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MULCH
Much Useful Learning Concerning Horticulture
VOL.20 No.10, OCTOBER 2014
Castlemaine & District Garden Club Inc.
Callistemon ‘Harkness’
Castlemaine & District Garden Club
P.O. Box 758, Castlemaine 3450
http://castlemainegardenclub.wordpress.com
COMMITTEE
President
Judy Uren 5470 6462
Vice-president
Position vacant
Secretary
Sally Leversha 0437 683 469
sal.leversha@bigpond.com
Treasurer
Judy Hopley 5472 1156
Committee Members
Marion Cooke
Jan Gower
Philip Hopley
Heather Spicer
Sue Spacey
Newsletter Editor
Tom Comerford 5470 6230
tomchris@mmnet.com.au
Webmaster
Lynne Kelly
Callistemon ‘Harkness’
Australian flower of month for
October
Callistemon ‘Harkness’ is a hybrid
from the Gawler area of South
Australia. It is one of the better and
more versatile bottlebrushes – it
can be used for hedging, street
planting and erosion control. It has
a semi weeping habit. It is very
tolerant of difficult sites. It has
large long lasting bright red
flowers in spring and summer,
which nectar feeding birds and
other wildlife love. It makes few
seed pods. Very drought and heat
tolerant, and will grow in just about
any soil type, even poor soil. It can
be kept trimmed for a smaller sized
plant with more flowers.
Florist Flower of the
Month
Cosmos
Cosmos are tall annuals grown
for their showy flowers. They
are easy to grow. They attract
birds, bees and butterflies.
PRESIDENT’S
REMARKS
Greetings once again from a rocky
hill in Castlemaine. A beautiful day
in our lovely town, a little warm
perhaps. According to my outdoor
thermometer the temperature is
currently 29o.Our family has been
visiting for the weekend and has
just left to go home to Melbourne.
As I go through the house checking
if they have left anything behind I
reflect on how nice it is to have
them visit albeit for only a short
time.
Neither my son nor daughter in law
are gardeners. They don’t have the
time for anything other than
mowing the lawn and keeping their
small but very nice garden tidy, so
it is lovely to hear their
complimentary remarks as they
walk around my garden. As a
gardener you become so involved
in your own garden: how it looks,
what needs to be done, and plans
for new garden beds, that you tend
to lose your objectivity. So it is
very nice to hear others saying nice
things and recognising all our hard
work.
As a friend of mine might say "we
are getting to the pointy end of the
year" so it is time for me to remind
everyone of the
Show parade
October 31. We
need volunteers
to prepare posies to hand out along
with packets of seeds during the
parade. Posies will be prepared at
the home of Peggy Munro 9.30am
31/10 and we need more volunteers
to hand out posies and seed packets
during the parade. We meet outside
the old fire station on Templeton
Street at 6.00pm
Garden Market
Sunday, November 2 in
the paddock opposite
the Castlemaine Motel.
Mariion Cooke has kindly prepared
the roster for the day so if you
cannot help on the day or the time
please swap with someone else or
contact me. REMEMBER this year
we are having a Garden Club stall
for those garden bits and pieces
you no longer use, just bring them
along on the day.
REMEMBER the raffle
for the Garden Market.
Bring your donation of
goods to the October
meeting or leave them at Maxine
Testers home Urqhuart Street,
Castlemaine.
Christmas Function is
to be held at the Mt
Alexander Golf Club
Wimble Street 6.30 for
7.00pm. At the October Meeting
we will have the food roster for
people to fill in and remember we
need people to RSVP so we know
numbers for catering purposes.
Until next time happy gardening.
GARDEN
EXTRA
Market Day
Stall
Garden Books and Magazines
Garden Hats, Gloves and Aprons
etc.
Tools you no longer need
Herb Bunches, fresh Cut Flowers
Garden Produce
Ceramic pots of any size
Ornaments that are not for your
garden
Irrigation bits and pieces
And MORE
Your contribution for this extra
Garden Club stall on Garden
Market Day would be very
welcome.
