Wilderness – a collaboration with the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden
Only one botanic garden in the world can be found within a United Nations World Heritage Area and it’s located just outside of Sydney. The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden at Mount Tomah spans 28 picturesque hectares and features thousands of cool-climate plant species from around the globe. From its vantage point 1000 metres above sea level, visitors can take in a bird’s eye view of the surrounding Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.
This unique garden was the starting point for our newest candle, Wilderness by Mount Tomah, the second in our ongoing collaboration with the Sydney Botanic Gardens following last year’s Florescence.
“Walking the Mount Tomah Garden with curator Greg Bourke was such an incredible experience,” says LUMIRA founder and creative director Almira Armstrong. “The Blue Mountains is known for having a cool climate and an abundance of rainforest botanicals, and Greg was able to point out the different forest, bushland and curated horticulture displays as we wound our way along the paths.”
When it came time to translate the experience into scent, Armstrong knew she wanted to include warm notes, to contrast with the garden’s cool climate. “The beautiful smokiness that infuses the Australian bush inspired me to open the scent with notes of tea and aromatic herbs. And of course we had to include some pine and fir balsam in the middle and base, as a nod to the garden’s history.”
As Greg explains: “The garden is home to some of the rarest conifers from around the world including the Wollemi Pine that dates back to the time of the dinosaurs... Now our visitors can share the magic of Mount Tomah’s dense rainforest and jungle setting in their own home by lighting the Wilderness candle from LUMIRA.”
Wilderness also recognises our commitment to sustainability, and we are proud that proceeds from the sale of this candle will be donated to support the Gardens’ important science and conservation work.
Interested in exploring the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden? Whether as a day trip from Sydney or a longer stay, spend some time in the area with our guide below…
Stay
From Airbnbs to luxury resorts, there’s no shortage of accommodation options around the Mountains. Lilianfels is one of the grand dames of the scene – housed in an historic building, it combines stunning views with eclectic decor and indulgent treatments in the on-site day spa.
Explore
No visit to the Blue Mountains is complete without enjoying a bushwalk (or two) and marvelling at the view of the Three Sisters rock formation. There are numerous trails to explore, catering for different durations and fitness levels.
Eat
The hatted Fumo restaurant in Blackheath serves incredible Asian-inspired dishes using the best seasonal produce. Open from Friday to Sunday only, it seats just 35 people so bookings are advised.
