GROUNDSWELL RRP $8.95
CONTENTS
Volume 31 Number 12 December 2020 PUBLISHER NURSERY & GARDEN INDUSTRY VICTORIA
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PRESIDENT Simon Gomme CEO Craig Taberner
CONTENTS
CONTRIBUTORS Simon Gomme, Leigh Siebler, Craig Taberner, Matt Ross, Angela Harders, David Ford, Dr Virginia Williamson, Julie Melbourne, Roger Boyle, Nan Cleven, Sheena Kane
3 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 4 CEO’S MESSAGE 6 A BRIEF HISTROY OF AUSTRALIAN HORTICULTURAL TRIALS WEEK
ADVERTISING NGIV T: (03) 9576 0599
9 WORKPLACE SAFETY QUESTIONS ANSWERED
ADDRESS Unit 3, 307 Wattletree Road, Malvern East VIC 3145. MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 2280, Wattletree Road LPO, Malvern East VIC 3145.
10 VSGP: A VIRTUAL SUCCESS 12 THE SHOW GOES ON AT NORWOOD 14 WHERE WILL ALL THE TREES BE? 16 CONTROLLING LIVERWORT IN CONTAINER PRODUCTION
TELEPHONE (03) 9576 0599 FAX (03) 9576 0431 EMAIL ngiv@ngiv.com.au www.ngiv.com.au
20 MT EVELYN GARDEN CENTRE SECURES A PIECE OF HISTORY 22 VALE: HANS VAN SCHAICK 23 SPRING BLUEMING SUPPORTS HORTICULTURE INDUSTRY 24 AWARD WINNING ROSES 22 TRADE DAY REPORT 26 NEXTGEN: VAUGHAN SAVAGE
Our front cover: To everyone in hort, we appreciate the support. www.norwood.com.au
FINISHED ART Vale Graphics M: 0409 88 77 06 E: angie@valegraphics.com.au PRINTING Norwood Industries 6 Wedgewood Road, Hallam VIC 3803.
Exhibit at Australia’s largest and a most lov ve ed hortic culture event e t.
In 2021 the Melbourrne International Flowerr & Garden Show, presen nted by Lawn Solutions Australia, proudly o returns to the Royal a Exhibition Building & Carlton Gardens. dens Th he d dates are set s for Wednesda d d y Mar M ch h 24 to Sunda Sun y March 28 inclusive and this year, when Full NGIV membe ers book a site at the Show they’ll receive an exclusive Mem mbers Benefit Package including a site fee discount, complimentary Show tick kets, enhanced online Ex xhibitor listing and more.
Book your retaiil site today and get set to sh ho owcase your products & servic ces to an impressive, engaged audience on this unique platfo orm. Visitt melbflowershow.com.au/exh hibiting g or contact Kat Rushforrd at IMG e: Kathl thleen.Rushf R hford@ d@ @ @i @img. com | t: t 03 9864 1111. 1111
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Simon Gomme President, NGIV As 2020 draws to a close, I reflect on a year that has shown our industry at its best. I’ve seen businesses adapt quickly in challenging circumstances. I’ve witnessed a collective sense of optimism and a recognition that this year has fuelled the public’s enthusiasm for gardening. Business owners have supported and valued their employees, and in turn, been rewarded with professionalism and dedication. And as an industry we have done the right thing, maintaining our reputation as a responsible and professional sector. And we have finished the year on a high. NGIV’s Trade Day returned, an event that has taken years to build into what it is today, the biggest and best horticultural trade market in Australia. Your presence is what creates the atmosphere and camaraderie, that makes it such a wonderful day. The Australian Horticultural Trials Week, a major event in Australia’s horticultural calendar, took place earlier this month. It’s always exciting to see what Australia’s top propagators and growers have been working on, and to network with industry colleagues, customers and suppliers from all over Australia. Our retail members finally got to open their doors and welcome, old and new, customers back to their sites. I’m delighted they are finally able to experience the extraordinary public demand for plantlife and make up for lost time. Talks with event organisers at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show are ongoing and some exciting proposals are being shared. I’m hopeful the 2021 Show will make an impressive return. I would like to thank my fellow directors for their continued support and commitment in a year where they’ve been called upon to make some big decisions. We have a board with
expertise and insight that spans the horticultural industry, and their input, professionalism and competency has been invaluable. After completing two two-year terms as a director at NGIV, I’d like to thank James Wall for his considerable input. James often brings an alternative viewpoint that I value immensely, and I hope to welcome him back onto the board one day. The NGIV team, led by CEO Craig Taberner, have provided an outstanding service to our members in difficult circumstances. I thank Craig for his leadership and composure to navigate NGIV through this dififcult moment. I look towards 2021 knowing we can capitalise on the growth gardening is experiencing. I’d like to thank you all for your continued support of NGIV; together we are stronger.
Simon Gomme President, NGIV Powerplants Australia
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CEO’S MESSAGE
Craig Taberner CEO, NGIV I reflect on a year that has taught me a lot, both personally and professionally. I’ve come to understand the strength of character that is pervasive across our industry. I’ve been overwhelmed by the support and generosity of our partners and members, relationships that often go beyond merely business ones. And I’ve witnessed the draw that gardening has on individuals in times of crisis. For all it’s challenges there have been many learnings that will stand us all in good stead. And now in December, there’s a reassuring sense of normality. We have welcomed Trade Day back and the chance to come together as an industry. The Australian Horticultural Trials Week proceeded, bringing together Australia’s top breeders and growers for a week of innovation and learning. And we’re all bracing ourselves for what will be a busy holiday season. I’d like to take the opportunity to express my gratitude to all those that have continued to support the industry throughout the year. Our members, who are the foundation of our industry. The dedicated and committed staff at NGIV. Our President Simon Gomme and the NGIV Directors for their expertise, support and commitment. MIFGS directors Glen Fenton, Michael Warner, Simon Gomme and David Howard. All those who served on committees, such as Trade Day, VSGA, NextGen, Tree & Shrub Growers and Events, for their hard work and dedication. And of course, our industry partners whose commitment benefits the entire industry. I’d also like to give a special mention to our Victorian Schools Garden Program (VSGP), which continues to go from strength
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to strength. After receiving a record number of grant entries earlier in the year, VSGP created another record, receiving 122 entries from 78 schools for their Awards Program. A total of almost $100,000 is distributed to the winners each year, to be redeemed at NGIV retail nursery members. The Program does a wonderful job of exposing the next generation to the joys of gardening. This year has been nothing like we’ve ever seen before, and hopefully won’t see again. During this period of uncertainty, the NGIV Board, staff and you, the members, have stood tall and remained committed and positive to our great industry. I believe we will enjoy unprecedented returns in the years ahead as we remain united.