Many thanks in advance
Peggy M 54722086
Jeanette A 54721690
A Gardener’s Prayer
O Lord, grant that it may rain every
day, say from about midnight to 3
am – gentle and warm that it may
soak in
And grant that the sun may shine
every day, but not everywhere and
not too much
That there may be plenty of dew,
but no frost, little wind and plenty
of worms
No snails, no mildew or blackspot
and that once a week thin liquid
manure may fall from Heaven
Karl Capek
A Gardener’s Year
MAKING A WICKING
GARDEN
Christobel Comerford 5470 6230
Were you inspired to make one
after Helen Morris’ demonstration
earlier this year? If so, but you
have not yet begun, the
Comerford’s have a piece of carpet
(approx. 3m x 1.6m) which is
FREE TO A GOOD GARDENER,
so you can begin to create one of
these water-saving plots in your
own garden. You can see wicking
gardens at The Hub, Continuing
Education and a newly installed
one at Buda.
YOUR COMMITTEE
Sally Leversha
It was 1984 when we moved to
Castlemaine - just after “Ash
Wednesday” 1983 - I can
remember not being able to see the
sky, and ash was falling all around
us in the suburbs of Melbourne.
My husband and I decided to give
living in the country a trial for 12
months. We had three children
quite quickly and thirty years later
we are still here- we found home!
Our first go at creating a garden
was in Melbourne- we had
absolutely no idea what we were
doing- we just loved gardens and
so we created a lovely area at the
front of our house.
The house was sold when we
moved to Castlemaine and we
drove past it one day to see that the
new owners were now parking
their cars all over it-that's life!
When we moved to Castlemaine
we couldn't wait to have a veggie
garden so the first thing we planted
were tomatoes - well 50 buckets of
tomatoes later- and there is only so
much tomato sauce you can make
and eat. We then decided to vary
how many of each vegetable we
would plant!
Castlemaine's climate has changed
a huge amount since we have
moved here. That change required
a change in expectations and made
us seek what suits our area best. I
thought that only old ladies loved
roses and iris - I have crossed into
that threshold and yes, they are the
most reliable and giving of plants
and I am never disappointed!
I laugh with my friends and say
that I am working to pay for my
addictions- yes! Gardening is one
of them!
Can you identify this garden?
Growing Bulbs
in Central Victoria
Christobel Comerford
The guest speaker for our
September meeting was Dr Graeme
Watson, a well-known local
gardener and owner of Modesty
Cottage.
He began his talk by introducing us
to the word “geophyte” a term used
to describe land-growing plants
with specially developed under-
ground storage structures such as
bulbs, corms, tubers and rhizomes.
He then explained briefly the
differences between these
structures, giving examples of each
i.e., daffodils, gladioli, dahlias and
irises respectively. Then, having
prepared an alphabetical list of all
such plants that he has grown at
Modesty Cottage and a colour
photograph to match each one, he
took us through his list, with
various members present
contributing their knowledge to his
presentation.
At least three on this list are
classified as noxious weeds and
certainly to be avoided as garden
plants, namely Watsonia,
Zantedeschia (arum lily) and
Homeria (cape tulip). All of these
have invaded our roadsides and
bushland in many parts of Victoria.
Several species of Oxalis are in this
category also, although one form
O.tuberosum has small tubers
which are delicious as a cooked
vegetable. Some of those listed
e.g., Eremurus (fox tail lily) and
Camassia have not been successful
in Graeme’s garden, but in some
local gardens they are doing well.
Others on the list (totalling 58)
were variously described: easy to
grow in our climate e.g., Muscari
(grape hyacinth); requiring specific
conditions of winter dryness e.g.,
Hippeastrum; really hardy under
extreme conditions e.g., Crocosmia
or very frost sensitive e.g., Dahlia
and Canna. There were some
charming woodland plants listed
(Cyclamen and Erythronium) and
others that should not be exposed
to windy conditions such as
Alstromeria. Bulbs of Galanthus
(the true snowdrop) should not be
allowed to dry out and Urginea
(sea squill)
is an interesting plant whose bulbs
are so large they are sold by the
kilogram. Like Amaryllis
(belladonna or naked ladies)
Urginea flower stalks emerge from
the bulb neck well before leaves
appear later in Autumn.
