Touring renowned botanist Kingsley Dixon's stunning property | My Garden Path | Gardening Australia

We meet Professor Kingsley Dixon, AO, a botanist whose devotion to science has transformed our understanding of native plant cultivation. Subscribe 🔔 ab.co/GA-subscribe
He lives on a 160-acre garden and bush block south of Perth, in the Darling Range. This is the passion project of Professor Dixon, an internationally recognised botanist who revolutionised native plant cultivation and is now cultivating a botanic garden of his own. Kingsley, his husband Lionel, and their dog, Rufus, have been working on this historic garden for almost 10 years, lovingly restoring the 12 acres of formal gardens, amassing collections of native and exotic plants, and observing the unique wet temperate forest surrounding it.  
Kingsley has decades of important contributions to plant science in Australia, and created the Science and Research department at Kings Park, which he helmed for 32 years. Most notably, he led the team that discovered it was not heat or ash from a bushfire that stimulated the germination of so many Australian plants, but chemicals found in the smoke. This year, he was recognised for his contribution to Australian plant science, receiving an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). He was also Western Australia's Scientist of the Year in 2016, and was featured in David Attenborough’s BBC Private Life of Plants documentary series.  
Kingsley grew up in Bayswater, in the eastern suburbs of Perth. ‘My family loved gardening but we were really working class. My dad was a tractor driver but he collected water lilies, we were always building lily ponds!’ His family were largely unaware of native plants though, as were many people at the time.
"My first experience working with native plants was in the summer holidays of 1965/1966. I was 12 years old and had nothing to do, so I would sit in the car with my father while he worked as a bulldozer driver for the rubbish dump. Every day, we drove by a sign for Wyemando Native Plant Nursery, and I finally built up the courage to ask him to drop me off there in the morning and pick me up on his way home from work. I walked into this nursery and asked if I could help out."
The two sisters who ran it, Nancy and Susan Harper, begrudgingly obliged, and his mind was opened to the wonderful world of native plant cultivation.
"Working there exposed me to extraordinary diversity that impressed me so much. I wanted to find magical places that they talked about seeing and collecting plants." This obsession motivated him through his studies.
Along with a team of colleagues from Kings Park and the Universities, he undertook an 11-year study to identify the specific chemical in smoke that is responsible for germination. More than 4000 chemicals in smoke were analysed. This led to the discovery in 2004 of a new class of molecules that they named karrikinolides, after the Noongar word for smoke, ‘Kerrick’. Karrikinolides were the first new class of plant growth regulation hormones discovered in 30 years, and are now used in the common horticultural product, smokewater. "Few other single ecological findings have had such a profound impact across so many areas of Australian ecology.’"
Kingsley has also led significant research in the study and cultivation of native terrestrial orchids. He was one of the scientists who studied the link between orchids and their mycorrhizal fungi, which are crucial to their growth. In the field as well, he was the first to describe at least 3 species of orchid, and Caleana dixonii, the Sandplain Duck Orchid, was first identified by and later named after him.  
His research now largely focuses on rebuilding landscapes, such as mine site rehabilitation.
At home, he is also excited to have grown one of Western Australia’s rarest plants, a carnivorous aquatic species called the Waterwheel Plant that traps small insects and animals in the water.
Filmed on Pindjarup Country in Waroona, WA
___________________________________________
Gardening Australia is an ABC TV program providing gardening know-how and inspiration. Presented by Australia's leading horticultural experts, Gardening Australia is a valuable resource to all gardeners through the television program, the magazine, books, DVDs and extensive online content.
Watch more: iview.abc.net.au/programs/gard...
Facebook: / gardeningaustralia
Instagram: / gardeningaustralia
Web: www.abc.net.au/gardening
___________________________________________
This is an official Australian Broadcasting Corporation TH-cam channel. Contributions may be removed if they violate ABC's Online Conditions of Use www.abc.net.au/conditions.htm (Section 3).

[@naekay1220]

What a lifetime of incredible contributions!!! Thank you for all your work.

[@joycethorn2313]

So beautiful. You have more than earned your right to live in and enjoy the garden which you have created. Everything you have done in your life, has culminated in where you are today.
Wishing you continued contentment.

[@user-uw4wz9fb2u]

Life is indeed beautiful for a plantlover.

[@janeb6098]

Wonderful. Could listen to Kingsley for hours. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to conserve and educate us.

[@redlady3123]

What a lovely gardener and property 😊

[@srantoniomatos]

Everything about this is beautiful. Tanks.

[@user-co8vc5nd7l]

What an absolute weapon guy. Love the property and the Japanese touch

[@carlalicandogisma2261]

You really have one of the best contents, videos, I just wish your videos last for around 40 mins... But then I really love your videos ❤

[@in9170]

Wow…this is just SO beautiful inspiring on every level. Dixon, his life, his interesting and important land restoration work, ❤️his house, ❤️his perfect partnership with his husband, ❤️❤️the land so amazing at the bottom of the sleep valley with good soil and permanent water. The huge reflections on the lake and Japanese tea house meditation house to absorb it all 🙌🙌Thank you for this story GA!

[@NoThanxs]

Beautiful 😊

[@TARDIStennant]

Such a beautiful property. So sad hear it was impacted by the bushfire south of Dwellingup in March 2024. I hope the new tea house is ok!

[@ingoise]

So nice to learn about Dixon's personal life, which seems to be as inspiring as his books and articles. I'm a biologist and ecological restoration researcher in Brazil. Thanks for this video!

[@Aquinilia]

Wow...that's a wonderful unique dream garden for sure ❤

[@lorrainel2314]

That was brilliant, thank you.

[@jugnoothelight8662]

wow
so beautiful nature
thanks for sharing
great jobb
50likes

[@extragjakovar]

This was so beautiful

[@dovinhgarden05]

❤❤❤❤

[@mattstar1440]

Beautiful! Do you ever give tours of your garden?

[@meganfp1061]

❤ Beautiful episode ❤

[@rebekahdivakaran1811]

Wow 🤩

[@freemind279]

👍

[@camg2793]

Great but Could have gone for 2 hours

[@andyb619]

🤮

[@miker6516]

???