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~
Newsbits
March 2008~
Visitors Welcome.
Next
Meeting:
Friday
14th
March
7.30pm for 8.00pm start.
*Venue:
Lions
Community Hall,
Speaker for March Angus is a professional horticulturist and plant breeder who specialises in Australian native plants. He also likes to talk about his passion for gardening. He does this through his role as NSW presenter for Gardening Australia, writing for their magazine and by answering questions on the ABC 702 Weekend radio program every fifth Saturday morning with the regular host, Simon Marnie. Angus is a member of our group and makes regular appearances as our speaker. His theme on this occasion will be ‘Marketing Native Plants’. Speaker for February
Our speaker for
February was our newly elected president Andrew. Andrew was
Programme’s We were treated to some magnificent shots of the flora of the Kimberley region as well as some magnificent scenery. In this shot of the Galvan’s Gorge a Bottle Tree sits prominently on the rock on the top of the waterfall; a tree that Andrew says is very prevalent around the area.
One of the spectacular
flora photographs that we saw was the Hibiscus panduriformis pictured below.
A naturally occuring formation known as The "Great Wall of China"
We thank Andrew for sharing his photographs of magnificent scenery and beautiful flora that left many of us wanting to visit the Kimberleys, at least those of us that haven’t already made the visit.
Note Andrew's perfect reflection picture on the Ord River
This is the correct one. The one above above is the reflection.
There were two Croweas
on the table this month. One of those was
Crowea saligna
which grows to about 1m, likes a bit of shade and a well drained
position. It bears pink star-like flowers for most months of the
year, in fact, the only time the plant is without flowers seems to
be Springtime. This is a hardy shrub, a local species, and it will
strike readily from cutting.
Crowea ‘Festival’ is a
We had three
Scaevola specimens. The outstanding hybrid
Scaevola
aemula ‘Purple Fanfare” has large mauve flowers that are
displayed for most of the year. We also had a white form Correa ‘Dusky Bells’ is a registered cultivar, a small shrub that likes a cool position with some shade and is another plant that will strike readily from cutting. Persoonia linearis is another local plant; it bears yellow flowers in summer followed by fruits that are attractive to birds. It grows to 3m and has red flaky bark which is one of its main attributes and it can be propagated from seed or by cutting both methods with considerable difficulty so not for the novice. Buckinghamia celsissima or Ivory Curl Flower is a small tree that is putting on a great show at the moment. It seems that the flowers are so prolific that they almost screen out the foliage. The plant is used a lot as a street tree in Brisbane. Two rainforest species made an appearance. Trema tomentosa or Poison Peach will grow up to 6m and bears small flowers and fruits that are attractive to birds. This is a hardy plant that handles most aspects and soils. Breynia oblongifolia grows to about 2m and bears small green flowers followed by pink fruits that attract birds. Both of these plants can be seen at Katandra Reserve.
Thryptomene saxicola
is a plant
Eustrephus latifolius is more commonly known as the ‘Wombat Berry’. This is a moderately vigorous climbing plant that bears white or pink flowers that are followed by orange fruits. A plant that prefers a shady position and needs to be tied to the host plant for support. The information for this article was sourced from the National Botanic Gardens Website & Wrigley & Fagg’s ‘Native Plants’.
Plant of the month for
this month is Leptospermum squarrosum
Distribution range is the sandstone areas of Sydney, the Blue Mountains, and the NSW South Coast and Southern Ranges. The plant is local to the Central Coast and can be found in the Brisbane Water National Park. Some particularly nice specimens can be found on the Van Dahl Track at Patonga during the months from January through to April when it can be seen in its full splendour. The plant grows to about 3m high and will form into a compact dense shrub without the aid of pruning. It has pink flowers that form on old wood so when pruning care needs to be taken to avoid removing the flowering stems of future years. This is a hardy plant that performs best in full sun and will tolerate damp conditions or well drained soils. Propagation is by seed or cutting. Cuttings should be taken in autumn and the use of hormone treatment will enhance the cuttings ability to grow a healthy root system. If growing by seed select the older seed capsules from low down on the stems and store them in a warm place until the seed is released. Sew in Spring and prick the seedlings out as soon as the first permanent leaves appear. Some of the information for this article was sourced from the National Botanic Gardens Website & Wrigley & Fagg’s ‘Native Plants’. The next meeting of Plants in Pots will be on Sunday 9th March 2008 at 3pm. We will meet at the home of Elaine & Max. Please make a special note in your diary as this will be the week before our regular APS meeting. Our discussion will be about the benefits or otherwise of putting plant pots in saucers. Input will be from everybody! Maybe those of us who do use saucers could begin monitoring those plants now, eg drainage, mosquitoes, etc. A writer in the September 2007 edition of the SGAP Qld Region Bulletin has noted that some of our more difficult to grow plants actually seem to thrive if the pot is placed in a saucer. It would be a good idea if we all brought along a written list of how we grow our potted plants – i.e. with or without a saucer. The Leschenaultia & Conostylis project hopefully continues…. It is a very difficult time for the Leschenaultia particularly. Excellent drainage is required with some root protection during the hot humid weather. If they wilt check for moisture in the pot as they still need a drink now and then. Keep tip pruning too.
