Flowers, Fruit and Foliage (FFF) Brochure at the ANBG

For the last ten years each fortnight, Ben and I produce the Flowers, Fruit and Foliage (FFF) brochure, which is a publication of the Friends of the Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG). I choose 15 different plants in flower, or with interesting foliage, nuts or fruit and Ben photographs them. I write up a short description of the plant, including aspects of the foliage, flowers and fruit or nuts, if present, and record its native distribution. Sometimes I note the person for whom the genus or species is named. For hybrid plants, instead of distribution, I often note the persons, or nurseries, who developed these plants.

Ben uses Microsoft Publisher to create a brochure which folds into three parts. He also makes a map of the FFF walk which shows the path of the walk and location of the plants by their number and where they are in the Garden. We use the stake (pictured) to mark each plant and these 15 stakes are moved every fortnight for each new walk. The FFF brochure is available on the Friends website friendsanbg.org.au.

FFF continues the publication In Flower This Week which Barbara Daly, Life Member ANBG (and also life member ANPSC), 1925–2020, produced for 25 years before we began in 2013.

The ANBG prints the brochures each fortnight according to demand and can often print 200 brochures in a fortnight. Both the Rangers and the Guides of the ANBG use this brochure often.

This publication is useful for anyone in Australia who is interested in finding out what is in flower at the ANBG at any one time. It is easily searchable on the Web and provides a current photo of the relevant plant growing at the ANBG.