May 2015 Vol. 8.3 PRESIDENT's MESSAGE
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May 2015 Vol. 8.3 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE everyone has a number of micro On 17th July Helen Marriott will climates, controlled verse natural present a pictorial account of the 2014 Dear Members. As I write this watering, light, and air movement KZN Clivia show and associated message today in mid-May, the being key aspects. I am going to do events. This meeting will also be a season has gone from the beauty of an audit on my collection and will real treat for members to be early autumn to a very wintery feel. likely replace the medium I have entertained and informed as to the To offset this gloomy sky I am used in the past with a better mix, wonderful new plants being enjoying seeing some C. gardenii in hopefully this will help eliminate root presented in South Africa. If you flower. Hopefully I now have some rot. have a friend that simply enjoys mid-season interspecifics to enjoy in beautiful plants, this would be an flower before the main C. miniata I am pleased to report that the raffle ideal event to invite them to attend. season in spring. While on a day like prize donated by Mark Cant of a today, thoughts of spring seem far offset of Bill Morris’ “Best Kept I wish to welcome here new off, the committee and the newly Secret” was a huge success members, Jules Hogan and Ken appointed sub-committee are focused financially, and I jumped out of my Smith. Many of you will know Jules on planning a successful day. MCG chair when I won the prize. I felt already, as he is Di Mathews’ Vice President Peter Haeusler is chair somehow blessed and did not miss husband. Jules was a fantastic help of the sub-committee. Peter has the coincidence that I was presenting with set up, pack up and catering at previous experience as Expo a talk on two famous yellow Clivia. CLIVIA EXPO 2014. The name Ken Convenor and is joined by Brenda Thanks to John Trotter for donation a Smith and Clivia go hand in hand, Girdlestone, Erika van der Spuy, wonderful C. nobilis and Yvonne for with Ken being the Australian Haydn Lomas, Mal Foster, Yvonne the donating the fertilisers. The representative to the international Hargreaves and Andrea Whitty. We Trading Table had some great Clivia Society, so it is a pleasure that are lucky to have a team with a offerings, and a number of members Ken is a member of our group. I look wealth of experience from various found something special to add to forward to contributions both with fields to plan our big event. I’m their collections. Please bring plants bring to the group. trying to observe new places that are to sell at meetings, however in happy to display flyers, so please addition to a clearly completed Lastly my sincere thanks goes to our keep a note of where you can help trading table form with details of newsletter and website editor Lisa promote CLIVIA EXPO 2015. what is offered, be reminded that you Fox on the great job she does in are required to assist on the Trading making our publications look so The April meeting was well attended. Table, no one can better answer professional, it is greatly appreciated I am glad to say that the new questions about what is offered than by us all, thanks Lisa. audiovisual purchase of a data yourself, and this helps sell the plant projector was easy to use, and was as well. The June meeting holds Michael Barrett such a benefit to illustrate the lives of promise of being a ‘peach of a night Sir Thouron and Sir Smithers. I hope for raffle ticket buyers’. Raffle tickets those unable to attend the meeting are now 2 for $5 – a good incentive to will enjoy the article included in this purchase more tickets and be in the volume. I was enlightened by the running for multiple wins. presentation and group discussion led by Rae Begg and Peter Haeusler. I I hope all members in Melbourne will have a much clearer idea of the be able to attend our next meeting on properties of potting medium, 19th June when Greg Anderson will particularly water holding and air be our interstate guest speaker. Greg capacity of the mix, and in addition will be discussing “Breeding with the importance of this mix not Anderson’s Peach”. I have read a decomposing too quickly. A lively little of the Anderson’s pollination discussion followed with a variety of techniques and lengths they go experiences shared, including the towards ensuring crosses are kept successful use of animal manure as a isolated. I look forward to hearing “jiffy pot” of sort for seeds that are more about this and the observations