Roraima Nursery
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Nearly 3 acres of display gardens are currently under development at Roraima Nursery. Combining a unique terrain with innovative landscaping concepts using rocks and industrial artifacts, the gardens will showcase how cacti and succulents can be combined with other plants such as palms and pines to create a beautiful and dramatic garden that is both low in maintenance and requires little water.

It is anticipated that the gardens will open to the public in a few years time.

Roraima Nursery was formerly known as Lara Plant Farm. Established in the 1960’s, Lara Plant Farm was well known throughout Geelong and many people have fond memories of visiting the Farm with their parents, playing on the trampolines in the then carpark playground, and visiting the birds in the large aviaries built throughout the retail area.

A fauna park was established in the early 1990’s. However, the recession that soon followed took a heavy toll and by the time new owners Lyle and Cheryl Filippe took over in 2001 the fauna park had closed and the Nursery was in need of a major overhaul. Removing the old aviaries and creating a more open shop area surrounded by garden beds, the new Nursery is now vibrant and beautiful, once again delighting all who visit.

Situated on the borders of Venezuela, Guyana and Brazil, Mount Roraima is a famous example of ‘tepui’, or table-top mountain. Separated from the surrounding plateau by nearly vertical cliffs, the flat top of Mount Roraima remained a mystery to explorers from the time of the discovery of the mountain by Sir Walter Raleigh in the 16th Century until the cliffs were finally scaled in the 1880’s. The mountain inspired the famous novel "The Lost World" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, in which explorers reached the flat top to discover a haven of dinosaurs still living.

When Nursery owner Lyle Filippe climbed Mount Roraima in 1998, there were no dinosaurs to be seen! but he was delighted to see many plants that are unique to the mountain top, and beautiful outcroppings of rock and crystal. Returning to Australia Lyle was inspired to name his nursery after the beautiful mountain.