June 2021 CoVid Situation The CoVid situa�on is very changeable at the moment. The notes below assume that our night mee�ng and garden visit can occur as planned. Given the lockdown in Melbourne, this is looking less likely. You will be advised by email if events have to be cancelled (or by phone if you haven’t given us an email contact) NOTE: Different venue and different night The Australian Unity hall in Blackburn has now been sold and we can no longer hold mee�ngs there. The Commi�ee has been searching for suitable alterna�ve venues, and has managed to book a venue for the June mee�ng – thanks to Dallas Boulton for finding it! Ringwood East Elderly Ci�zens Hall 2-8 Laurence Grove, Ringwood East Parking is available behind the hall (Melway map 50 B8) We do not yet know whether this will be our new home. One drawback is that it is not available on the third Friday of the month which is our normal mee�ng night. June Meeting Garden Visit Thursday 19th June Sunday 20th June Mee�ng starts at 8.00pm at 2 pm Registra�on from 7:30pm George Pentland Gardens Note: this is an IN PERSON mee�ng. Williams St, Frankston (Melway map 102 E5) Meet at Gate 5 in Williams St (opposite Victoria Parade) Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rev Hugh Davies and Danny DeVito – A Look at the Genus Daviesia APS Maroondah has visited this public garden twice Bill Aitchison before - once in 1983 and again in 1995. Anyone Daviesia is the most diverse genus of pea-flowered remember these visits? There will be a prize for anyone legumes in Australia. Species are found throughout who completes the three-peat! Australia, but nowhere else in the world. In this The gardens were set up on the site of the old presenta�on, Bill will discuss how daviesias differ from Municipal Golf Club and contained remnants of orginal other pea-flowered plants, why there are only a few that bushland of the sand belt. This was augmented by are commonly cul�vated, and he will show us some of plan�ngs of other na�ve flora. Leon Costermans was the interes�ng species. involved in a working group for the Gardens in the the 1990s (and probably later). NOTE: This mee�ng is to be held under CoVid-safe It is a large and lovely area to walk around and we condi�ons (similar to the May mee�ng). This hope to see you there in June. means that numbers are limited and you will need to register in advance to a�end. It is not possible Another Hanson in Hospital to decide on the night (“walk-ups”). See page 5 for a summary of what you will need to do to a�end You may remember that Bev was in hospital a couple the mee�ng. Fuller details are in Bruce Schroder’s of months ago, having her long-awaited back surgery. ar�cle in March’s Kunzea. She con�nues to recover, but now John is having a s�nt in hospital! Unfortunately he fell at home and sustained three broken ribs. By the �me you read this he will be out of hospital, and been able to take their planned trip to Queensland. A well-needed trip for both of them! Special May Garden Visit Williams Garden, Croydon Sue Guymer The Williams’ back garden Bernard Boulton This was our first visit to the garden of David and Jenny to play on but Jenny can see that the area of lawn will Williams. They moved to this half acre property 5 years shrink over �me to accommodate more plants! ago. They have had great success with some of the The original owner was very interested in Australian smaller eucalypts – Eucalyptus tetraptera (which has plants and planted a number of them. Unfortunately, a already flowered), E. torquata, E. macrocarpa, E. latens subsequent owner then removed most of these, and (now E. lunata)andE. pulverulenta ‘Baby Blue’. only some of the larger trees remain from that �me. The borrowed landscape includes some very large One of them is a Firewheel Tree casuarinas and eucalypts. A (Stenocarpus sinuatus). This tree was wonderful early discovery was a sugar displaying a number of flowers glider in one of theirEucalyptus although David says that it is coming to pauciflora. David is very interested in the end of its flowering. Other trees birds and is breeding Gouldian from this �me include Eucalyptus Finches. pauciflora and Eucalyptus citriodora. There was quite a lot in flower It was Dallas Boulton’s idea to visit during our mid-May visit. These the Williams’ garden, and David and included a yellow-flowered Jenny were only too happy to oblige. Lechenaul�a formosa, Xerochrysum David said that he is mainly ‘Dargan Hill Monarch’, ground- responsible for the back garden, and covering form of Banksia integrifolia, Jenny the front garden. However, pink-flowering Scaevola albida, Jenny does the weeding in the back