Veltheimia prefers a sheltered
position and will often produce a
second flowering in Autumn if the
first blooms are cut off. It, like
many of the bulbs on the list is a
native of South Africa
There was very little time for
particular genera namely those of
Nerine, Narcissus, Anemone, Iris
and Tulipa, to be discussed in
detail, but each contains a large
number of species and it is possible
to spread the flowering season of
each over several months. For
example, the first narcissus appears
in early April or even late March,
and the last to flower does not open
till early October. Similarly,
examples of flowers of the genus
Iris, can be found in many months
of the year
By the time we had come to
Zephyranthus, the last on Graeme’s
list we had learned so much
valuable information and we all
thoroughly enjoyed his
presentation and the accompanying
photographs.
Thank you
Graeme
SHOW and TELL
September Meeting
Peggy Munro
Being aware that bulbs were to be
the subject for Graeme’s talk I
collected some of the bulbs still
doing well in my garden to show to
the Meeting.
I have a daffodil called Yvonne
that usually flowers about the 4th
July; and from that first one till
now when the last of them are still
coming into flower I know that
they have great garden value. In
my garden they are not fed or
watered and still put on a
marvellous show
All the small bulbs I brought to
show are really just starting to
flower and some will continue all
through the summer. Bulbs are of
enormous value in my garden as I
work towards my old age.
Flowers I brought to show were:
Narcissus
Daffodil 1,2,3
Bulbocodium
Campanelle
Freesia - Alister Clark’s garden
Ornithogalum
Chincherinchee
Muscari - common blue
Ixia - common yellow
Sparaxis - common orange
Hyacinthoides - common blue
Ipheon - common blue
Chasmanthe
When Wordsworth’s heart with pleasure filled at a crowd of golden daffodils, it’s a safe bet he didn’t see them two weeks later.
Geoff Hamilton
Tulipa saxatilis
Tulipa saxatilis is a perennial
herbaceous plant originally from
Crete. The flower is bright pink,
with a sharply demarcated yellow
centre and the petals are pointed
In this locality, T.saxatilis is known
as the Buda tulip. David Glenn
notes this species has made itself
at home in the garden at Buda in
Castlemaine. Fermi De Sousa
writes that it has a reputation for
spreading via stolons to produce a
huge volume of leaves but few
blooms. She claims the trick to
successful flowering is to restrict
the movement of the bulbs and
provide a warm dry position
during the summer.
From David Glenn’s notes: wild
tulips don’t need to be lifted each
year: plant them in 15 cm deep in
well-drained soil with a handful of
lime added to each square metre if
your soil is too acidic. Cover the
soil where the tulips are planted during summer. David grows
some of the smaller or rarer
species in his scree bed which is
mulched with about 2 cm of small
blue metal aggregate. Planted in
deep pots they are a joy. Pot up
during March, feed well and keep
the soil well watered through the
winter and spring. When the top
begins to die down put the pot of
tulips in a shed and keep dry until
the following March and repot
into fresh soil.
Species tulips confused with
T.saxatilis include T.bakeri,
T.cretica and T. clusiana
An excellent article on growing
tulips in Central Victoria,
specifically at Redesdale, written
by Fermi De Sousa, was published
in the Spring 2014 edition of the
Royal Horticultural Society of
Victoria’s magazine Gardeners’
Gazette.
CARE OF AUSTRALIAN
NATIVE PLANTS
Penny Garnett
It is worth taking a lot of trouble
when planting native plants.
Usually the labels tell you that they
like ‘a well-drained soil’ If in
doubt dig the hole, fill it with water
and leave overnight. If the water
has not drained away by next day
try planting somewhere else, – or
make a raised bed.
