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

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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.