AUSTRALIAN PLANTS SOCIETY (VICTORIA) KEILOR PLAINS GROUP MEETINGS First Friday of the month (not January) at 8pm, Uniting Church hall, corner Roberts Road & Glenys Avenue, Airport West. Autumn/winter 2016 NUMBER 129 June 3 APSKP meeting: Louise Pelle (landscape architect of King Billy Retreat, Rushworth) on “Garden Design with Indigenous Plants”. July 1 APSKP AGM + meeting: Yvonne Bischofberger (APSKP member & secretary of Friends of Newells Paddock) will update members on the amazing progress being made at Newells Paddock Urban Nature Reserve. August 5 APSKP meeting: Speaker to be confirmed. September 4 APSKP meeting: Chris Nicholson (APSKP member and head gardener, Royal Park, Parkville) will speak on the Australian Native Garden in Royal Park. October 5 APSKP meeting: Plant table; bring along cuttings from your garden to celbrate the mass of colour and form that is spring. November 4 APSKP meeting: Director and head of research at Currency Creek Arboretum, SA, Dean Nicolle will talk on “Eucalypts”. December 2 APSKP meeting: Christmas break up 1 The view from the courtyard Under the Eaves President Jason Caruso wins some and loses some Think nothing grows there? John Upsher says think again n the last newsletter, I was waiting there in an attempt to get hose conditions, under the wide delicate species and some of the more (with bated breath) for flower buds on a them through the summer eaves of a house, on the north facing showy and spectacular species. potted Eucalyptus rameliana to open. and to my surprise, they side with full sun all day and only In a neighbour’s garden in Maribyrnong IA few days before Christmas, the first have survived and showing T the least of rain that might get blown in, are I have these very conditions and have operculum dropped, revealing a stunning signs of ‘relief’ with the the best you could provide to grow some planted three species to try, alongside large flower. All in all, six flowers opened recent wet weather. The of the stalwart plants of the Australian arid succulents and cacti that were the legacy of over the following weeks – it was quite a two main varieties are interior. another era. Eremophila ovata hails from sight. With a species like this that is rare in Correa ‘St Andrews’ and These conditions especially suit some of the southern parts of Northern Territory cultivation – and one that prefers a hotter Correa pulchella ‘Pink’. the Eremophilas that have silver or white where a thunderstorm is generally as climate than Melbourne – I am mindful But it’s not all about the leaves with a dense covering of hairs. In much wet as might ever be hoped for; not that at any moment it may curl up its successes. I’ve recently the open air in Melbourne when we get a surprisingly it would be susceptible to die roots, especially during the cooler months. lost two garden plants damp or rainy spell in winter, they may back in winter but under the eaves it grows To ensure its survival, John Upsher has for unknown reasons. be attacked by fungi and whole stems, through the whole year and has exquisite attempted a few grafts. If this proves Our Chorizema cordatum even branches die off. The plants are quite blue flowers for most of the time. successful, there’s a possibility that you (flame pea) that had resilient and generally re-grow but of Eremophila mirabilis is a more open, could own this stunning eucalypt in the performed so well for course it is better if there is no die-back. wiry shrub from WA, between Geraldton near future. many years, suddenly died and Kalgoorlie. It is not so susceptible to after its regular annual damp as some but is blessed with striking prune. The plant shot back blooms, large pink sepals and long creamy quite well after the trim, corollas with bands of dark purple spots. that would enhance its value in a narrow but these new shoots soon Eremophila warnesii is a more recently border. withered away. Fortunately described species from the Meekatharra Clockwise from below: Eremophila it grows well from cuttings region – as hot and dry as you can get. The ovata, E. warnesii and E. mirabilis. so I can easily replace the plant is covered with the densest white felt Photos: M. Fagg, Wikimedia commons and plant with the material so in its prime, is a stand-out specimen Goldfields Revegation. I had prepared a month but in Melbourne earlier. conditions is quite Another plant that was susceptible to performing so well was a like it will recover. It can be frustrating fungus. But under Eucalyptus sepulcralis (weeping mallee). when this happens in a garden as it takes the eaves, it is very The other option is in hope that viable The habit of this eucalypt is quite unusual, so much time to establish a