We welcome visitors to
our group and enjoy afternoon tea following the meeting.
See you there,
It’s difficult to believe that an insect just 2-5mm in diameter can
threaten the mighty eucalyptus tree, but that’s certainly the case
when it comes to some species of Lerps. In essence a Lerp is
simply the sugary home used to protect the aphid-like nymph of some
species of sap-sucking psyllids. Not all psyllids construct a
protective cover in this way, some species allow the attacked leaf
to distort and close around them, as I’m sure anyone with experience
of growing Syzigium species will be fully aware.
The Basket Lerp tends to carry its home around with it, adding to it as it grows – you can see one at a very early stage in the top of the shot. The basket itself only gets to be about 7-10mm wide. If you see a Swampy with what appears to be burnt leaves, turn one over and you’ll undoubtedly find a few of these little devils on the underside.
This is the typical sort of damage a Brown Basket Lerp will inflict,
but when you multiply them by the thousands, they can actually kill
a young or struggling tree. Different species of Lerps tend to
favour specific tree species – there’s one which mainly attacks
River Red Gums, Eucalyptus camaldulensis and most of us have heard
of the lerp problem with the Sydney Blue Gum Eucalyptus saligna and
the Bell Miners, which brings us to another interesting thing about
Lerps – they are often encouraged and protected by some bird and
insects species in exchange for harvesting some of their honeydew. Our last shot shows ants harvesting honeydew from the white Lerps on the surface of this leaf. If you look in the top left of shot you can see a leaf hopper which has evolved to mimic the appearance of the ants so it can sneak in and enjoy some of the booty too. I’ve had success using Pyrethrum to rid a swampy sapling of Brown Basket Lerp infestation and Judy McMaugh has some other suggestions in her book ‘What Garden Pest or Disease is that?’ however mature trees, if healthy, appear able to withstand attack. After-all, they all co-existed before we came along.
Native Garden Display
for 2008 is to be held at ‘Silky Oaks’ 140 Russell Lane, Oakdale on
Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th April, 10am to
4pm both days. Visit the extensive native show gardens where native plants are grown to perfection in a timeless open parkland setting. Hear renowned guest speakers on both days and gain expert garden and horticultural advice.
This is the largest
range of native plants for sale in the one place at the one time. An entry fee of $5 applies with seniors admitted for $2.50 and accompanied children under age 18 free of charge. Sponsored by The Grevillea Study Group of the Australian Plant Society.
