DIARY OF EVENTS:

AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY (Formerly SGAP) 23rd October - Lisette Mill. Wildlife Motion Cameras Warrnambool & District Group Inc. Newsletter October 2015 No 409 27th October - Committee Meeting Correa reflexa ‘Grannys Grave’ www.facebook.com/warrnamboolsgap Artis’

27th November - Rod Bird Incorporation No: AOO1312OX ABN: 51672752196 Web: www.warrnambool.org/sgap 1st November - Sherwoods Hi members, EDITORIAL 28th November Xmas Breakup What a great turn out of members to our last meeting and for a change we had a full display table of specimens for mem- Lemmens 12.00 noon bers to see (See page 5) This is what our group is all about - sharing our plants and knowledge with fellow members. It’s also a great opportunity to get some cutting material for your own use. Don’t be afraid to bring along something from your 22nd January 2016 - Joint BBQ with garden to show us, you find you learn lots about plants in the process. By the way, we are aware that we are starting our Warrnambool Mountain Bike Club meetings a bit late with members still putting up their specimens at 8.00pm. Could members get to the hall at 7.45 so that TBC. we are ready to start on time in future? Please contact me with any ideas On Saturday, members of the Fred Rogers Seminar organising committee went on a road trip to check out potential visit you might have for our diary for next sites which will be held exactly at this time next year. Early October is prime time orchid season in the south west and year. even with the seasonally dry conditions, there are still lots of orchids to be found as committee members What activities would you like to discovered. All up, eleven different orchids were found in a matter of a few hours such as Calochilus robertsonii see? More Garden Visits?? - Purplish Beard-orchid, Thelymitra ixioides - Dotted Sun-orchid and Diuris sulphurea - Leopard Orchid. Trips away?? For regular updates, contact me at [email protected] if you would like to be put on our email mailing list. More propagation nights?? Please let us know what you think. This month our guest speaker will be Lisette Mill from the Basalt To Bay Landcare Network. Her work with Basalt To Bay has recently been recognised with her winning the “Heather Mitchell Memorial Fellowship Award” (Vic) at the Landcare Awards Ceremony at Government House. She plans to talk to us about the “Green ‘Plants of the Great South West’, book on plants of South West Victoria Line Project” between Koroit and Minhamite, looking at the technology used (including video and stills footage) $20, available from and what the plan ahead is for this 37km biolink. Kevin Sparrow at [email protected] Thank you to Kerry and Marilyn for their excellent articles and to Bob for the photos of the Display Table. Ph: 55626217 I hope to see you on Friday 23rd, Cheers, Kevin Like us on Facebook The APS Warrnambool & District holds meetings on the 4th Friday of each month at the Mozart Hall Warrnambool at 8pm. Members Night: Friday 23th October from 8.00pm where our speaker will be Lisette Mill who will be talking about her role with the Basalt To Bay Landcare Network. Australian Plants Society - Warrnambool & District Group October 2015 Newsletter