When planting I put a handful of
gypsum in the hole, then mix some
leaves and twigs with the soil, and
a little Osmacote for Natives when
filling round the plant, before
watering. I put stones round the
base of the plant and sink an empty
pot next it for watering – and
native plants do need watering in
their first summer, until they get
established. This is the time of year
to feed native plants. I give each a
handful of blood and bone, or more
according to size, each September,
but NOT the family of Proteaceae
i.e., Grevilleas, Hakeas Isopogon
and Banksias
Native plants benefit from being
clipped or the flowers cut off after
flowering. Some people say you
should cut them back by one third
each year. This is to prolong their
life and to prevent them from
getting ‘leggy’
There are some magnificent
Australian native plants, well-
suited to this area, and it is worth
making some effort to see them
flourish in a garden setting. The
nearest nursery where you will find
the greatest variety is Goldfields
Revegetation at Tannery Lane,
Mandurang
OUR HISTORY
21 years ago
Spring ‘93 6
th October Committee Meeting
Of interest
To cut down the time spent
on general business and to
allow the guest speaker to
speak earlier it was
discided[sic] that minutes of
the previous meeting and the
notices from correspondence
should be printed and
circulated to members
26th
October General Meeting
Of interest
Discussion about future
meetings: one suggestion
was that a business meeting
be held in daytime with Buda
a possible venue and the
evening meetings kept for
horticultural matters.
There was also the
suggestion that we meet at
7pm for business and then at
8 have a speaker or
horticultural discussion
Policy to make gift to
speaker local $15 and $25 for
others. Local speaker to be
paid in cash, others by
cheque
Where are they now?
Barbara Maund
Joined 27th
August 1985
Committee – March 1986
Program Organizer 1986
Secretary 1987-88, 1996
Minute Secretary 1997-98
Honorary Member 2004
Barbara has been active in and
around our Club for nearly 30
years. A passionate gardener
whose past gardens have been
featured in international and
Australian magazines and
books. She has never retired
from cultivating a patch, but
now works her nature strip and
friends’ gardens. Of Barbara, in
the words of Sydney Eddison, it
can be truly said “gardens are a
form of autobiography”.
ACTIVITIES
Garden Clubs Visit
26 people enjoyed our shared visit
with the Maldon and Maryborough
Garden Clubs to the Chewton and
Elphinstone State School gardens
together with the Elphinstone
gardens of Pam and Alan Isaacs
and Elaine Geraghty. The
afternoon tea was a delight. Thank
you to all who had some
responsibility in the organization of
the day. Maldon Garden Club will
be the host in 2015.
They’re ready for
Market Day
Potting Up Day was a great
success. Thank you to all who
assisted.
Posie Making for Seniors
We had a great but very cold morning and made lots of posies
TREASURER’S REPORT SEPTEMBER 2014
Main Account
Cashbook Balance at 1/09/14 1,307.22
Receipts to 30/09/14:
Nil
1,307.22
Expenses to 30/09/14:
Elliot Midland Newspapers 8.00
Legion Office Works 96.80
Mt Alexander Shire – Garden market permit 35.00 139.80
Cashbook Balance at 30/08/14 1,167.42
Bank Reconciliation:
Cashbook balance at 30/09/14 1,167.42
Add unpresented cheques:
Add Petty cash payments 39.80
Less Raffle income transferred to Petty cash 40.20
Bank Balance at 31/08/14 1,167.42
Student Bursary Account
Bank Balance at 31/05/14 616.00
Receipts to 31/08/14
Nil
Bank Balance at 31/08/14 616.00
Cash at hand 53.20
Fixed Assets 2,015.00
Castlemaine & District Garden Club General Meeting
MINUTES OF MEETING Monday 23rd September 2014
7.35pm Wesley Hill Hall
1. PRESENT: Judy Uren, Sally Leversha, Sue Spacey, Marion Cooke, Tom Comerford, Christobel Comerford,