Craig Taberner CEO, NGIV
EVENT: AHT2020
A brief history of Australian Horticultural Trials Week The Australian Horticultural Trials (AHT) has a relatively young history in comparison to the depth of Australia’s horticultural history. Showcasing the best plants and products needed a united effort and in 2001 a group of pioneering industry figures and businesses, conceived Hortivations. They believed there was a missed opportunity by the NGIV to show the broader industry some of the innovations coming out of Victoria, in a format similar the Pack Trials held in the United States. Hortivations, held at Ball Australia’s former site in Keysborough, was originally designed for multiple businesses to present to the wholesale industry the variety of plants and products available. The coming together of multiple businesses at the one site of Ball Australia, to showcase their products, is testament to the strength and unity of the industry. The shared goals of everyone made the event a success for many years. In 2016 the Australian Horticultural Trials were conceived. The continuation of the event in a new format, with each business showcasing products on their own site, was predestined, with a rich web of growers, producing innovative and quality products, needing a solid platform from which to showcase to the industry. Fundamentally, both events were designed to promote and
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drive the new varieties that have been sourced locally and internationally, but also to educate and attract, the industry from across the country, on the extensive network of breeders, both locally and internationally. The relaxed yet professional environment the AHT participants create each year at their sites is perfect for viewing and learning about the quality plants and products, and doing business, but also for networking with old and new friends from across the country. Everyone is welcome at AHT; from wholesale growers looking for the next product to add to their schedule, to the retailers and the horticultural media searching for the next big thing to hit the shelves, and our landscapes.
What makes the Australian Horticultural Trials Week special? We thought we’d ask some of the key figures surrounding Trials Week; What makes the Australian Horticultural Trials Week special?
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Australian Horticultural Trials week provides a great opportunity to see a range of plants from current favourite varieties and those performing well in the Australian market, to exciting new lines from the best propagators and growers in Australia. It is a great time to network with industry colleagues, customers and suppliers from all over Australia and overseas. – Symone Brown,
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Operations Manager, Tissue Culture Australia
Trials Week keeps our industry connected and extends the opportunity for us to network with our growers and retailers, showcasing the breeding of new varieties suitable for local garden centres and landscapers Australia wide. Ball Australia has established long standing relationships with international breeders to develop a common objective of bringing the best to the Australian market for the Australia consumer. Overall Ball Australia’s continual goal is to ‘Colour The World’ and our garden trials help to deliver this. – Kate Grant,
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Marketing Manager Ball Australia
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EVENT: AHT2020
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The Australian Horticultural Trials Week is a great way for the industry to visit propagators and see all the new products coming through for the following season. Nurseries can take their key growers/staff out for the day and talk to specialised propagators and get some tips. You always learn something when speaking to fellow industry people. Whether it be a growing tip, a new product or a new concept it is worthwhile.
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– Matt Curtis, Operations Manager, Majestic Young Plants.
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The Australian Horticultural Trials week is a very special event as it involves, and benefits all involved in Horticulture across the country. It is not only a great stage to showcase innovative new genetics, share trial results, landscaping and retailing ideas and also market trends from across Europe and the US, but is also an excellent event for broadening and strengthening the horticultural network. It is a great opportunity to learn from others, accelerates knowledge sharing and develop partnerships. It has been good to see individuals, new to the industry, get involved and begin to realise the scope, magnitude and diversity of our industry and the businesses involved.
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– Brendan Haar, Haars Nursery
Australian Horticultural Trials Week is a fantastic opportunity for growers and retailers to view the latest innovations in not only plant breeding but also allied products and technology. This allows attendees to have the latest knowledge and stay abreast with global trends. There are also great benefits of catching with peers from across the industry and visiting some really interesting facilities. A week not to be missed if you want to stay ahead of the competition!
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– Simon Gomme, Director Powerplants Australia
Visit horticulturaltrials.com to find out more about the Australian Horticultural Trials Week and the 2020 event.
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BUSINESS NEWS
Your workplace safety questions answered with Safe Ag Systems By Angela Harders NGIV are partnering with Safe Ag Systems to raise awareness about workplace safety risks affecting Victorian Nurseries. Their Workplace Health and Safety Manager, Angela Harders, will be giving her expert insights to all your safety related questions. To kick things off here are two of their most frequently asked workplace safety queries.
What is best practice for Group Inductions? When you have a number of people starting all at the same time, such as pickers, doing a group induction makes a lot of sense. Group inductions mean you can share the same information to many people at the same time, so are time and cost effective for a business, especially if they are doing similar work. You need to ensure all attendees understand the information, whatever their background. This may mean providing the induction in other languages, or perhaps using images and pictures, or showing a video of a process. You could even ask a few questions of attendees to confirm they have understood the information presented. It’s important to get the names of all attendees and get them to sign against their name as evidence they have attended.
How can you encourage workers to take safety seriously? Workers will take your lead on safety. It’s not just what you say, it’s what you do that speaks volumes. Set the standard you expect when workers first start with you, and continue to reinforce this as part of daily operations. Explain how they stay safe day to day, show them, teach them and hold them accountable for what you need them to do. Explain risks associated with your industry, machinery and tasks so people understand what can hurt them and how to stay safe. If you see something that isn’t safe, act on it. Pick up the hose across a walkway. Grab a trolley to move rootstock instead of carrying it. And encourage workers to report hazards and incidents – if you don’t know about it, you can’t address it. Safety is an all day, every day thing and if you take it seriously, your workers will too.
Introducing Angela Harders, Safe Ag Systems Workplace Health and Safety Manager With more than 15 years’ experience working in the Safety Industry and Injury Management, Angela joined the Safe Ag Systems team In October 2019 to champion compliance relating to Health and Safety requirements in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the United States. Having grown up on the family grain and sheep farm in country Victoria, Angela knows personally the risks and hazards that are faced by the agricultural industry empowering her strong belief that prevention is better than a cure when it comes to safety. Witnessing injured family and friends over the years gave her the passion to help make agriculture a safer industry without making safety a burden. Apart from supporting compliance and driving system developments, Angela is also involved with producing training content for Regional Skills Training Pty Ltd. She has previously covered important topics such as Biosecurity, Livestock Management and Freshcare. As part of her approach to safety, Angela is convinced preventing injury is far more cost effective than money spent on increase workers’ compensation premiums and return to work costs. Recently partnering with NGIV, Angela is committed to helping our members improve their safety practices. Send your questions to Angela e: angela@safeagsystems.com or t: 08 8490 0939. You are welcome to remain anonymous. GROUNDSWELL DECEMBER 2020
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VSGP: AWARDS CEREMONY
The 43rd annual Victorian Schools Garden Awards Ceremony A virtual success By Matt Ross On Wednesday 2nd December VSGP held their 43rd annual Victorian Schools Garden Awards Ceremony, but their first virtual ceremony. VSGP advocates Costa Georgiadis and Jane Edmanson did a fantastic job of bringing the event to life for the many children and teachers in attendance. Ordinarily the Awards Presentation Ceremony is held at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. The ceremony is a chance to celebrate and recognise the amazing achievements of students and communities in their school gardens and announce this year’s Victorian Schools Garden Awards winners. Minister for Education, James Merlino, also made a guest appearance to talk about the importance of gardening, outdoor learning environments and the Victorian Schools Garden Awards. There was a lot of excitement from the entrants as the winners were announced. The Awards Program has 10 different categories for schools to enter and $44,000 worth of nursery vouchers and garden products available to be won.
