulb grower. He said" You know Dash, there just isn't anyone here in Australia growing and supplying Southern African Amaryllids". With this, I have set to task in collecting and helping others collect this wonderful Family of bulbs. And with good reason, many of the bulbs were being farmed, urbanized or collected for sale or use out of existence.

Conservation, as powerful as the word may sound, is useless without application. Herein lie our garden themes, Conservation and Dissemination. We grow and conserve rare, endangered or scarce bulbous plants. We also produce new and interesting hybrids. The main adopted genera within our collection are Brunsvigia and Haemanthus. Worsleya rayneri, although a South American, has found permanent residence in the garden too. This bulb is also scarce and endangered. For this reason, and the obvious magnificence of this bulb, Worsleya too has found a home at Mainly Amaryllids Garden. Recently, we have become involved with the magical Clivia plant, growing the species from South Africa and varieties from Japan, China, America, Europe and Australia. Without the help and friendship of many generous bulb enthusiasts worldwide, Mainly Amaryllids Garden could not supply the excellent genetic variety we have offered to Australian gardeners over the past 4 years. I would like to take this opportunity, to say to each and every one of you, thank you.

Although a Baker/Pastrycook by trade, I am a fifth generation gardener and love the garden. It is in my blood!  I spend many hours just looking, nothing else, just looking at the plants. This is my favourite time.  My Dad says that I garden like his Granddad. Ever noticed how each succeeding generation is a little different, a little more informed?  This is largely due to the work done by the preceding generation and many studies are based on the work done by those who have come before. To a lesser extent, new ideas can reach out and help change the world for gardeners too. Today, Information Technology is playing an even bigger role it seems, than the gardeners themselves are. Being aware of these events, for the past 4 years I have collected seeds from SA, grown them on, and the bulbs are establishing quite well. In the meantime, I started a mail order business to offer the bulbs to the public and help run the garden.  

Today, the seeds sown over the past four years are growing on well. Many Brunsvigia and Haemanthus species start flowering from the 5th - 7th year onwards and some even older. This is a life long project and the longer I grow these bulbs, the more wondrous they appear. The Amaryllids from Southern Africa are, to me, a special group of bulbs. It is my hope that we can share these impressive bulbous plants and grow together as gardeners. After all, sharing is what it is all about.  

I trust your garden brings you Peace.

Happy growing,

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