Registered Number: A001049R
Registered Number: A001049R |
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| Email: Wimmera Growers of Australian Plants |  |
Wimmera Growers of Australian Plants is a group of people from across the Wimmera who are interested in learning about and supporting one another in the growing of Australian plants.
Our Aims are to:
Promote the Beauty of Australian Plants and the Benefits of their Cultivation
Encourage Development of the Australian Flora for Cultivation and Commercialisation to Conserve Wild Populations
Conserve, Protect and Enhance the Environment with Emphasis on Flora by Working with: -
Local Government
Community
Commerce and Industry
Organisations interested in Conservation
President: |
Graham Goods | Phone: |
03 5383 2229 | |
Secretary: |
Sue Smith | Phone: |
03 5381 0081 | |
Treasurer: |
Bob Blake | Phone: |
03 5384 2242 | |
Postal Address: |
Wimmera Growers of Australian Plants Inc. | |||
| P.O. Box 533 | ||||
| Horsham | ||||
| Victoria, Australia | ||||
| 3402 | ||||
Meetings are held the first Friday of the month from February to November at the Horsham Angling Club Rooms, Sawyer Park, Horsham usually commencing at 8.00 p.m. All interested persons are welcome to attend. (Two meetings per year are held at Warracknabeal) Excursions are held from time to time. These include garden visits, nursery visits and observation of natural vegetation. Newsletters are published every two months. Join and gain understanding and appreciation of Australian plants in the home garden, town landscape and natural environment from other enthusiasts. Membership is open to all interested persons. Membership Subscription is:- |
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Single $12 |
Couple $18 |
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To join download and print a membership form.
Program 2008 |
| 5 September | 8 pm | Town Hall, Warracknabeal | Speaker: Maree Goods |
| Topic: Eremophilas - Our Desert Jewels | |||
| 4 - 5 October | Program & Venue - See Eremophilas 2008 Tab | FJC Rogers Seminar - Eremophilas 2008 | |
| 7 November | Visit to Wail Arboretum | ||
| 5 December | Christmas Breakup | Property of Peter & Leonne Gebert, Jeparit | |
Apart from the sandy and acid ironstone soils (mostly to the south of Horsham), much of the Wimmera consists of shallow topsoils over alkaline clay, some areas being solid limestone below. Because of the high pH of these soils plants that grow naturally on these soils or are adaptable need to be selected.
Improved results can be obtained on these heavy clay soils by:-
Species that require some drainage may be able to be grown on artificially raised beds where soil is heavier. Examples of these are Anigozanthus species, Chamelaucium ciliata, Kunzea parvifolia, Kunzea affinis and Verticordia plumosa.
There are two main types of sandy soils in the Wimmera:-
Many West Australian plants perform well on the neutral to acidic sands and not as well on the alkaline sands. The local species, which grow naturally on well drained, nutrient deficient soils such as the Little Desert are often indigenous to alkaline sands but often do well on both sand types.
The depth of sand has a major influence. For example some of the larger genera of Banksia require deep drainage.
It should be pointed out that the pH of soils can vary within a short distance and that these notes give a broad overview only. The map below illustrates further the complexity of the soils in the Wimmera. The best plants for an area are always those indigenous to it, or growing in very similar conditions.
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FJC Rogers Seminar - Eremophilas 2008 Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th October 2008 This Seminar is for enthusiasts of Australian plants, and all gardeners who want to have an attractive garden with low water use. |
Program - Saturday 4th October, Horsham College Assembly Hall
9.00 am |
Registration |
9.30 am |
Welcome & Official Opening |
9.45 am |
Morning Tea |
10.15 am |
Keynote Speaker - Dr Bob Chinnock, Senior Botanist at the South Australian Herbarium, has been responsible for describing many new species of Eremophila and has published his revision in the book, Eremophila and allied genera, A Monograph of the Myoporaceae. |
11.15 am |
Speaker - Norma Boschen, Chasing Eremophilas in Arid Australia. Norma has been growing eremophilas for over 30 years and has travelled inland Australia extensively, in search of Eremophilas and new species. |
12.00 noon |
Lunch |
1.00pm |
Workshops (Choice of any two)
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2.30 pm |
Speaker - Dr Enzo Palombo, Antimicrobial properties of Eremophila extracts: potential applications in infection control. Dr Enzo Palombo is currently a Senior Lecturer in microbial biotechnology and the Director of the Environment and Biotechnology Centre at SwinburneUniversity of Technology. Some of his research include: identification of bio-active compounds from medicinal plants; and environmental microbiology. |
3.30 pm |
Afternoon Tea Launch of Book Book Sales, Displays and Launch of new cultivars |
6.30pm |
Dinner - Horsham College Assembly Hall Speaker - Ted Brown, Eremophilas, Survivors in Our Garden. Ted has been in the nursery industry for over 35 years and is currently manager of Wimmera Native Nursery. He has a Sunday Gardening show on local radio and often writes for newspapers. |
Program - Sunday 5th October
8.00 am |
Coach Tour
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4.45 pm |
Arrive back at Library Car Park, Horsham |
Registration Costs
| Saturday Day Session | $60 |
| Saturday Dinner (BYO Alcoholic Drinks) | $40 |
| Sunday Field Trip - Coach Tour Includes Morning / Afternoon Teas and Lunch | $28 |
| Seminar Papers | $20 |
10% discount applies for booking received no later than 1st June 2008