replacement; The conditions provided under north- at home and suffers seeds have developed in the fruits. as it doesn’t form a canopy. It is an open, and as in this case the cause is unknown so facing eaves have been found to be ideal no die-back. With autumn just kicking in to gear, it’s spindly mallee with weeping foliage. will it happen again? for them. If you think about where they Through winter Because of its form, I had planted this time for correas to shine. Over the past few Like the seasons, a garden continues come from, with day temperatures in the and spring it has a eucalypt in a narrow garden bed between months I had planted out various species to change throughout the year. A plant 40s for weeks on end and little or no rain, constant show of a fence and a car-parking bay. I thought it and cultivars in our communal garden and flowering now may not be flowering in then the Eremophilas that have evolved to purple-blue flowers many are performing well. Some were would suit this site as it would add height withstand these conditions will welcome arranged near the planted during the heat of summer directly (may reach 4-6 metres) but wouldn’t take what the under-eaves situation can offer. branch tips. It may under an established ornamental pear tree. the form a large tree. One of our planted Clearly this gives us the opportunity only grow to half a These little correas had to deal with the specimens was approaching 2.5m, and was to grow successfully some of the more metre at most but root system of this tree as well as cope looking stunning, but all of a sudden the with bone-dry soil. I watered here-and- leaves turned brown and it doesn’t look little landing platform for the bee and are including exotic and native cultivars, is Eremophila snippets usually white, pink, mauve or blue. The unrivalled at the Herbarium. If we have an other type is birdpollinated and these are obscure cultivated plant to identify, Aileen The Eremophila Study Group has a new usually are brighter and have a tendency is the person we turn to.” leader, Dr Lyndal Thorburn. Here are some towards oranges, yellows and hot pinks. excepts from the latest group newsletter: l The November 2015 issue of l The Eremophila Study Group was Austrobaileya (Queensland Herbarium) six months’ time, and a healthy looking formed in 1975 by Ken Warnes, who includes an article on “Eremophila plant today may not look so good down started studying Eremophila in 1963. woodiae: a new species from Queensland” the track. We are constantly looking for He was a founding member of Project E. woodiae is “a small resinous shrub interest in our gardens but we also should Eremophila, which was sponsored by the with densely crowded linear leaves and embrace the change. A plant not in flower SA branch of the Society. He started the purple tubular flowers.” It is endemic still adds interest to a garden, and a plant Study Group in 1975 and was granted an to a small area near Opalton in western that hasn’t survived allows room to trial ANSPA National Amateur Award in 2011 central Queensland (annual average rainfall something new. for his contribution to the propagation 411mm), but is locally common. This and horticulture of Eremophila. He has species was described by Mark Edginton also submitted a number of applications Clockwise from left: Eucalyptus from the Queensland Herbarium (it is his to ACRA for named Eremophila and rameliana, Chorizema cordatum, photo) and named in honour of Aileen Eremophila warnesii is named after Ken. E. rameliana, E. sepulcralis in WA. Wood, who has worked in the Herbarium Pictures: Jason Caruso, ANPSA.org.au, for many years. Mr Edginton says: l There are two basic flower forms. Those notley.smugmug.com “Aileen’s knowledge of cultivated plants, which are pollinated by insects have a 2 3 High country highlights A tale of two Veronicas Flo Suter Neil Duncan introduces two sisters but no, they don’t sing Veronica perfoliata and Veronica arenaria example the form we see when we visit ur Alpine Trip is one of the to Baw Baw where we are both beautiful hardy shrubs but looking the Brisbane Ranges – and the broader-leaf highlights of my year and this one were to stay at Banksia at the foliage you could be excused for form is found on plants from moister areas. Owas another memorable experience. Lodge. Wet gear was thinking they were totally unrelated. Veronica perfoliata has sprays of When I think about it I can feel the put to dry and forgotten These plants are the gypsies of the nodding lavender flowers in spring but wonderful mist swirling around the snow about as we gathered at plant naming world, having been named the Eucalypt-like foliage is an attraction gums and filling the valleys.