Peggy Munro, Sue Dimozantos, Edwin Gollings, Gill King, Juliana Hart, Jeanette
Hawkins,Jeanette Adams, Peter Rotterveel, Jeanette Johnston, Helen Morris, Penny Garnett,
Susan Albert, Alex Allen, Barbara Maund, Neil& Julie Ann Webster, Jean Lorrenz, Jenny
Nuske, Lynne Kelly, Damian Kelly, Lorna Anstey, Sue Grimes, Jo Welsh, Judi Kent, Maxine
Tester, Linda Stevenson, Eileen Park
NEW MEMBERS: Judy Eastwood
VISITORS: Michelle Paul, Graeme Watson
APOLOGIES: Jan Miletic, Stacey Fitzgerald, Morgan Mathias- Williamson, Heather Spicer,
Judy & Phil Hopley, Barry& Jennifer Lacey
2. MINUTES of previous meeting held– July moved as a true record Sue Spacey, seconded Gill
King
3. TREASURER REPORT- July- moved Edward Golling, seconded Marion Cooke
4. CORRESPONDENCE:
Correspondence In:
August/September
4.1 1/8/14 Letter from Christobel Comerford re “Poppy Seeds”- DISCUSS
4.2 Mt Macedon Plant Lovers’ Market
Sunday 21st Sept, 10am-4pm
4.3 Castlemaine & District Festival of Gardens
Saturday 1st-Sunday 9th November
4.4 Bendigo Garden Club
August Newsletter
4.5 Mill Park Garden Club
August Newsletter
4.6 16/9/14 Friends of Buda Spring Newsletter – plus membership reminder
4.7 16/9/14 -Royal Horticultural Society of Vic Gardeners Gazette Spring 2014
4.8 16/9/14-Castlemaine Garden Market –Application- Jean & Ian Hinks
4.10 Mt Alexander Shire- permission for signage for 2/22/14
4.11 Girgarne Open Garden- Sunday 26/10/14
4.12 Alowyn Gardens =Yarra Glen- open 7dys- 10am –5pm
4.13 Invite for the launch of Mt Alexander Shire Vic Seniors Festival- Castlemaine Art
Gallery- Tues 2/10/14
4.14 10- Applicants for Castlemaine Garden Market
5. Correspondences Out:
August/September
5.1 28/8/14 – Annual Club Statement & Registration- fee paid $53
5.2 1/9/14 Maldon Garden Club Maryborough Garden Club- Reminder letters from Castlemaine
& District Garden Club- re Tuesday 16th September, “annual get together”, meeting at 1.30pm @
the Octopus opposite Castle Motel, Castlemaine. To visit local gardens followed by afternoon tea.
5.3 21/9/14- Letter of thanks to Pam & Alan Isaacs & Pam Geraghty re Maldon & Maryborough
get together.
5.4 Letter of thanks to Chewton & Elphinstone primary schools for allowing entry to see their
Gardens
5.5 Buda membership renewal
(All items in the Correspondence folder can be perused by members)
Tabled and accepted : Judy Lorenz
6 MATTERS ARISING:
6.1 Discussed the success of the combined clubs day on the 16/9/14 with Maryborough & Maldon
Clubs joining us for visits to Pam & Alan Isaacs garden –booked again for 5yrs time, also a visit to
Elphinstone & Chewton Primary Schools, followed by a lovely afternoon tea at Elaine Geraghtys’- A
“Thankyou” has been sent to all involved.
6.2 Discussed Correspondence (4.1 Correspondence In) from Christobel Comerford - a letter
received 1/8/14 questioning if it was ok for our club to sell/give away small packets of “wild poppy
seeds”- Isobel stood up and summarised the letter -discussion had- “Diggers Gardeners” sell these-
with outcome of unanimous vote that we would proceed to give these away in small packets.
6.3 Last Meeting- forms given out for suggestions for plans for activities for next year- these to be
collected tonight and discussed for planning next Committee Meeting 7/10/14
6.4 Seniors’ week – 13/10/14
Individual small posies to be arranged this year – Tues 14/10/14 at Peggy Munroe’s house
We need volunteers to assist to make & deliver these to the hospital
If anybody has small glass jars i.e. old jam jars to donate that would be great- posies will be placed in
these.
We also need donations of flowers & greenery
6.5 On the 31/10/14 The Show Parade is due- we need a Volunteer Coordinator for this activity
and people to assist to hand out items at the Parade!!! Please offer assistance!