Costa Georgiadis
Major award winners for 2020: ›› Kevin Heinze Perpetual Award Our Lady Star of the Sea Primary School, Ocean Grove ›› State Awards
›› Most Engaging Student Garden for Play Hoppers Crossing Montessori Center Pomonal Primary School
Wandin Yallock Primary School
St. Anne's School, Sunbury
Our Lady of Fatima Primary School, Rosebud
Our Lady Star of the Sea Primary School, Ocean Grove
Little Yarra Steiner School
Aberfeldie Primary School
Little Yarra Steiner School ›› NGIV – Best School Garden Exhibiting Biodiversity Award The Patch Primary School Surfside Primary School, Ocean Grove ›› Turf Victoria Award Rosewood Downs Primary School, Dandenong North
›› Maxicrop – Best Edible Garden Diamond Creek Primary School Delacombe Primary School Oxley Christian College, Chirnside Park ›› Catholic Education Australia – Most Engaging Student Garden for Learning Wellbeing Award Barwon Valley School, Belmont St Mark’s Primary School, Dingley Parade College, Bundoora
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›› Independent Schools Victoria – Greatest Demonstrated Improvement of School’s Green Space Award
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Point Cook P-9 College ›› Australian Growing Solutions Award Rowville Primary School ›› Fleming’s Nurseries Award Footscray High School ›› RB Landscape Award Catholic Regional College, St. Albans
VSGP: AWARDS CEREMONY
The grand prize, the Kevin Heinze Perpetual Award, chosen from the three state winners, receiving an additional voucher for $1500 and the Perpetual shield was Our Lady Star of the Sea Primary School, Ocean Grove. We would like to thank all the innovative principals, teachers and parents who give students the ability to learn in their school gardens and for entering the awards. Keep on growing, enjoy your time in the garden, be passionate and proud about your success. We look forward to delivering the 44th annual Victorian Schools Garden Awards Ceremony in person at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. VSGP are grateful for the continued support of the Victorian Government, Department of Education and Training, and our sponsors.
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PROFILE: NORWOOD
The show goes on at Norwood By Adam Coyle We caught up with Adam Coyle, Creative Manager at Norwood Industries, to understand how they have adapted to the unknowns of operating during COVID-19, what they have learnt in the process and why the horticulture industry is so special. What has been the biggest challenges for Norwood during the pandemic? As a business we probably didn’t appreciate how reliant we are on air freight. Removing commercial airlines has meant industry becoming over reliant on the mail man driving all those packages across the country. Freight times have been pushed out to the frustration of our customers. It’s hard when you want to do the best by them, and you can’t help. This year things have been taken outside of our control. Everybody is tired, emotionally and physically, we’re suffering fatigue born out of the pandemic. You can visibly notice the toll it is taking on our team. Whether it’s down working from home and trying to teach their children, to not being able to see friends and family, or even the simple joys of having a coffee at the park. People are exhausted and need a holiday. Hopefully we can all have one of those soon too! Our team have been incredible in the manner they’ve adapted to the most challenging of years. But they are human and the measures we put in place to operate in a COVID-Safe fashion meant our team was often depleted. As a business we felt a sense of duty to take all symptoms seriously to avoid any potential outbreak.
What measures have you had to adopt to tackle them? Hard work. Every person in the business has done their upmost to be supportive and help their customers. Everybody has come together and taken it upon themselves to do the right thing. As a collective we could not be prouder of how
the staff have coped and the effort they have gone to. From our COVID Safe Plan to wearing masks, using sanitiser and practising responsible social distancing. All of these contributions have kept us open, brought us together as a team and lead to a deeper connection with our clients.
How has Norwood faired overall in business terms? Considering the unprecedented events this year we are extremely proud that we have not only been able to continue to operate and support our customers, but we’ve also kept our staff employed. We have not had to send one-person home due to the pandemic. To this end, financially we have survived in part due to forward planning and by having funds available for unforeseen circumstances.
What have you learnt that you will take with you?’ We will never take for granted what an essential worker is. It felt like the luck of the draw in some cases and we could just as easily have been closed as open. We lobbied the local government state government and even the federal government to keep our doors open. I think it is this drive in the face of adversity that will stick with us. One of the most wonderful things this whole experience has reiterated is how much our customers care about us. On the day Victoria’s restrictions were announced we had calls from customers across the country. Yes, they wanted to know whether we’d remain open, but also to make sure we were okay and that they were there if we need a chat. This goes beyond business. It shows that as an industry we really are a family, made up of family run businesses. While we may not always agree we are always there for each other.
Out of adversity comes opportunity; have you been able to identify new opportunities for Norwood? Like many others in the industry we have observed the trend stemming from having more people at home and their gravitation towards gardening. That’s a positive and an opportunity to come out of the current situation. People all over Australia are getting into their backyards, enthused to grow plants and food.
Adam Coyle
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Have you felt the boom in public demand for horticulture? Undoubtedly! And I think everybody who reads this will attest to that fact.
Do you think this boom is temporary or long term? If long term, what measures, if any, would Norwood need to take? I see this as a long-term trend. Travel is going to be off the agenda for a while and people will continue to seek out comfort in improving their homes and gardens. At the beginning of the pandemic we experienced a rush of orders and were perhaps caught a little off guard. We need to start planning a little earlier to be prepared and to get our orders out more efficiently. Hopefully we won’t be working under the same restrictions either.
How would you summarise your relationship with the horticulture industry? Horticulture is what our business is built on, it’s at the core of what we do. We have been part of the industry for a long time and it’s not just about business, we are always happy to have a chat or share some advice. We are looking at new sustainable products to bring to market and closing the loop for polypropylene. We are always looking at avenues to steer the market in a progressive direction, after all, our success is dependent on the success of the industry.
