Centennial Parklands Dining has announced its autumn trading hours for the Easter weekend and the rest of the season. 
See the fantastic 52 weekly winners from our 2011 Park Visitor photo competition! 
If you love Centennial Parklands, have questions or concerns, you can have your say through the Parklands' Community Consultative Committee 
Gate times have changed as of Sunday 1 April due to the end of daylight savings in NSW. 
Our new blog is live, so why not check out the latest blog post now. A great read for all who love these Parklands. 
Begonias
Name:
Begonias
Botanical name:
Description:
Begonias are a genus of plants comprising mostly small shrubs and climbers, native to the tropical climates of the America’s.
Begonias come from the plant family Begoniaceae, which is host to over 900 species and cultivars.
The plants themselves can grow from a rhizome or have a fibrous root system. The foliage is usually a light to dark green, often with spectacular variegations of pink and red growing on individual canes that form a clump. It flowers all year round and appear in white, yellow, orange, red and pink.
New cultivars of begonias are discovered frequently as the plants can quite easily hybridise with other plants in the genus.
Interestingly, the leaves of this genus are rarely symmetrical, meaning that the leaves could not be folded into equal halves.
Begonias are tender to a cool climate and therefore are better suited to a sub-tropical climate in part to full shade. They prefer a cool, moist soil rich in organic matter with regular watering and feeding. Adequate air flow must be provided to avoid any fungal problems. Propagation is by seed, division or cuttings, depending on the species.
Where can they be seen in the Parklands:
Begonias can be found planted by the new Centennial Parklands Restaurant on the southern side, adjacent to Banksia Way, where they complement the surrounding sub-tropical theme.
Further reading
