I absolutely love spotting a new-to-me species in the wild and this week I was lucky enough to observe a small flock of ‘Influencers’ carrying out a full display amongst the paper daisies at the Australian Botanic Garden in Mount Annan.

Okay, this story isn’t Illawarra-based, but it is only a hop, skip and a jump away. The gardens in Mount Annan, near Campbelltown, are huge and their annual display of Everlasting Paper Daisies is the largest in Eastern Australia. It is absolutely breathtaking and it's free. 

The planting begins in Autumn and the display predominantly features Rhodanthe chlorocephala (Rosy sunray or pink and white everlasting), Rhodanthe manglesii (Pink sunray, Mangles' everlasting), and Schoenia filifolia subsp. subulifolia (Showy everlasting). And you don’t have to be botanically minded to appreciate the display. The almost one million daisies are vibrant pinks and yellows and whites, their petals feeling very much like the crisp sensation of paper, which they are named after.

A lot of work goes into creating a display such as this, with planting beginning in Autumn and nets put in place to protect the seedlings from wildlife, especially the ducks, who love to eat them! Come Spring, the netting is removed and the flowers can be enjoyed until about early October, depending on the weather. 

This display draws loads of people, especially the aforementioned ‘Influencer’. It was interesting to watch as they cycled through various poses, in their beautiful spring dresses, creating an image for the ‘gram. I’ve got to say, standing there in my boots and messy hair, I felt decidedly under-dressed! I was surprised to see a couple of security guards walking the perimeter, but it makes sense, ensuring that the flowers aren’t trampled in pursuit of the perfect image, as has happened in previous years.

The display is at the bottom of the Connections Garden, and there is a large parking area opposite, as well as a cafe van and a children’s playground and toilets nearby. The Gardens are open from 8am-5pm but with such large numbers of visitors, be prepared to wait if you’re wanting a photo of yourself standing alone amongst the daisies, looking longingly off into the distance, which seemed to be ‘the look’ that everyone was going for.  

With over 416 hectares to explore, pack the walking shoes, a picnic and make a day of it.

For details on how to get to The Australian Botanic Garden, read more here.