What’s special about the horticultural industry and the people who populate it? They are family. A lot of the growers are family run, multigenerational businesses. It’s a very tight-knit industry, and everybody knows everybody. I think that’s fairly unqiue. It hasn’t become a corporate juggernaut obsessed with the bottom line and no regard for how something is grown. I really do hope that the industry keeps that. People care about the produce and meat they consume, why shouldn’t they care about the plants and food they grow in the same way. Price shouldn’t drive us to do the right thing and I think as an industry we push as much as we can for that.
If you had 2020 all over again and you could go back and do anything differently, what would it be? I’d have taken an overseas holiday earlier in the year!
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Industry summary: where will all the trees be?
It’s with great excitement that Greener Spaces Better Places announces that the Where Will all the Trees Be? report, the third in a series of national urban canopy benchmarking studies published by Greener Spaces Better Places, is now live. Background
This year’s approach
In 2013, the Where are all the Trees? report provided Australia’s first national canopy benchmarking report. In 2017, Where Should all the Trees Go? developed a vulnerability index, overlaying heat mapping and socio-economic data to help inform where urban forestry efforts could provide the most benefit in our towns and cities.
Building on the previous years’ research, the focus of the 2020 report, Where Will all the Trees Be? has been to:
For both research reports, Greener Spaces Better Places conducted a national tour of events to share the findings with the Living Network – including urban greening practitioners and experts, local and state government representatives, and other relevant stakeholders (for example, the development sector).
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Understand to what extent factors such as urban density, population growth and effort influence local councils’ ability to increase or maintain their urban green cover
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Identify ‘Best on Ground’ councils who, despite a range of challenges, are finding innovative ways to protect and increase their urban green cover
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Capture the broader community’s imagination and understanding of the value of urban green cover by translating ‘targets’ and ‘percentages of cover’ into a more tangible vision for the future, through imagery and an interactive ‘search my postcode’ tool.
For this year’s research however, due to the limitations imposed by COVID, the results were shared via a series of webinars and reports.
This research differs to previous years’ in that it deep dives into the rates of increase and decline of urban greening across Australia through the lens of six different place types determined by rainfall, urbanisation and population density. These place types help us more usefully compare performance within and across cities to understand what improvement might be possible with concerted effort, and what deterioration might occur with complacency.
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By grouping LGAs accordingly, the data can provide more relevant learnings by eliminating contextual discrepancies (such as demography, climate, density, population and planning and policies) and comparing like-for-like councils, leading to a better understanding of overarching trends and patterns in each category
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Greater understanding of the key barriers and enablers of urban greening
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Identification of which LGAs are “bucking the trend” in their category, and why
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Pinpoints the councils that are making great progress in increasing urban canopy, even as density and population increases in their area – which in turn, serves as a great example to other LGAs in their category looking to follow suit.
RETAIL STATE OF PLAY SPONSORED BY:
Key take-outs from the research The research revealed that 67% of suburbs and cities across Australia will face significant challenges in growing and maintaining green cover in the future, as our cities grapple with a rising population and grey cover expansion due to urban development. It also confirms the majority (69%) of our urban LGAs have lost green cover (trees and shrubs) since 2013. More importantly, however, it also revealed that 71/131 urban LGAs have a challenge factor rating of ‘high’ or ‘very high’ when it comes to taking action to reverse this trend. These findings illustrate that a growing population often means more pressure on green cover in our suburbs and cities – which reinforces that as our cities and suburbs grow, it is vital our green cover keeps pace. The study identified the following LGAs as ‘Best on Ground’ – places who have maintained or grown their green cover despite mounting challenges including population or grey cover increases: >
City of Whittlesea, Victoria (type: suburban, spacious and low rainfall)
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Logan City Council, Queensland (type: suburban, spacious and average-high rainfall)
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City of Greater Dandenong, Victoria (type: urban, spacious and low rainfall)
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Kwinana City Council, Western Australia (type: urban, spacious and average-high rainfall)
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City of Unley, South Australia (type: urban, spacious and low rainfall)
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The City of Parramatta, New South Wales (type: urban, compact and average-high rainfall).
Hydrangeas, the perfect gift. If you have any left.
Show staff your appreciation There’s no doubt we will all be delighted to see the end of 2020. Make sure you take the time to celebrate with your staff in the holiday months. Show your appreciation to them. This year has been incredibly challenging for everyone and your staff have given a lot. Be sure to look for opportunities to reward them with a break, preferably a proper holiday. And maybe this year you need to think seriously about other ways to reward them for helping you get through 2020. A reward can be many things and I’m sure you’ll think of something suitable. In terms of trading, this is a busy time of year. The holidays mean relaxation, entertaining and parties, so be sure you are set up to cater for all three. We all know that plants and gardens help us relax so you are right there, but you will need to think about how you grab some of the available leisure dollars from other sectors. Plants make for the perfect gift, or decoration, so that’s a great start but it’s how you display them that will separate you from the masses. Consider offering complimentary gift wrapping, a service that is proven to add value and appeal to consumers.
The full 2020 research report can now be accessed on the Greener Spaces Better Places website (in the Guides section).
Be sure to look out for Garden Releaf in March 2021. At this stage the date is to be confirmed.
The interactive ‘search my postcode’ tool can be accessed via the Greener Spaces Better Places homepage (scroll to the red block with the title "Where Will all the Trees Be?") – greenerspacesbetterplaces.com.au
Gardens & Plants are Therapy for Body & Mind
The ‘Where Will all the Trees Be?’ (NY19001) research project is funded by the Hort Innovation research and development levies. The lead researcher on this project is RMIT University, with associated communications activities being funded through the Hort Innovation Nursery Fund, using the Nursery marketing levy.