as Brachyscome mul�fida, Ammobium well. The back garden was started 5 alatum, a very fine-leaf form of years ago, but the front garden is only Spyridium vexilliferum, and Epacris David and Jenny Williams explaining about 18 months old. their garden. impressa (Bega form). One of the first tasks when they They have a lot of correas. Many moved in was to remove the thick growth of varie�es of Correa pulchella in the garden include a rich- agapanthus! Once that was sorted out – they began red flowering form labelled C. pulchella ‘Ring a Ding working on the soil. A great deal of soil was brought in. Ding’. Other species include Correa reflexa ‘Red Various soils were trialled, mainly as the first a�empt Empress’ which has rich carmine flowers, andCorrea wasn’t par�cularly successfully, and then a preferred alba. soil became unavailable. They have set up several beds The Williams are also keen on eremophilas and their around a central lawn. The lawn is for the grandchildren plants include Eremophila glabra ‘Kalbarri Carpet’ and Eucalyptus corner. Bill Aitchison Bird sculptures. Peter Rogers 2 APS Maroondah Group – founded in 1966 Kunzea June 2021 A lovely corner of the garden. Bill Aitchison Stenocarpus sinuatus. BillAitchison E. calorhabdos. Acacias include several forms ofAcacia David said that they buy most of their plants from cognata, A. wildenowiana, and A. binervia ‘Sterling Friends’ nurseries such as those of Melton Botanic Silver’. A few brachychitons have been planted including Gardens, RBG Cranbourne, Karwarra Australian Botanic Brachychiton rupestris. These will look spectacular in a Garden and Candlebark Indigenous Nursery. few years. Bruce Schroder pointed out that there is a lot of Near the north fence there are several different interest in the variety of foliage in the garden – forms of Waratah,Banksia plagiocarpa (from par�cularly quite a lot of grey foliage. Foliage is always Hinchinbrook Island), and Banksia praemorsa with very important as this is what you see on your plants all luminous yellow flowers, year, whereas flowering may only last a few weeks. The front garden is more recently planted and has a It was wonderful to see so many keen members turn more formal feel to it, including some hedging along the out on a week day to enjoy the Williams’ garden and fencelines. Leucophyta brownii is planted with an hospitality. Many thanks to David and Jenny, and to orange-flowered Correa pulchella (perhaps ‘Autumn Dallas for organising this visit. Also thanks to Jan Blaze’), a lovely thryptomene with rich mauve flowers Nicholls, Bev Fox, Alison Rogers and Dallas Boulton who matching a neighbouringBrachyscome mul�fida. brought along food to share. Banksia praemorsa Bernard Boulton Grass trees. Bill Aitchison Kunzea June 2021 APS Maroondah Group – founded in 1966 3 Bringing the RHS Chelsea Best in Show Australian Garden home to Olinda Alison Hill with Lindy Harris wri�en up by Diane Hedin pictures courtesy of Phillip Johnson Landscapes At our May mee�ng we heard about the ambi�ous is to display Australian plants, educate and demonstrate project being planned to re-create the award-winning the value of Australian plants, engage people in the care show garden in the Dandenong Ranges. of Australian flora and the environment and to Alison was represen�ng the People and Parks encourage the plan�ng of Australian plants in domes�c Founda�on (PPF), which was established in 2004 by gardens. Parks Victoria. The PPF is an independent registered It is envisaged that the interna�onal reputa�on of na�onal charity whose objec�ve is to promote the garden will a�ract a great number of people. connec�on of people to the environment for health and Educa�on will be in the form of informa�on about wellbeing, and to promote people caring for the provenance, growing condi�ons (including soil type) environment. It is involved in crea�ng partnerships and and measures that can be taken to help preserva�on. projects that connect people to nature, that have con- Kings Park Botanic Garden was cited as a model for serva�on and educa�onal value, from documentaries to providing excellent educa�on and learning experience. conserva�on projects. The garden will be maintained pro bono by the Phillip The Phillip Johnson Australian Garden will be built Johnson Landscaping team for the first 10 years before within the Dandong Ranges Botanic Garden, previously being handed over to Parks Victoria. named the Rhododendron Gardens, in Olinda, with With the first million dollars, several nurseries and funding from the Victorian government ($3.8 million) and growers have already been contracted to grow plants private dona�ons ($400,000).