Message from New Manager

General

Hi there,

Some of you may not know but I took over managing the nursery from Margaret Cromb who, let me tell you, is a hard act to follow! I have been busy studying the plants, learning their names and their differences, collecting seed and so on. So far, I believe we have around 12 000 plants ready to go for autumn. We have a good variety- trees, shrubs, ground covers and climbers, grasses, sedges, bog plants, many of which are excellent garden plants- not just good for revegetation. I'm excited and I hope some of you are too. Autumn is a great time for planting new plants. The ground is warm which aids root formation yet the weather is cool and less stressful to plants. It's also a bit cooler for us gardeners to get out there and do some pottering. There is nothing better than strolling around on a crisp, clear autumn morning with a cup of hot tea to ponder what work can be done that day. It's a turn of the cycle that I look forward to. This year, I'll be renovating my driveway garden. It's lined with Agapanthus and not much else. I'd like a more designed, formal look and I'm using a mix of indigenous plants with a few natives as my palette. I want it to look a bit 'wow' when people come down the driveway but I think it should also be water wise and has to provide food and shelter for the local wildlife. I'm also going to add some art work to make it a bit special. And when it s done, I think I'll feel good that I made a garden that was ecologically sound and well as ascetically pleasing. So I hope to see some of you at the nursery and you can tell me what you're doing in your garden this autumn.

I already mentioned the number of plants we have at the moment. What I didn't mention was is how they came to be. The engine room of the nursery is driven by the volunteers who come in every Friday- Neil, Graeme and recently Ray. They come in every week and help out whether it's pricking out new seedlings (Neil's thing) pruning (not Ray's fave thing) or being handy (definitely Graeme's thing). So everyone brings something different. At other times, we have more volunteers who can spare some time to help out with other odds and ends that need doing. So thanks a bunch to the volunteers at the nursery! And here's some food for thought.....

"Volunteering is a fundamental building block of civil society. It brings to life the noblest aspirations of
Humankind- the pursuit of peace, freedom, opportunity, safety and justice for all people.
In this era of globalization and continuous change, the world is becoming smaller, more interdependent
and more complex. Volunteering either through individual or group action is a way in which:
Human values of community, caring and serving can be sustained and strengthened. Individuals can
exercise their rights and responsibilities as members of communities, while learning and growing
throughout their lives, realizing their full human potential. Connections can be made across differences
that push us apart, so that we can live together in healthy, sustainable communities, working together to
provide innovative solutions to our shared challenges and to shape our collective destinies.
At the dawn of the new millennium, volunteering is an essential element of all societies. It turns into
practical, effective action, the declaration of the United Nations, that we, the people have the power to
change the world."-© Volunteering Australia Inc. 2009

Finally, the plant of the month:

Bulbine bulbosa- Bulbine Lily

Bulbine bulbosa- Bulbine Lily-is a fragrant perennial up to 75cm high. It tolerates drought, seasonal wets and frost. The plant dies back when too dry but will resprout again when more water is available. It is poisonous to stock in large quantities. A useful food plant--the plump round corms were eaten by Aboriginal people. Corms can be roasted. They are high in calcium, iron and are sweet tasting. A stunning addition to any garden, either as a mixed bed or in drifts and lines.
So have fun thinking about a new part of the garden or renovating a tired weedy one,
Cheers,

Anita Meister