Healing gardens

Many of us know instinctively that being in a garden makes you feel better but in a lecture next week, garden designer Betsy-Sue Clarke will drill down into why that is. Clarke, the director of Dirtscape Dreaming, will talk about the ways in which we respond to different types of environments and how that can feed into garden design. "Designing gardens to support emotional healing" is at 7pm for 7.30pm on Tuesday, April 30, at the main building of the Burnley Campus, 500 Yarra Boulevard, Richmond, $20 or $10 for Friends of Burnley Gardens. Email friends.burnley@gmail.com to book.

Mediterranean gardens

The landscapes, gardens and plants of the Mediterranean will be the topics of an illustrated lecture to be given by author and travel guide Trisha Dixon next week. "Mediterranean Garden Meanderings" is at 6pm for 6.30pm on Thursday, May 2, at the Mueller Hall, National Herbarium, corner of Birdwood Avenue and Dallas Brooks Drive, Melbourne, $25 or $20 for Melbourne Friends RBG. Go to rbgfriendsmelbourne.org to book.