Follow GCA on Facebook for updates www.facebook.com/gardenreleafaustralia Leigh Siebler Garden Centres of Australia leigh.siebler@bigpond.com M: 0409 889 779
www.gardenreleaf.com.au
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PRODUCTION NEWS
Results of our experiment to control liverwort in container production By Dr Virginia Williamson, The University of Melbourne In last year’s Groundswell (September 2019) we discussed the problem of weeds in nursery container production, particularly Liverwort (Marchantia polymorpha), and described a nursery trial that we were about to undertake to control this plant, which is a problem year-round for nurseries. The work was funded by a grant from Agriculture Victoria’s Horticulture Innovation Fund to the University of Melbourne (Dr Sue Murphy) and the NGIV (David Reid). Dr Virginia Williamson (University of Melbourne) ran the trial and project. With the assistance of staff from three Melbourne nurseries (Humphris: Ryan O’Connor; Mansfield’s: Manraj Mann; Warners: Bec van Stekelenburgh), we ran the trial over 12 weeks, taking weekly readings and applying chemical treatments. We chose four plants for our trial that were common to all three nurseries and which represented: an acid-loving and slow-growing plant (Juniperus ‘Spartan’); a monocotyledon with strappy leaves where granular chemicals could potentially be caught in the leaves (Agapanthus ‘Snowball’); a plant that was in the production system for a long time (Nandina domestica ‘Nana’); and another slow-growing plant with flat leaves on which herbicide granules could be caught (Buxus sempervirens). All pots were inoculated on either side of the plant with a small square of Liverwort thallus that included at least one gemma cup (Figure 1). After a couple of months, the Liverwort had grown sufficiently in each pot across all three nurseries to begin the trial. Prior to any treatment being applied, there was an average of 54% Liverwort cover on pot surfaces.
Figure 1. Pieces of Liverwort that included at least one gemma cup (structures inside red dotted line) were cut out and placed on the pot surface. One piece was placed on either side of each pot.
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The chemicals/treatments we chose followed an extensive literature review undertaken by Dr Williamson. It was also based on the availability and safety of the chemicals in Australia and the success of chemicals/treatments in Liverwort experiments performed in other countries. In addition, chemical treatments suggested by the nursery staff were also included in our trial. The six treatments (T) we used were: control (i.e. no treatment) = Treatment 1 (T1); coir discs = Treatment 2 (T2); Regen Shield®, an acidic smoke extract = Treatment 3 (T3); Slasher®, an organic product of nonanoic acid (also known as pelargonic acid) = Treatment 4 (T4); baking soda (= bicarb soda) applied at 0.8 g/pot = Treatment 5 (T5); and Rout® (oxyfluorfen and oryzalin: Group G and D herbicide, respectively) = Treatment 6 (T6). There were 10 replicates per treatment. The chemicals were applied post-establishment of Liverwort, in keeping with their labels, with the exception of Rout®, which is a pre-emergent herbicide. According to the Rout® product label, it will not provide post-emergent control of weeds. In this experiment, liverwort was well established in most pots (half of all pots had 60% or more coverage) prior to herbicide application. Rout was applied after establishment to demonstrate that pots need to be weed-free prior to the application of pre-emergent herbicides. The rationale for using coir discs after Liverwort establishment was different: we were interested in how effective they would be if used in a “catch-up” situation. The baking soda treatment was applied every four weeks. Weekly readings were undertaken by the nursery staff mentioned above who recorded the data in Excel spreadsheets previously sent to the three nurseries. They recorded the percentage cover of Liverwort in each pot and whether the Liverwort had produced ‘stalks’ or not (Figure 2). The presence of stalks was an indication of whether the plants were about to reproduce sexually. Liverworts can reproduce sexually when plants are large enough to produce the sexual structures, however, reproduction mostly occurs asexually via the gemmae and via spreading of the flattened green plant body, called a thallus.
PRODUCTION NEWS
Figure 2. Image showing ‘stalks’ which support the separate male and female reproductive structures of Liverworts. Here, the line is pointing to the ‘stalk’ supporting a female reproductive structure (which looks like a palm tree). The male reproductive structures are flat and disc-shaped. (Photo: V. Williamson)
In addition to recording the percentage of Liverwort cover on each pot surface, a health rating of the wanted plant was also recorded (where 0 = dead; 1 = unhealthy; 2 = moderately healthy; 3 = very healthy). This was to show whether any particular chemical had a deleterious effect on the wanted plant’s health – killing Liverwort but damaging the wanted plant would not be good! Photos were also taken during the trial. All data were checked, entered and collated by Dr Williamson prior to analysis by a senior statistician at the University of Melbourne, Associate Professor Graham Hepworth.
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The results revealed that there was a significant difference in the percentage of Liverwort cover between the treatments (Figure 3). Treatment 4 (Slasher®) quickly reduced the Liverwort cover in all plants, and Treatment 5 (baking soda) also significantly reduced the amount of Liverwort, as did Treatment 3 (Regen Shield®). Coir discs were significantly more effective than the control at suppressing Liverwort. However, it is likely that they would have been even more effective if used immediately after plants were potted up. The results for Rout® demonstrate that pots need to be weed-free prior to the application of pre-emergent herbicides.
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Week Figure 3.The percentage cover of Liverwort in our experiment over 12 weeks in all crops. T1 = control; T2 = coir discs; T3 = Regen Shield®; T4 = Slasher®; T5 = baking soda; T6 = Rout®. There were 10 replicates per treatment. Where treatment lines are separated by more than the size of the LSD bar, they are significantly different. Treatments 4 (Slasher®) and 5 (baking soda) provided the significantly greatest reduction in Liverwort coverage.
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Week Figure 4. The plant health rating (where 0 = dead; 1 = unhealthy; 2 = moderately healthy; 3 = very healthy) of all wanted plants in our Liverwort experiment over 12 weeks. T1 = control; T2 = coir discs; T3 = Regen Shield®; T4 = Slasher®; T5 = baking soda; T6 = Rout®. There were 10 replicates per treatment. Where treatment lines are separated by more than the size of the LSD bar, they are significantly different. Treatment 4 (Slasher®) had the significantly greatest reduction in wanted plant health after week 2.