6.6 On the 2/11/14 - The Annual Garden Market- opposite the Castle Motel
We need:
Trailers to pick up plants & deliver to the market-contact Judy Uren if you can help especially
with trailers/ute- ? 5 needed
4-6 Inch pots for Fri 26/9/14 repotting day at Peggy Munroe’s
We will label & price pots on the Sat prior to the market day
Flyers have been done for the market day
Maxine Tester to arrange a raffle for the Market Day
There has been a suggestion to add an extra stall this year with books, old things etc.- bring on
the day
6.7 Marion Cooke moved to purchase a new wheel barrow- 2nd
–Unanimous
6.8 Peggy Munro noted that we need to put an entry form in for “hanging baskets”
6.9 Peggy Munro& Market Building has a list of gardens open for Sunday 28/9/14 “Gardens of the
Hedge”
6.10 Sue Grimes- pointed out 2/9-Mid October there is wall space/ display available in the Market
Building
6.11 Tom Comerford- reminded everyone about the 5/10/14 Buda Garden Ramble, $50
6.12 Marion Cooke spoke about the Garden List Roster & reported that the garden market roster will
go out with the Mulch newsletter and that if members cannot fulfil their 'slot' then they should try to
re-arrange a 'swap' with another member or call Marion
SPEAKER:
Judy Introduced our Speaker Graeme Watson - “Interesting Bulbs”
Graeme gave a PowerPoint presentation showing pictures of various bulbs, giving us great
information about his experiences & successes with various varieties- despite competing with heat,
cold, minimum water, rabbits & kangaroos!- he gave us hope!
It was a wonderful evening & we are most grateful for his effort and time to do this presentation.
RAFFLE: Graeme drew the raffle -A beautiful variegated Alstromeria was won by Sue Grimes.
20. NEXT MEETING: Committee Meeting: Tuesday 7th October- 930am Peggy Munro’s house
General Meeting: Tuesday 28th
October-7.30pm Wesley Hill Hall
Guest Speakers: 28th- next General meeting speaker will be Dr Ann Vale, a garden historian.
She is doing an all-day engagement at Buda on the 29th with Simon Griffiths.
21. MEETING CLOSED: 10:10pm
COMING EVENTS
November
1st-30
th Sculpture Exhibition at
Mica Grange
1st-9
th Castlemaine Festival of
Gardens
1st-2
nd Goldfields Bonsai Society
Exhibition
2nd
Garden Market Castlemaine
Garden Club
6th
Goldfield Roses & Garden
visit to Bendigo gardens
7th
Simon Rickard at Buda:
Heirloom Vegetables
8th
-9th
Bendigo Garden Club
Spring Flower Show
8th
Alister Clark Memorial Rose
Garden Open Day
15th
-16th
Garden DesignFest
20th
Goldfield Roses & Garden
Nursery Ramble in and around
Blackwood
22nd
-23rd
Open Gardens
Marysville
30th
Woodlands and Overwood
gardens in Whitelodge Road,
Woodend
DISCOUNTS
Members are reminded to continue
to support the businesses that
support us in the form of discounts:
You will need your 2014
membership card for
identification
All Stone Quarries (ASQ)
5% off gravel, mulch etc.
15% off pots and plants
Beard’s Hardware
10% on most garden related
products
Gardens Etcetera 21-25 Main Street Maldon Tel:
5475 2339
Discount of 10% excluding items
on consignment and sale items
www.gardenetcetera.com.au
Sociana’s Plant Stall Wesley
Hill
Saturday Market
10% discount
Sociana’s ‘The Green Folly’
10% discount
Stoneman’s Bookroom
10% on all purchases over $10
Taylor Brothers
5% on garden related products
MULCH is printed with the
assistance of
LEGION OFFICE WORKS
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Main Events
Tuesday 28th October, 2014 General Meeting
7:30pm Wesley Hill Hall Speaker: Anne Vale
Three Exceptional Garden Makers of Victoria
***********************************
Next Committee Meeting: Tuesday, 10th February, 2015 at Peggy Munro’s home ***********************************
The Castlemaine & District Garden Club meets at 7:30pm on the fourth
Tuesday of each month from February to October at the Wesley Hill Hall, Duke Street, Wesley Hill.
Membership of the Club is open to all and costs $20 a year per household
($25 if you want a paper copy of Mulch mailed to you). Mulch (in colour) is available via email on
request. Subscriptions are payable at the beginning of each calendar year.
New members are very welcome. The Club distributes this monthly
newsletter to all members and other like-minded organisations.
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