TOMORROW will be the Association of Botanic Gardens Australia & New Zealand (BGANZ) Open Day with the iconic Hamilton venue set to celebrate in style as part of their participation.

The title of this year’s promotion is ‘Inspirational Plants and People’ and The Friends of Hamilton Botanic Gardens are thrilled to invite the community along to enjoy a morning of fun and appreciation for the local attraction.

The Gardens began with the Council and community members having the foresight to set aside 10 acres as a Public Reserve in 1853, making them 170 years old this year.

They are the most intact Regional Botanic Gardens designed by William Guilfoyle, arguably the finest landscape designer of his time.

During the early 1870s some 450 trees and shrubs were received from Baron von Mueller, the Melbourne Botanic Gardens director, and the Forests director, William Ferguson.

The earliest planting may have been the Callitris columellaris, the Murray River Cypress Pine - which was a remnant of Ferguson’s early boundary plantings which occurred in parallel lines of three trees.

Other incredible trees represent flora from all different countries of the world including seven trees classified by the National Trust Significant Tree Register; a new brochure outlining the trees will be launched at the event. The celebration on May 28 will be between 10am-12pm at the Cottage with morning tea, children’s activities, a treasure hunt and a garden tour at 10.30am.