left to their own devices under trees Greg is making as seedlings grow to in South Africa. It seems that there is flower. This is sure to be a great a range of what works for some and night. not others. Partly this is because © Copyright 2015 Melbourne Clivia Group Inc. Page 1 May 2015 Vol. 8.3 totally disappeared and I CULTIVATION NOTES detected this in the nick of time. Peter Haeusler Systematically looking at each OK, so it’s getting cold. Toughen up, GENERAL MEETING plant in this way is also an put on an extra jumper and get out opportunity to take stock of Friday 19 Jun 7.30pm there among your Clivia as there is how plants are going more lots to attend to during winter. Here Uniting Church generally. are a few suggestions: You will also notice that your Cnr Blackburn Rd & Clean fallen leaves (from seed pods are ripening. I know Burwood Hwy, Burwood deciduous trees and shrubs) out that some people pick these of the centre of your Clivia as Breeding with ‘Anderson Peach’ – while still green and then leave litter can harbour snails and Greg Anderson the spikes in a sugar solution for other bugs. Excessive litter may a short while before proceeding also impede the emergence of to remove pods and clean seeds. healthy flower spikes. BUT, Frankly, I think nature is best COMMITTEE remember that these leaves equipped to ripen the pods make great compost so leave properly (unless the stem has Michael Barrett – President them on the ground around started to deteriorate sharply Peter Haeusler – Vice President those Clivia you have growing and you are at risk of losing the Roger Clarke - Secretary in the garden. pods altogether). From my Rae Begg – Treasurer Remove old, yellowing Clivia experience, seeds that are Mal Foster – Committee members leaves as these harbour harvested while the pods are Steve Wright mealybugs and other pests. green can result in seedlings Yvonne Hargreaves Start your attack on snails … i.e. that lack the vigour of those don’t wait until the flowers are raised from ‘naturally ripened’ being eaten! Get the snail bait pods. around, and repeat at intervals over the next couple of months. Deadline for next issue – THE TWO SIRS 15 July, 2015 Be careful that plants aren’t Michael Barrett Newsletter editor – Lisa Fox getting too wet (e.g. if they have The history of Clivia cultivation in [email protected] ended up under a particular Western horticulture is filled with drip line or the pot is sitting in a many names and events. Publications depression) as this can mean by the Clivia Society provide accurate that rot soon sets in. details of personalities of importance. OUR ADDRESS You can keep repotting Clivia in Such resources can be referred to by Melbourne Clivia Group Inc. the colder months. However, as newer enthusiasts, who share an Burwood East LPO a rule I do not repot, or remove interest in history. However, in the PO Box 4225 offsets, during the winter process of sharing information on the Burwood East, VIC 3151 months as plants can sit and fail Internet, including the Clivia Forum, to generate root growth in the Yahoo groups and Facebook, some cold, with consequent fungal rot Clivia history is retold in a casual www.melbournecliviagroup.org.au problems setting in. If, for some manner and, on occasions, [email protected] reason, I divide or repot a plant inaccurately. Such is the case of Sir in winter, after the initial Peter Smithers and Sir John Thouron. watering I take particular care These two gentlemen share many to keep it relatively dry for a similarities; both men were of the month or two. same generation, with world events Check those plant labels. Yes it and shared passions shaping their can be monotonous, but it is https://www.facebook.com/pages/ lives. From time to time the two men time well spent. Now and then I Melbourne-Clivia-Group- are confused for each other, with find that a dodgy ‘permanent’ Inc/130556943692834 mistakenly credit for an action marker means that descriptions mistakenly ascribed to the on tags fade and one can get inappropriate person, or the two lives caught. I recently found details blended into a hybrid of on a whole batch of plants I achievements. Some psychology potted up a year ago had almost research (Fiske et al) suggests that © Copyright 2015 Melbourne Clivia Group Inc. Page 2 May 2015 Vol. 8.3 when people confuse or “misname” John Rupert Hunt Thouron was born Sir John and Lady Thouron lived on a one person for another, it is because in 1907, Cookham, England to an magnificent 220 acre estate called Doe one shares the same relationship American father, with Huguenot Run.