Report of Last Meeting By Marilyn Berry

Our September Members’ Night was well G. rhyolitica – which suffers from die-back, attended, and no wonder! We were certainly in for G. sericea – which is very popular with bees, a treat – Brian and Betty Lacy’s gardening story. G. tenuiloba, grown as a standard, G. ‘Pot of This began in Eltham in 1967, and after ten years Gold’ (G. bipinnatifida x G. thyrsoides), G. continued in Dunkeld, where there were two acres saccata, G. alpina, G. alpina ‘Warby Ranges’, to develop. From 1977-1981 this included a G. ‘Molly’ – which has spectacular large red nursery. The most recent chapter in their story flowers, G. chrysophaea, G. ‘Elegance’ (G. long- began in 2007, when they moved to a small block istyla x G. johnsonii), G. arenaria – “the best in Hamilton. in the garden”, G. olivacea (red) , G. semper- florens, G. hookeriana, G. pilosa ( a form with As well, Betty and Brian had a lot of satisfaction delightful pale pink flowers), G. dimorpha – Mt. out of helping to select plants for the Information Sturgeon form (yellow), G. ‘Poorinda Peter’ and Centre garden in Dunkeld, and encouraging school G. oleoides. -children to help develop it. According to Brian, one of the secrets of having a The material for Brian’s talk consisted not of successful small garden is to have lots of small photographs for a power point presentation, but of plants. The three species of Hypocalymma we saw several buckets of plant specimens, most from the Hamilton garden, and are very suitable: Hypocalymma angustifolium, H. linifolium and H. some from Dunkeld – and we were invited to help ourselves to some of them xanthopetalum. One of the most stunning specimens was Philotheca verruco- if we wished to do some propagating! There were many specimens of sus ‘J. Semmens’- the double wax-flower from near Bendigo. Others from Correa: C. pulchella, C. reflexa and C. backhousiana, including a dwarf this were the Grampians form of P. difformis and P. buxifolia. form of the latter, and a very attractive red form of C. reflexa from the Point Hicks area, which has large flowers and an unusually long flowering period. The genus is known more for its foliage than its flowers. The Lacys grow the soft-leaved form of P. juniperina, and P. pinifolius, which is Eremophila’s have been very successful, both in Dunkeld and in Hamilton. doing very well. There are about a dozen varieties growing in the small garden. We were shown Eremophila glabra, E. maculata, E. biserrata, E. alternifolia, E. nivea In the case of the genus Leptospermum flowers are always an important and E. ‘Kalbarri Carpet’. (Photo above) feature, as we saw with L. sericeum, but the leaves can also be attractive, as is evident in the silver-green foliage of L. brachyandrum. Anigozanthos, when It was easy to see that the Lacys love – we saw some delightful well grown, would have to be some of the most desirable plants for a small or specimens: thelemanniana, G. lavandulacea – three forms, includ- large garden, and we were shown some fine examples. Showy small plants ing one with very green leaves and bright red flowers, and one from we saw included Conostylis setosa and C. candicans, the former known for Tanundra, which has greyish leaves and mauve-pink flowers, G. synapheae, its pink flowers which fade to white, the latter for its grey, strap-like leaves.

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Report of Last Meeting By Marilyn Berry (Continued) Committee Notes

Epacris ’Nectar Pink’ and E. longiflora were two of my favourites. Brian’s We have six members coming along tip for growing E. longiflora in the ground is to give it summer water. on the Orchid Crawl on Monday 19th October. We have decided to One of Brian and Betty’s favourite shrubs is Kunzea affinis, which grows to meet up at the Great Ocean Road - about two metres. They also grow K. vestita. Other shrubs we were shown Baileys Road intersection on the include Rulingia hermanniifolia, Thryptomene calycina and T. saxicola south side at 10.00 am. We plan to (white form), Melaleuca micromera, M. seriata, Siegfriedia darwinioides visit the coastal reserve looking for (another plant that needs summer water), latifolius x cuneatus Metallic Sun-orchids (Thelymitra (growing at Dunkeld), Diplolaena angustifolia – which the birds love, epipactoides - photo right) following Astartea ‘Winter Pink’, which flowers nearly all year; a seedling from on from the burning of vegetation by Acacia ‘Scarlet Blaze’, Agonis marginata, Chamelaucium ciliatum, Baeckea DWELP. If anyone else would like linifolia – a very graceful plant, Dodonaea boroniifolia, Calothamnus to come along, please contact me on quadrifidus, obovatus, Crowea spp., Boronia ‘Jarrod’ – which phone 55626217 or needs morning sun and afternoon shade, and Micromyrtus ciliata, with [email protected] for more flowers that age to a magnificent pink. information.

Pretty, small plants displayed were Dampiera spp., Chrysocephalum apicu- The Bunnings Garden Club will be latum – which suckers well, Leschenaultia ‘Kings Park Lola’ and Thomasia visiting Dorothy and Michael pygmaea, which is growing in a tub and weeping towards ground level. Mattner’s garden at Cudgee on Thursday 5th November from 1.00pm. APS Twiners included Clematis microphylla and Hibbertia scandens. Warrnambool members (especially new members who have not visited their garden before) are welcome to go along and join in. Members only need to Other significant plants in the garden are sign in so as to be covered under our group public liability insurance. The ‘Giant Candles’ and B. ericifolia, Mattners can be found in Hervious Lane, Cudgee, second road on the left Backhousia citriodora, Eucalyptus caesia after crossing the railway line. Their phone number is 55676477. ‘Silver Princess’ (Photo right) and E. leucoxylon ‘Little Euky’, which has a mag- The Warrnambool Community Gardens have been successful in getting a nificent crown and is just two metres in WCC Community Development Fund grant to help fund the landscaping height. The plants in the Lacys’ garden are work around their HUB building. This includes the area that our group will growing in heavy loam, topped with scoria. be planting out with bush tucker plants which due to the dry conditions, wont happen now until autumn next year. I suspect that after such an inspiring talk many of our members are compiling a real bucket list!

