August/September 2016 What's On... Garden Visits
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the newsletter of the Australian Plants Society Kunzea leptospermoides Maroondah Group Preservation by Cultivation August/September 2016 What’s on... Garden Visits Friday 19 August at 8.00 pm Sunday 21 August at 2.00 pm Based in South Africa, Dr. Sandy-Lynn Steenhuisen Friends of Warrandyte State Park Nursery is visiting Australia in early August to do some research Pound Bend Rd, Warrandyte work on how scent influences pollination of proteacea Melway 23 C10 species by mammals. This is ground-breaking research This group was formed in 1982 to propagate and sell which could be invaluable for the future survival of both plants grown from seed stock from the Warrandyte State the plants and their pollinators. Park. Plants are available both in tubestock and also We are very privileged to have Sandy speaking to us larger containers. about her work at our August meeting. Volunteers meet for propagation and other nursery For more details of this research, see the longer activities every Thursday morning from 9.30 to 12.30 at article on page 4. the State Park depot. There are 350 members who have a shared interest in Friday 16 September at 8.00 pm the conservation and rehabilitation of native bushland in Grand Specimen Table the State Park. Every year we have a Big Show and Tell night where On our visit, the Manager, Josh Revel, will show us everyone brings along plants specimens from their around and explain how things are done. Plants in tubes gardens. This is a most inspirational time where we can will be available for sale. see what others are growing. Nearby is frogland – a special area set up to attract It is also a great opportunity to take home cutting frogs, with a pond and indigenous planting. material of plants that you would like to try propagating. The depot and nursery are at the far end of the road There are always new and unusual plants to see and try. leading into the pound. Please look around your garden and bring along as many specimens as you can and share your gardening Sunday 18 September at 2 pm eperience with others. Shirley Carn’s garden Australian Unity Hall 5 David St, Monbulk 8 Main St, Blackburn Melway 124 J2 Shirley moved to her current quarter-acre property The Annual General Meeting over two years ago and, as we have come to expect, her of the Maroondah Group will be held on garden is flourishing. The well-known multi-skilled ‘rock Friday 21 October at 8.00 pm. artist’ Tom Orton placed the rocks and formed the paths See insert for details. on her slightly sloping property. Shirley is particularly proud of her collections of Spyridium and Epacris, which she admits she is MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS ARE NOW DUE passionate about, currently growing about one hundred different species of Epacris. She has included several All APS memberships are now due. eucalypts – websteriana, alba purpurea and caesia. as You will have received a renewal form well as a few dwarf Eucalyptus citriodora, which are of with your June/July Kunzea. If you need mallee habit, multiple trunked with beautiful foliage. another one, you can download it from the Other favourite plants include Tetratheca thymifolia, Maroondah website. Anopterus glandulosus (Tasmanian Laurel), several It is a great help to our Membership varieties of Wahlenbergia and Diplolaena grandiflora. Secretary if you attend to this now. David Street is a small street running off David Hill Rd. Please check to make sure that all details We suggest visitors park on Shirley’s side of David St, or have been filled in on the form. at the nearby school or shops, a very short walk away. A beautiful way to spend a Sunday afternoon. 50th Anniversary Tree Planting at Maranoa Gardens by Sue Guymer UR JUNE GARDEN VISIT WAS TO MARANOA GARDENS in Balwyn, for a ceremonial tree planting. OMaroondah has a long association with this public native garden, having had many visits there, and also having donated funds for projects at the garden. Boroondara Council did us the honour of planting a Firewheel Tree (Stenocarpus sinuatus) in the lawn, with a plaque to commemorate APS Maroondah’s 50th anniversary. Paul Birch, co-Curator, welcomed us to Maranoa Gardens and congratulated APS Maroondah on our 50th anniversary. He said that it was a privilege to share our birthday celebrations, as we have shared many events over the years. There is a strong link between the Australian Plants Society and Maranoa Gardens. Arthur Swaby was prominent in both the formation of APS (SGAP as it was then) as well as the development of the Gardens. Paul Birch planting the memorial tree. Mr T Linford in July 1979. Other events include a visit as part of