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PRODUCTION NEWS u
Figure 5. Stunted growth of Nandina is evident in both the Regen Shield® (T3, green pots) and Slasher® (T4, pink pots) treatments. Photo was taken at week 12 of trial, but stunting was evident several weeks earlier. (Photo: V. Williamson)
The plant health data (Figure 4) revealed that most treatments showed no adverse effects. The exception was Slasher® (T4): while it had the greatest effect on reducing Liverwort coverage (Figure 3), it came at the expense of the health of the wanted plants. The results were the same, regardless of which plant species was graphed (separate plant data not shown to save space). In other words, Slasher® which was reapplied every seven days in accordance with the label instructions (“reapply around 7 days later if regrowth occurs”), was injurious to plant health. However, because of Slasher®’s quick response in killing Liverwort, perhaps applying it less frequently would be beneficial to the wanted plant’s health while still maintaining Liverwort control, but as this was an experiment, all three nurseries needed to be doing the same applications. Furthermore, alternating Slasher® with baking soda would likely maintain excellent Liverwort control and wanted plant health. Baking soda at the rate we used in our experiments here (0.8 g/pot) did not affect the health of plants, including acid-loving plants such as Viburnum, Ilex and Dryopteris, in a United States experiment (Mathers et al., 2012). Nandina was the plant most affected by two of the chemical treatments, showing stunted growth in response to both Regen Shield® (T3) and Slasher® (T4) (Figure 5). However, it
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should be noted that the plants we used in our experiment were fairly advanced in their 200 mm pots because we wanted to see whether any applied treatments would lodge in or affect the wanted foliage. Applying chemical treatments to control Liverwort as soon as plants are potted on would mean that there is less chance of foliage covering the pot. Thus, plants may not be as damaged because chemical drift or pellets would be less likely to lodge amongst the leaves of smaller plants. Furthermore, if Liverwort controls are used regularly from when plants are young, there is a greater likelihood of Liverwort being controlled. The use of pre-emergent herbicides may help to minimise the establishment of Liverwort, but they need to be applied soon after potting and prior to visible Liverwort growth. The percentage of ‘stalks’ (Figure 6), as an indication of the Liverwort’s growth and progression to sexual reproduction, was lowest in the Slasher® treatment (T4). This was an indication that the Liverwort was being well controlled by that product. In conclusion, our experiment has provided some useful tools for production nurseries to consider when trying to reduce Liverwort in containers. Overall, Slasher® and baking soda provided effective post-emergent Liverwort control, however,
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Why do I need a written employment contract? By Sheena Kane, Kane Independent Consulting
30%
If you have an employee, then you already have an employment contract in place. However, if you don’t have a written contract, then you are opening yourself up to real problems if you get a Fair work claim such as:
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>
Unfair Dismissal, or
>
Back pay,
Or any other claim from a current or former employee. Figure 6.The percentage of Liverwort which grew ‘stalks’ over 12 weeks in all crops. T1 = control; T2 = coir discs; T3 = Regen Shield®; T4 = Slasher®; T5 = baking soda; T6 = Rout®. There were 10 replicates per treatment. Where treatment lines are separated by more than the size of the LSD bar, they are significantly different. Treatment 4 (Slasher®) had the significantly lowest number of stalks after week 5. ‘Stalk’ presence is an indicator of whether the Liverwort was healthy and starting to reproduce sexually (as well as asexually).
because the plant health was impacted by the weekly use of Slasher®, alternating its use with baking soda would be both an effective and economical way of controlling Liverwort in nursery production, which is a problem world-wide. This experiment has also confirmed that Rout® should only be used pre-emergence. Coir discs, on the other hand, can still have a beneficial role post-emergence. In addition, herbicides are typically more effective when combined with other weed management strategies, such as regular hand weeding, controlling weeds in surrounding areas, and by avoiding the placement of fertilisers on the surface of growing media. This weed trial was part of a larger work where we have provided information on the description, reproduction, dispersal, life cycle, cultural and chemical control of the 21 worst weeds of Victorian nurseries, as determined from a survey undertaken by the NGIV in 2015. The guide, complete with photos of each weed, will be available shortly from the NGIV.
I recently handled a back-pay claim for a client from a former employee. She claimed that she was owed $80,000 for less than three months work. Nothing was in writing, and between the two parties I was given four different start dates and three different finish dates. If this case had gone to court it would have cost the company many of thousands of dollars more to have lawyers and a court work these details out, besides the claim amount. A written employment contract provides protection for both employer and employee. At the very least, if you have in black and white: >
Company name,
>
Employee name,
>
Start date,
>
Permanent or casual,
This will provide a clear line in the sand in the event of a claim. A better contract will outline basic terms and conditions such as: >
Modern Award,
>
Classification,
Acknowledgements
>
Pay rate,
The assistance of staff at all three nurseries (Humphris, Mansfield’s, Warners), particularly Bec van Stekelenburgh, Manraj Mann, Ryan O’Connor, Matt Mansfield and John Warner is gratefully acknowledged. The provision of Rout® (ICL Specialty Fertilizers), Regen Shield® (Grayson Australia), Slasher® (Organic Crop Protectants) and the coir discs is also acknowledged.
>
Days of work, and
>
Start and finish times.
This work was supported by funding from Agriculture Victoria’s Horticulture Innovation Fund.
Reference Mathers, H., Case, L., Bigger, M., Gordon, P. and Giese, L. 2012. Yearly research summary report. 2012 Ornamental research. The Ohio State University Extension, 87 pp.
More complex contracts may be needed depending upon the role and more complicated pay systems, such as bonuses, commissions and vehicles. Also, some Modern Awards require you to specify any offsetting conditions, such as allowances, leave loading, or other specific minimum conditions. If in doubt, I would strongly suggest speaking to a specialist in employment law. This does not need to be a lawyer, but can be a consultant such as myself with experience in Fair Work matters.
GROUNDSWELL DECEMBER 2020
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Mt Evelyn Garden Centre secures a piece of history By Julie Melbourne, Manager, Mt Evelyn Garden Centre An iconic 1947 W-Class tram has made its final stop at Mt Evelyn Garden Centre, bringing a piece of Melbourne’s rich public transport history home to the Yarra Valley. As many within the nursery industry know Baz Humphris is always ready to try something new. He is well known for his phrases like “give it a crack” and that is what he has done. In October 2016 the government announced the formation of a reference group to formulate a strategy for over 237 W-class trams.
“The purpose was to bring a part of Melbourne to the Yarra
Following an audit, a balance of 134 trams had a condition or significance that did not lend them to being preserved for operation. These trams were offered to the public by the State Government under the expressions of interest process. More than 1500 applications were received, and Baz Humphris and Mt Evelyn Garden Centre were one of the lucky ones.
its place at the nursery earlier in the year and is set to enjoy
Manager of Mount Evelyn Garden Centre Julie Melbourne said that when owners Barry and Rebecca Humpris saw tenders advertised, the opportunity to bring a rare attraction to their nursery and Mount Evelyn was something they could not pass up.
introduced in 1923. The 927 tram that now resides at Mt Evelyn
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Valley,” Ms Melbourne said. “It completes the experience for our customers, making it a great destination to visit,” she said. With the help of two crane trucks, the slice of history took its retirement as part of a new outdoor eatery. As a condition of the tender, the tram will remain in its current well-travelled condition and provide eatery seating and a historical experience to visitors. W-class trams are one of Melbourne’s true icons and were Garden Centre was originally built in 1947. It first travelled along the new city circle tracks in Spring Street and around the suburbs of Preston.