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September Display Table Report By Kerry Artis

Mike Halls started our showing with the This flowers all through the year with its main beautiful - flush in spring and Pultenaea pedunculata is a Photo Right, which is 6-7’ high and has large, low spreading plant that makes a good ground red flowers. Mike covers the shrub in summer cover. so it doesn’t get burnt. Darwinia leiostyla is Banksia ‘High Noon’ is a really bright, from WA and has been grown in sand and gravel hardy, small banksia that just keeps flowering and where it has grown very well, now it is about 5 was brought along by Marilyn Berry. Grevillea years old. Verticordia chrysantha grows well on ‘Red Sunset’ is 1.5m wide and puts on a lovely a sandy base, but has a short life span. Mike’s display, quite a hardy plant. Marilyn was inspired other plants were Rose Cone to grow longiflora in a pot after seeing Flower, a Calytrix, Darwinia macrostegia someone else’s and now, after a very long wait, it Mondurup Bell, Eucalyptus caesia ‘Silver is looking lovely. It comes from around Sydney Princess’, Eremophila nivea, Grevillea ‘Robyn in a limestone area. Gordon’ and Hardenbergia violacea. Smelly Socks was June Preece showed , brought along by Kevin Sparrow, so named for both yellow and burgundy and both tall, very the smell it puts off in the late afternoon/evening. Its creamy white flowers showy trees, Banksia ‘Giant Candles’ is 30 years old and still flowering are held on leafless stems well above the shrub. Olearia phlogopappa is an nicely. Hypocalymma angustifolium is a very showy shrub going strong after 30 years. It has pink and white balls of fluff along its stems and makes a erect shrub to 1.5m high with white, daisy flowers that Kevin grew from a beautiful cut flower. Stipa breviglumis comes from the Whipstick Forest and cutting. Aphanopetalum resinosum is growing along a fence making a very seeds everywhere but June just pulls it out if she doesn’t want it there, and pretty mass of flowers and Kevin has another one growing in a pot. Clematis Chamelaucium uncinatum ‘Purple Pride’ is a lovely small bush still flowering microphylla is a local vigorous climber with pretty, star-like, white flowers, beautifully after 22 years. June also brought along Grevillea ‘Poorinda Calothamnus quadrifidus in the yellow form is very easy to grow by cutting Blondie’, Grevillea magnifica, Ricinocarpus pinifolius Wedding Bush that is and birds love it, Scaevola crassifolia is shoulder height and also easy to looking spectacular at the moment, Hardenbergia comptoniana both purple grow from cutting, Goodia lotifolia was grown from seed and has a yellow, and white, Micromyrtus ciliata and which makes a good ground cover. pea flower. Dendrobium ‘Schultzii’ is flowering beautifully and Diuris Laura Weedon brought along Hibbertia truncata a rare plant from orientis Donkey Orchid is just starting to flower. Kevin’s other exhibits Port Campbell which she has growing in an exposed spot and is doing very were Arthropodium strictum Chocolate Lily, Pandorea pandorana ‘Golden well, an Eremophila that came from Kevin’s and Dichelachne crinita Long Showers’, a Calothamnus, Lysiosepalum involucratum, Eutaxia obovata, Hair Plume Grass that is very soft and pretty. Eremophila glabra, Eremophila maculata, Chamelaucium uncinatum, and Lorraine Charles’ exhibits were Kunzea baxteri, a shrub that the birds a number of Dendrobium orchids. love and Westringia fruticosa x Westringia eremicola ‘Wynyabbie Gem’.

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September Display Table

It was great to see a full display table last month with quite a number of members bringing in something from their gardens. This is how we can all learn from each other, to see what other members who might live nearby are able to grow. A good source of cutting material too.

