Next Meeting

A Talk on Fire Resistant Plants by Jeanette John, from Ficifolia Native Nursery.

Date: Thursday July 9, 2009
Time: 7:30 pm
Venue: Horticultural Building at Morwell TAFE adjacent to Kernot Hall on Monash Way, Morwell.

Leader's Report

We are sorry about this month’s newsletter being late as we are having internet problems, all being well I hope it is sorted out for next month’s newsletter, if not we will let you know. So if you have anything for the August newsletter, PLEASE, mail it to us so Marg can put it in.

It is with regret we accept our Secretary’s resignation. Due to ill health Richard Wiseman has had to pull out of the position and our group. We wish you a speedy recovery Richard and please accept our ‘Thank You’ for stepping into the position at short notice and we will miss you and Maria very much and do hope to see you again soon.

WELL! If you missed our June meeting visit to the West Gippsland APS Group, you really did miss out on an entertaining enthusiastic speaker in Attila Kapitany. Attila ‘Plant Man Extraordinaire!’ kept us glued to our seats and listerning intently to his talk on ‘Native Succulents’ from the arid regions of the outback to our own vegie patches. The photos showed a wide range of some of the most under-appreciated, diverse and interesting Australian native plants with many of them among the most drought or dry-tolerant of all plants. These plant species where from 40 different genera .

Many Thanks to the West Gippsland APS Group for having us, we hope to return the hospitality in the near future.

July Meeting

We have been asked to concider HOSTING the APS Vic. Quaterly meeting for March 2010, please let Cathy (Ph. 5169 6543) or Wayne (Ph. 0428 601425) know if this is ok for our group to do or any ideas on this matter. ASAP.

Our July speaker is Jeanette John, talking about Fire Resistant Plants. Jeanette & David own and run ‘Ficifolia Native Nursery’ at Drouin South.

Looking forward to seeing you there from Wayne Wilkinson.

Plants in Our Garden

What a great drop of rain we have had, 41mm for the first few days of July, and the cold wind too has been a bit of a shock to the system, we were beinging to worry that July was going to be dry and mild too.

For a bit of cheerfullness at this time of year Correa pulchella ‘Annie’s Delight’ with orange-red flowers, Correa pulchella ‘Autumn Blaze’ from Kangaroo Island S.A. always add colour to our garden and necture for the honeyeaters, as does (Marg’s favourtie) Alyogyne huegelli purple form. Hardenbergia violacea the purple ‘Happy Wanderer’, Banksia ericifolia ‘Giant Candles’ and Hypocalymma xanthopetalum is a mass of yellow flowers. As you can see by the photo Leptospermum scoparium nanum is just starting to flower with a self seeded Acacia aphylla in front of it. I think even our plants are not sure what the seasons are doing.

Photos taken by Wayne Wilkinson.
Info Source: Fifth Edition. AUSTRALIAN NATIVE PLANTS by John W. Wrigley & Murray Fagg.

Leptospermum scoparium nanum Dwarf Red Tea Tree is a compact, low growing shrub. H45cm x W45cm Flowering during winter & spring, this dwarf variety is suitable for rockeries, garden beds & containers. Well drained soil in Full sun and prune lightly after flowering.
Acacia aphylla Leafless Rock Wattle growing in front of the leptospermum is one of several self seeded plants from the original plant that we lost 4 to 5 years ago in this garden bed. This Acacia is an open, much-branched shrub to 2m’s with leafless, greyish branches that are spiny. Yellow ball-flowers in spring are followed by purplish grey pods up to 9cm long.

Correa pulchella ‘Autumn Blaze’ has Orange Flowers in April to July, likes sunny or part shaded positions. These plants are tolerant of lime, coastal exposure and frost. Growing to 30cm x 1.2m they are good for garden or containers, respond well to pruning.

Alyogyne huegelii (Syn. Hibiscus huegelii) Lilac Hibiscus Purple flowers, 12cm diameter, occur in spring and summer. Very hardy and is moderately frost tolerant and suited to most soils in sunny position. H2m x W 1.5m with variable lobed leaves to 6cm. Five varieties are recognised.

Hardenbergia violacea ‘Happy Wanderer’, is a particularly vigorous and floriferous climbing form, is a registered cultivar. Stems may spread to 2m. Purple pea-shaped flowers are seen in late winter and spring.