the 2006 FJC Rogers’ Seminar on Acacias to see Maranoa’s vast and interesting collection of acacias. Bill said that Maranoa is a great place to bring visitors to Melbourne, including those from interstate and overseas. Rodger and Gwen Elliot have frequently Joe Wilson, Bill Aitchison, Sue Guymer and Peter Rogers. brought visitors, including Professor Ray Collett and Brett Maroondah member Bruce Schroder was Parks Hall who at that stage were Director and Manager of Supervisor and Curator at City of Camberwell (now the University of California Santa Cruz Arboretum which Boroondara) in the 1980s. Paul said that Bruce holds the largest collection of Australian plants outside upgraded the gardens with a greatly increased range of Australia. species. Other Maroondah members who have helped In about 1990 Frank Shann published a plant census Maranoa include Joe Wilson and Elspeth Jacobs who of 13 native gardens around Melbourne. This showed have provided plants, Marilyn Bull who gave valuable that Maranoa had a very large number of species which advice, Bill Aitchison who has documented and added weren’t in any of the other gardens, an indication of to Maranoa’s impressive acacia collection, and Rodger how special is Maranoa’s collection. Elliot and Graeme Nicholls have both propagated plants Then Paul and co-curator Andrea Dennis planted the for the garden. Firewheel Tree, with Boroondara Council has bought a Firewheel Tree, help from Andrea’s sons Stenocarpus sinuatus, to plant in honour of the Harrison and Anthony. occasion. This species is very important to Maranoa It should be a stunning Gardens. The Garden’s Founder, John Watson, gave addition to the eastern a Firewheel Tree flower to a young local girl in 1910, lawn for decades to which initiated her life-long love of nature. There are come, and has a plaque already several Firewheel Trees at Maranoa, including commemorating one very tall, venerable specimen near the north-west Maroondah’s first 50 gate. This species is also the floral emblem of Maranoa years. Gardens. Thanks to Paul and Bill Aitchison responded on behalf of APS Andrea, and also to Maroondah. Maranoa is very significant for Maroondah Trish who put together group as it has such a wonderful collection of Australian some lovely vases plants. We have had many garden visits there, with one of flowers for our of the earliest being a guided tour by Head Gardener afternoon tea table. o The job is done. Page 2 50 years of Maroondah Group Kunzea August/September 2016 A Look at History – Wildflower Shows by Peter Rogers ILDFLOWER SHOWS WERE A MAJOR PART OF life In 1975 Maroondah Group decided to stage their for APS Maroondah members for many years. own Wildflower Show. This was held in Yarra Valley WThese were being held by (the then) SGAP Vic in Church of England School, and was opened by Kevin the Lower Melbourne Town Hall in the early 1960’s. Heinze. A number of other groups provided displays, Although Maroondah SGAP (as we were then) started including Croydon Tree Preservation Society, Ringwood in 1966, it was not until 1968 that members became Field Naturalists Club, Blackburn Tree Preservation involved. They provided a lot of assistance in setting Society, Bird Observers Club Australia, and Montrose up the stands and displays, providing personnel to Environmental Group. help run the event and promote Australian plants, and The Wildflower Shows were held there for 9 years then packing up and cleaning. The Wildflower Shows until crowd numbers and the size of the Show forced the continued in the Lower Melbourne Town Hall until 1971. need for a larger venue. In 1984 the Wildflower Show For the 1972 Wildflower Show, the Camberwell Civic moved to the Ringwood Cultural Centre and remained Centre was the new venue. This continued through to 1974. there until the last show in 1996. o Volunteers wanted The smooth functioning of a group such as ours membership subscriptions. If we revert to monthly depends on members being willing to step up and help newsletters, we may have to increase our subscription with the regular practical tasks. rates. Next year the Maroondah committee will need a new But there is another reason for the move to a Secretary. bi-monthly newsletter. That is the very large burden of Each month we prepare a summary of the monthly work involved in producing Kunzea, and the amount of speaker’s talk for inclusion in our newsletter. This is of time this consumes. great benefit for those members who are not able to If we are to have a monthly newsletter, we will attend meetings but who want to keep in touch. We need a couple of volunteers who will take on the task need a volunteer who will regularly write up the talks for of regularly collecting material for inclusion in the Kunzea.