Our Group organised a
bus trip to the plant sale last year and a great day was had by
all. Maybe a carpool could be organised for this year if enough
people are interested and if there are drivers who are prepared to
make the trip. Water quality catchment crawl Saturday 8th March at Mangrove Creek. Contact Samantha– telephone 4349 4757 or email Waterwatch@ccen.org.au Collectors’ plant fair Saturday 26th April 9am – 4pm & Sunday 27th April 9am – 3pm Being held at Woodgreen, 27 Powells Road, Bilpin. NSW (in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney) This is the 4th Collectors Plant Fair and showcases 40 growers of distinctive, unusual and collectable plants – plants that are not readily obtainable. Woodgreen is a delightful garden brimming with collectable plants and is opened as part of Australia’s Open Garden Scheme. It has been featured on ABC TV Gardening Australia. Stallholders include;
Cost Weekend Entry $10 or $7 if pre-booked - under 18’s free entry with an adult. Speaker Sessions $20 25% of proceeds go to the Bilpin Bush Fire Brigade who assist on the weekend To find out more or to make a booking go to the website www.collectorsplantfair.com for more information and to download a booking form or contact Peta & Peter, telephone 02 4567 2026 or Beth at 02 4888 9262. February bushwalk
Our small group of
walkers was lucky to have a fine day amongst weeks of rain when we
met However, we were pleased to find large patches of the tiny mauve flowering Lobelia alata (Pictured left) hanging on beside the track. Westringia and Pimelea, as well as Lomandra longifolia, were ready to make a comeback. Near the cliff edges we found carpets of tiny white flowering Samolus repens, and clumps of the Samphire, Sarcocornia quinqueflora. From the end of the Boardwalk we climbed the track above Bulimah Beach, where it was rather swampy, through the area being restored by the Bouddi Bushcare Group, across creeks and up-hill to Gerrin Point Lookout, where we had our lunch. Here we enjoyed good views across to Maitland Beach and Bouddi Point. On the track we saw many plants typical of rainforest habitat, including vines and Lilly Pillies. We also found pink Matchheads, Comesperma ericinum, bright pink Crowea saligna, and white Epacris pulchella. Many Gahnias were in fruit, while Lepidosperma viscidum clumps held clusters of spikelets. The outing was enjoyed by all, and the fresh air and good company made up for the miserable weather we have been having recently. Diana March bushwalk – Sunday 16th March Meeting Time & Place: 10am at the entrance gate to Daleys Point Fire Trail at the top of Wards Hill, (and opposite the turnoff to Maitland Bay Drive). Directions:Take Wards Hill Road from Empire Bay Drive, and at the top of the steep hill, get ready to turn right with care. There is room off the road here for parking. Description: This track is fairly level, and wanders along the ridge under a canopy of Angophoras. It has several branches, one taking us to a lookout over Daleys Point, and an Aboriginal Site.
It is many years since
our Group did this walk, so we hope to see something different, and
to explore the tracks in this area. Nearby is another track
leading to Allen Strom Lookout. Bring a backpack with your lunch, as well as the usual water, hat, camera. For more information, phone Diana on 4372 1120 before 9am on the day, or Elsie on 0408 653140 after 9.30am.
Propagation Day Important diary date Saturday 26th April Keep this day free and come along and learn the technique of plant propagation.
Autumn is the best time of the year for propagating plants from cuttings. Grevillea species, Prostanthera, Leptospermum, Melaleuca and many others strike more readily at this time of the year. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn techniques of propagating from cutting and to meet and mix with more experienced members. The venue is the home of Audrey & John commencing at 10am. Everybody is welcome so do come along. More information on this day will be in the April Newsletter.
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Officer last year as well as Meet & Greet Officer and in
previous years has held the position of Vice President. We are all
familiar with Andrew’s photographic talent and on this occasion
Andrew gave a presentation on his & Barbara’s trip to the
‘Kaptivating’ Kimberley’s.
from the west coast of Australia and it bears pink
flowers for most of the year but the main flowering time is winter
through to spring. Another plant that is easy to strike from
cutting, it is hardy, makes a great pot specimen and is an excellent
cut flower.
more commonly
known as the Peach Blossom Teatree. ‘Leptospermum’ is from
the Greek language – ‘lepto’ meaning slender, and ‘sperma’
meaning seed. Squarrosum is from the Latin language and
means rough with scale – or with the tips of the bracts projecting
outwards usually at about 90 degrees.
Lerps, on the
other hand use the plant juices they extract to fashion a little
shield from honeydew and wax and either carry it around with them or
construct a new one when they move about the foliage. Our first photo
shows the Brown Basket Lerp whose favoured host tree unfortunately
is Eucalyptus robusta, the Swamp Mahogany – a really important tree
in this part of the world because of its winter-flowering
qualities. 
at Putty Beach. Crossing the creek on the beach was a bit of a
challenge, but the Boardwalk made for comfortable walking. Large
patches of the hillside, burnt out last summer, had blackened
skeletal remains of shrubs, and most of the regrowth was still
sparse and weedy.
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