INDUSTRY NEWS
In the coming months the tram will take on a new role as the “Tram Expresso”. A unique place where customers can come and enjoy alfresco dining with some light eats and drinks all year round while continuing to enjoy all Mt Evelyn Garden Centre has to offer. “It’s exciting to secure a piece of iconic Victorian history and to be able to give our customers that experience. It’s a great addition to the garden centre,” said Barry. Mt Evelyn Garden Centre, owned by Barry and Rebecca Humphris, is situated at the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges, the gateway to the Yarra Valley. The site was once home to miners who had dug around in hope of striking it rich. In 1972 a general nursery was developed. Barry and Rebecca Humphris purchased the property and took over in 2004 as a side venture to Humphris Nursery. As Humphris is solely a wholesale business the opportunity to be involved in a retail nursery was something Baz and Rebecca were drawn to. Matthew Parker was given the role of nursery manager where for 15 years he was a much-appreciated member of the Mt Evelyn Garden Centre team. He was very well respected by the local community for his care and horticulture knowledge. Mat has since moved on to a senior role within the Humphris Nursery sales team. Over recent years the garden centre has seen some exciting changes. It’s been transformed from a basic shed to an impressive destination with a simple, natural and rustic feel. Mount Evelyn Garden Centre offers its visitors a relaxing and inviting place to spend time. Julie Melbourne has taken over the challenge of managing the Garden Centre. Julie has a very keen eye in giftware and with her team of experienced and qualified horticulturalists, working alongside young enthusiastic green thumbs, Mount Evelyn Garden Centre is now a vibrant and inspiring retail nursery attracting a new customer base from further afield. GROUNDSWELL DECEMBER 2020
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VALE: HANS VAN SCHAIK
Vale: Hans Van Schaik (1944-2020) Hans Van Schaik sadly passed away on 31st August 2020 at the age of 76. We honour a gentleman and a visionary who changed the way future generations approach soil health. Hans and his wife Marjan started a small earth moving business in Mt Gambier simply called JA and MJ Van Schaik Earthmoving Contractors almost 50 years ago and during this time he noticed bark and other timber mill residues that were by-products of the local forestry industry were being dumped into landfill or being burnt and he believed that those organic residues could, and should be, value-added. Hans purchased a small parcel of land on Wandilo Rd a few kilometres North of Mt Gambier and spent many years researching, trialling and refining the art of composting these timber mill residues. At the time Hans cut a singular figure running his various trials where he believed that these organic materials that were considered at the time waste could be composted and used to improve soil health and produce a stable and consistent growing media for the nursery industry. In 1975 Hans and Marjan founded another company called Van Schaiks Organic Soils and Bark Supplies later to be renamed the company that we see today Van Schaik’s BioGro and by 1985 the company was servicing both the Victorian and South Australian markets with bark based growing media, mulches and composts. In the late 1980’s Hans started to trial the composting of wood pulp a waste bi-product produced by the Kimberly Clarke paper mill at Snuggery near Millicent. He was the first person in Australia to successfully compost this product and once again it was against the popular opinion of that time. Hans gained a contract of supply with the local paper manufacturer which the company still retains to this day. This was Han’s first foray into composting non forestry organic residue. Hans then started trialling the composting of domestic and commercial green waste material that was also going into landfill at the time and through his trialling, research and development he became a leader in Australia in the art of composting organic residues. In the early 80’s Hans and Marjans two sons Stephen and Anthony joined their parents in the businesses, Stephen in Van Schaik’s Organic Soils and Anthony with JA and MJ Van Schaik’s Organic Soils. Towards 1990 a decision needed to be made as both businesses in Van Schaik’s Organic Soils and JA and MJ Van Schaik Earthmoving were both demanding increased investment and resources. The family decided to sell the Earthmoving business and concentrate all their efforts and resources into what was then called Van Schaik’s Organic Soils. A significant decision at the time as the earthmoving business was reasonably secure with 22
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a loyal long standing customer base as opposed to the organics business, especially when you consider over thirty years ago the organic recycling industry was quite new and relatively unheard off. Again it was with Han’s foresight that the decision was made to continue to grow and develop Van Schaik’s Organic Soils over and above the earthmoving business, a decision that proved to be fortuitus. Han’s innovation and foresight were recognised in the year 2000 when he was awarded the inaugural Australian World Forestry Day Award for his outstanding and innovative achievements in the forestry industries. Hans had seen the family company grow from humble beginnings to now employing over 120 employees across five operational sites and processing in excess of 750,000 cubic metres of organic material per annum. Van Schaik’s BioGro has become one of Australia’s leading suppliers of premium growing media, mulches and composts all from one man’s vision back almost 50years. In 2016 Hans and Marjan were honoured with a special inaugural award called the NGISA Industry Recognition Award for their contribution to the nursery and garden industry (pictured above). Hans was a humble man with a tremendous work ethic and self belief in his vision and through his dedication, perseverance and courage he became one of the most significant influencers of the nursery, horticultural and landscape industries of his era. History has shown that Hans was a man before his time with his innovative and entrepreneurial approach to managing forestry and timber residues as well as other commercial and industrial organic waste streams. The legacy he leaves behind can never be understated.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Spring Blueming in support of the Horticultural Industry and Beyond Blue By Roger Boyle What a challenging year 2020 has been, and the positives of gardening and gardens has never been more important to the health and wellbeing of the community. With this in mind, the local staff of ICL Specialty Fertilizers workshopped a concept that became known as Spring Blueming to celebrate the contribution of all staff, owners and businesses of the horticultural industry. ICL partnered with Beyond Blue to acknowledge the mental challenges 2020 has presented, and to raise funds for this worthy cause. With the support of State and National associations, including NGIV, and encompassing wholesale, retail and turf; ICL invited businesses to host a personalised event to thank their staff, and to join an online presentation from media personality, Jason Hodges. Jason spoke passionately about the challenges we have all faced this year; including floods, drought and of course COVID-19. And how the industry has managed to grow in the face of adversity. “It felt like the world was ending, but everyone has fallen in love with gardening again, and our industry has proven to be an essential service.” Jason encouraged younger members of the industry to strive for personal development, and to embrace the opportunities this great industry offers. He presented a very engaging message, filled with personal anecdotes. The initiative was embraced by many businesses and associations across Australia, with morning teas, lunches, and personalised events, taking place. And although the official event date was 28 October, many organisations chose to hold events throughout the week. To date over $10,000 has been raised in support of Beyond Blue, from staff plant sales, raffles, gold coin donations and business contributions. ICL staff around the country attended local events and were appreciative of the efforts taken to both celebrate the day and raise funds for Beyond Blue.
