Botanic Gardens & Centennial Parklands
Q & A with Anthony Bashall, Senior Horticulturist Open Spaces and Natural Areas Turf
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney is an amazing place consisting of over 27,00 plants spread and intertwined across 30 hectares of vibrant green foliage. It’s no surprise that the gardens attract more than 5 million visitors each and every year.
Of special interest to the turf industry, is the incredible range of turf varieties utilised right across the gardens and within the displays. Who better to speak ‘grass’ with than the man who helps manage these large open spaces and natural turf areas, Senior Horticulturist, Anthony Bashall. Anthony has worked within the gardens for over 13 years and been involved within the turf industry for over 25 years. There’s not really much Anthony doesn’t know about turf. We recently caught up with Anthony to discuss the grass at the gardens and how he manages such a large space and how he keeps it looking as incredible as it does.
What does your turf maintenance program involve and what are the challenges?
There are 64 hectares of lawns in the Royal Botanic Garden and the Domain Sydney that I’m currently responsible for the maintenance of.
The turf maintenance programs that get implemented throughout the turf areas are tailored to the specific needs of each site. In the Botanical Gardens there are millions of visitors every year, with people coming in to enjoy the gardens and also people having their weddings or small events.
In the Domain precinct there are approximately 29 major events throughout a normal year. These events consist of festivals, marathons, concerts, operas, open air cinema, Carols in the Domain and New Year’s Eve Celebrations. There are also sports fields in the Domain that are booked out for soccer and netball competitions, as well as use by the public each day for recreational use.
What turf varieties do you have in the gardens?
We have an incredibly broad range of turf species right across the precinct.
Current varieties include:
- Couch (Windsor Green, Wintergreen, Santa Ana)
- Kikuyu
- Buffalo (Sir Walter DNA Certified, Kings Pride, Shademaster)
- Durban grass
- Sea Isle paspalum
- Microlaena stipoides (Weeping Grass)
- Themeda Triandra
- Wallaby grass
- Zoysia (Empire, Stockade Native, Sir Grange, Nara)
- Tropical Carpet grass
- Queensland blue couch
- TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda
How are sustainability and climate conditions impacting the way the gardens operate?
Just like any area in the world, El Nino and La Nina events have an impact on the lawns in the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Domain Trust. With my current role I have the ability to research grasses and trial the grass in the turf plots or in selected lawns throughout the gardens looking for improved performance.
Having this ability to research grass types and grow them on site, allows us the opportunity to observe tolerance levels the grasses have. This includes tolerances for drought, their ability to grow in different soil types, their threshold for pest and diseases and the type of fertiliser and renovation programs required to keep the plants healthy.
How did you come about installing TifTuf at Bennelong Point? How have you been finding it so far?
I was researching warm season grasses that held their colour through winter and could be planted and established in the colder months of the year. Through my research, I found an article on TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda from Brian Schwartz Associate Professor from the University of Georgia. After reading the article I sought so see if it was being grown in Australia and found a turf farm with stock in Berry NSW.
It was decided to visit the turf farm in winter to see if TifTuf had the characteristics that we needed for The Royal Botanic Garden and the Domain Sydney. After seeing the grass and how it performed, it was decided to trial the grass at Bennelong Point and some smaller areas around the gardens.
We have had the grass for a few seasons so far now and have been happy with how it’s performed. The grass’s faster establishment time over other warm season grasses, through the warmer and also the cooler months of the year has been ideal. With establishment times through the colder months and the amount of colour it has held through winter staying strong. It has also maintained an even coverage so far and has held up well with large amounts of foot traffic which is considerable in this particular area.
What is your experience and background when it comes to turf management?
I have been in the turf grass industry for over 25 years. I did 3 years of my apprenticeship at Beverly Hills Bowling Club and completed my apprenticeship at NSW Golf Club. After completing my apprenticeship, I spent approximately 10 years working on group 1 golf courses as an irrigation tech and 2IC. After that I moved on to work at The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney for the past 13 years and have been working in my current role as Senior Horticulturist of Open Space and Natural Areas turf for 8 years.
What turf trials or research projects are you currently conducting within the gardens?
We have 15 trial turf plots with native grasses and other grasses that can be used in a domestic or sports environment. These grasses are on display in the turf plots for the public to see. There are also different grasses being trialled throughout the site to assess how well they grow under different use.
We look forward to testing and utilising new turf varieties as they become available. If you are interested in visiting these trial plots or experiencing the different grasses within the gardens, I highly recommend you come and visit.