Please submit your articles for the newsletter by the end of the second week of the month President: Kevin Sparrow Phone: 55626217 Vice President: Bob Artis, Brown St, Allansford. Phone: 0417 321225 Secretary: John Sherwood. 26 McConnell St, Warrnambool Phone: 55628064 Email: [email protected] Treasurer: Mike Halls, 127 Rooneys Rd, Warrnambool 3280 Phone: 55626519 Email: [email protected] Newsletter Editor: Kevin Sparrow 35 Swan Street, Warrnambool. Phone: 55626217 Email: [email protected] Publicity Officer and Librarian: Vacant Public Officer: John Sherwood. Phone: 55628064 APS Reps: vacant, History Book Coordinator: Joyce Sparrow. Other Committee Members: Kerry Artis, Laura Weedon, Louise Sheba

APS Warrnambool & District is a District Group of the Australian Plants Society (Vic) All members are required to also be a member of APS Vic. 5 Australian Plants Society - Warrnambool & District Group October 2015 Newsletter

Anglican Church “Festival of Flowers” Display by Bev Bell

A big thank you to Bev Bell for doing the floral displays on behalf of our group. Also looking a picture is Liz Halls with her display using Waratah flowers.

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Trip report – ‘Touring the Plains’ grassland tour of Mortlake & Woorndoo districts

Written by Jonathan Tuck and reprinted from Nature Glenelg Trust Blog 19th September 2015

Well, the spring alarm clock has gone off, and many of our The group also visited the Bolac Plains Road grassland which native grassland flora species are waking up to the warmer the Woorndoo Landcare Group has been involved in, with Dave weather. With that happy thought in mind, a group of us Franklin from the group showing the positive results of a care- hopped on board for a bus tour of grasslands in the Mortlake ful burning program undertaken by local CFA brigades, fol- and Woorndoo districts last weekend. lowed up by diligent weed control. An incredible array of tiny There’s a lot more to grasslands than just grass, with an amaz- native plants were coming up in response and will be a picture ing array of species including orchids, lilies, daisies, sedges when in full flower in late spring and summer. and wetland plants to be seen. While almost all of the native A final site visit to the Woorndoo Landcare Group direct seed- grasslands that stretched over the volcanic plains of south ing project area on Woorndoo-Streatham Road showed the west Vic are now converted to agriculture, some valuable ar- methods involved in restoring grasslands. By scraping back soil eas still remain. The tour showcased some of the valuable to remove excess nutrient and weed seed banks, and directly work being undertaken by conservation groups to protect applying thousands of seeds collected from local native grass- these important parts of the region’s natural history. land species, heavily degraded sites are brought back to life – The first stop was at the 304 hectare Mortlake Com- an impressive technical effort that is having great success mon Flora Reserve – one of the largest intact areas of The contrast between the sites visited on the day demon- grassland in SW Vic and refuge to a huge diversity of strated how a planned approach to burning off excess native species. Talks discussed the volcanic plains grass and weed control can produce fantastic results for grasslands and NGT’s project conserving the Western native flora. Gaping Leek-orchids found on the reserve, including Thanks again to Dave Franklin from the Woorndoo Land- the recent gorse control work – a problematic weed for care Group and Dave Pitts from DELWP for sharing their any landholder! It was a little early to see orchids, but knowledge on the day, and to our bus driver/ecologist many early spring flowers were visible – a sign of Jess! things to come as the grasslands burst into flower over (Photos by Kevin Sparrow top: Bulbine bulbosa, the next few months. bottom: Wurmbea dioica)

If anyone would like to know more about the Mortlake Common project, don’t hesitate to contact Jonathan at [email protected] Cheers – Jonathan Tuck and Lauren Kivisalu

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Group Visit to Pomonal. - Wildlife Art Museum Site

Last month 10 members enjoyed a very relaxing weekend visit to the Grampians. When he spoke to our group earlier this year, Neil Marriott invited our group to come and inspect the new Wildlife Art Museum Australia (WAMA) site being set up in Pomonal Road. While Neil ended up not being available to show us around, he did ask friend and Entomologist, Denis Crawford to meet us on site and explain the plans. This national and interna- tionally recognised project is estimated to cost a total of $22 million eventually and will of course require both state and federal government support for it to proceed. They are well on the way to achieve this with private and in kind funding dem- onstrating strong support within the community.

The WAMA site comprises three sections. The majority of land is protected by a 2-tiered ‘Trust for Nature’ Covenant: a Grampians Covenant over 3.37 ha and a Wetlands Covenant, 5.49 ha. The remaining 6.13 ha forms the WAMA development site, an area of previously cleared and farmed land.

On the WAMA development site, a museum, incorporating a gallery and interconnected complex of educational facilities will be built, surrounded by gardens and wetlands.

One of the first developments will be the installation of a donated vermin proof fence around the perimeter. All introduced species will be eliminated from the site and it will become a haven for those small native animals that struggle to survive the influx of introduced species such as cats and foxes.

We wish to thank Denis for his time in showing us around the site complex. For more information see: http://www.wama.net.au/

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Group Visit to Pomonal - Wayne Fary Garden by Kevin Sparrow

Following on from the WAMA site, we visited the garden of Wayne Fary in Pomonal where we enjoyed a guided tour around the property. A feature of his garden is the many spectacular WA plants especially the Eucalyptus “Silver Princess” (Photo top right), such as H. bucculenta, H. corymbosa, H. neurophylla (Bottom third from left) and H. Florida all superbly in flower. (below right) together with Darwinea’s macrostegia (Left) and meeboldii (Middle) were among other plants that were spectacularly in flower. A big thank you to Marilyn Berry for the group photo that was taken by Syd. Other photos by Kevin Sparrow

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Group Visit to Pomonal - Handscombe Garden & More by Kevin Sparrow

Following on from the Fary Garden, of course we had to stop at Phil Williams nursery and garden for a quick look and to grab a few plants before we adjourned for lunch. After lunch it was on to the Handscombe Garden for a guided tour by David and Linda Handscombe. Both the Handscombe and Fary Garden’s were open during the recent Pomonal Flower Show so we were fortunate to get a preview look and see what they are able to grow at the foot of the Grampians where the conditions are much different to ours. Again a feature were those spectacular Hakeas, H. victoria, (Below left) H. neurophylla, H. pandanicarpa, H. trifurcata and H. amplexicoma. (I wish mine would grow and look as good as theirs). Other species seen were Grevillea magnifica (Below middle) and Banksia Giant Candles (Below right).

We finished up on the Saturday with a BBQ dinner at the caravan park where most of us were staying. On Sunday we travelled to Stawell to look at 3 Jacks Reserve and on to Lake Fyans where we found lots of orchids including Glossodia major - Wax Lip (Photo far right) . Following lunch it was time to slowly make our way home after hav- ing enjoyed a great weekend with great company. Thank you to all who contributed.

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Warrnambool Mountain Bike Club, Thunder Point by Kevin Sparrow

Thunder Point is a 25 ha reserve of coastal A snap shot of the works completed at the land, owned by the Victorian government reserve comprises of: and managed by the Warrnambool City Council for the conservation of the natural 22 hc of native vegetation having woody environment and passive recreation which weeds removed, including 220 cubic metres includes walking and bike riding. of African Boxthorn. Other weeds removed include Polygala, Gorse, Pampas Grass, WMBC formed in 2007 with the aim of Spanish Heath, Agapanthus, English Broom, developing a home in Warrnambool and English Ivy, Italian Buckthorn and Agave. the Thunder Point Coastal Reserve was an obvious place for this. It took 8 long years 3000 native plants of 41 different local, before a 5 year licence was granted allow- coastal species have been planted, guarded ing the club to use and maintain the bike and mulched. tracks in a section of the reserve. The club takes its responsibility to manage the Removal of redundant fences, posts, wire and reserve very seriously and has put in hun- litter. dreds of volunteer hours in cleaning up and removing woody weeds and making improvements. Purchase of gravel and rock materials to refurbish 200m of track for use by the club for its racing practice and In 2014/15, the club received a $21,000 Communities For events. Nature grant from the Victorian Government for weed removal, revegetation, equipment, materials and rabbit Track maintenance and cleaning up of the now redundant fumigation. They also recently were able to fund a visit by Harness Racing Pavilion. a Green Army team of 9 people for 20 weeks through a $6000 grant from the Australian Government. Pictured The club has achieved an enormous amount in the relative above is the Green Army team together with local member short time of its existence. While there is still much that for Wannon, Dan Tehan and councillor Kylie Gaston from needs to be done, a visit to the reserve will show how Warrnambool City Council at the recent final presenta- much better the reserve is looking due to the involvement tions day BBQ. of the club. All up a win, win situation for the Warrnam- bool Mountain Bike Club and its many members and for Orchids have also been recorded at the reserve including Warrnambool and its coastal environment. the above, Caladenia latifolia - Pink Fairies. Photos by Kevin Sparrow.

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