“NGIV is proud to support this wonderful event created by our partner ICL. We look forward to seeing the event grow in the coming years and will continue to donate to this worthy cause,” CEO NGIV, Craig Taberner. Given that Spring Blueming was conceived around 10 weeks before the launch day, ICL staff were hugely impressed with the enthusiasm from the industry as a whole, and the passion of the participating businesses on the day. Personally, I attended a great event at Oasis Cranbourne organised by their Health & Safety Representative team; it was full of colour, smiles and activity, and importantly adhered to COVID plans with social distancing and hygiene measures. Thank you and well done to all involved. “Spring Blueming was a fantastic initiative, we’d like to thank everyone involved in delivering it. What an awesome way to thank our staff for all their efforts.” – Oasis Cranbourne. ICL plan to coordinate Spring Blueming as an annual event and are confident it will grow in support and following. The mental health and hard work of the industry deserves to be acknowledged and celebrated as we continue to grow and supply products that bring so much joy to the gardening community. Thank you for your support.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Award Winning Roses Put Your Nose in a Rose! David Austin’s English Rose varieties are available at leading garden centres and retailers right now. English Roses combine the charm and fragrance of old roses,with the wider colour range and repeat-flowering of modern roses. They thrive in the Australian climate. Olivia Rose Austin – Multiple Award Winner Olivia Rose Austin was released in Australia in 2019 and has proven immensely popular. It has also been awarded a number of times in Australia and the USA.
prestigious American Rose Society (ARS) Members’ Choice Award for 2020. It is the first time a variety has won both the Members’ Choice and Members’ Choice for Fragrance Award.
Olivia Rose Austin (Ausmixture)
The National Rose Trial Garden of Australia, located in Adelaide, South Australia, is acknowledged around the world as a leading trial garden. We are delighted that Olivia Rose Austin was presented with a Gold Medal in October 2020. Olivia Rose Austin also received:
A truly lovely rose having flowers of an even, soft pink coloring opening to beautiful, cupped rosettes. Flowers have a strong fragrance with fruit tones. Good vigour with dark green foliage. Named after David Austin Senior’s granddaughter. Approx. 1.2m tall.
– Australia’s Rose of the Year & Marion de Boehme Memorial Award – Best Rose of the Trial
An Award for a new release in 2021 – Roald Dahl (Ausowlish)
– Gerald Meylan Perpetual Trophy – Best Shrub or Ground Cover Rose in the Trial
There is no other plant that can match the rose for fragrance in both variety and sheer strength. Therefore adding roses to a border will add an extra dimension. What greater delight is there in the garden than to bury one’s nose in a gloriously fragrant bloom? Put your nose in a Rose!
High resolution images are available from Leigh Siebler.
Trials for roses planted in the 2018 – 2020 period also saw the wonderful Roald Dahl Rose presented with a Silver Medal and the Irwin Award for Most Pest and Disease Resistant Rose in the Trials.
Photo by courtesy of: Les Johnson
In addition, Olivia Rose Austin was recently announced as the winner of the
We look forward to seeing Rohald Dahl (Ausowlish) in garden centres in Winter 2021. It is a beautiful shade of apricot with soft orange-red buds and is quite stunning with a medium Tea fragrance.
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TRADE DAY REPORT
November Trade Day report By Nan Cleven On Tuesday 10 November 2020, NGIV finally got to welcome everyone back to our Trade Day at Caribbean Gardens. It was wonderful to see stand holders arriving with exceptional stock, buyers leaving with full trolleys, attendees complying with COVID-Safe protocol, and everyone enjoying the atmosphere and the chance to come together.
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A long line of Trade Day Buyers wait patiently at the main shed entrance. NGIV CEO Craig Taberner oversees the carefully controlled start to trade, as we all adhere to COVID-Safe protocols.
NGIV 2020 AFL Footy Tipping Competition results
Our Coffee Cart sponsor for November was Silver Industry Partner Australian Growing Solutions (AGS)
Heath and Adrian from AGS enjoying a morning brew, served up by Deyanna, Ben & Sabrina. The nursery industry has been powering along despite the lockdown, and AGS have been able to continue supplying our industry with potting mix and fertiliser to ensure there are plenty of magnificent plants for the gardeners of Australia as we head into a busy period to close out 2020 and head into what promises to be an exciting new year.
The Footy is over for 2020 and what a season it was! The results of our annual NGIV Footy Tipping Competition are in and it went right down to the wire. Look out Victoria, our top two for 2019 and 2020 were all from NSW!
Winner of four tickets to the MCC Members Reserve at the MCG for any game of their choice next season. A fabulous prize generously donated by Greg Carrick and Garden City Plastics. Second Prize – on 127, congratulations to “Bronze Wing”.
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First Prize – on 130, congratulations to “Frenchie” aka – Sharron from Heritage Gardens.
Paradisia – The usual flurry of buyers keen as ever to secure stock from the crew at Paradisia.
Winner of a $100 Rebel Sport Voucher courtesy NGIV 99th Place – the Wooden Spoon goes to ‘kerryn’. She may have been locked away at the entry booth for a little too long? Thanks to all 99 participants this year, I hope to see you all back again in 2021. Back-to-back -to-back Tigers? And why not!
Our next Trade Day will be held on 1 December 2020, it’s always one of our most popular of the year. We look forward to plenty of festive cheer, and who knows Santa may even find time for a visit.
« Coolwyn Conifers always draw a crowd at Trade Day and even more so in the run up to Christmas. Passionate ‘next gen’ nurseryman, 11-year-old Myles Koelewyn, was kept busy all morning under the watchful eye of dad, Steve.
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NEXTGEN: VAUGHAN SAVAGE
Interview with NextGen
VAUGHAN SAVAGE Tall Trees
Where do you work and what is your role? Tall Trees Nursery, I’m currently working as the Production Coordinator
How long have you worked where you are and has your role progressed in the time you’ve been there? I’ve been with Tall Trees for nearly five years, my role has progressed in the time with them. I was initially an apprentice, I’m now qualified and helping coordinate the day to day activities and managing the team out in the nursery.
What do you like most about the nursery industry? I’ve always had a passion for nature, the outdoors and trees especially. Working in the nursery industry has given me the opportunity to observe and be involved in the formative years of a tree’s growth.
Where would you like your career to go to within the industry? I would love to one day run my own nursery and manage the whole team.
How did you end up working in the nursery industry? I had already completed my Cert III in Horticulture prior to starting with Tall Trees. I was discussing the course and things I was learning with a friend who was working at Tall Trees, so through that contact I was able to get my foot in the door.
What is a typical day like for you? Most days start with coordinating the team about what needs to be achieved for the day and briefing on any large incoming deliveries or tasks required. Water is one of the most important components of any nursery, so a large portion of my time is reviewing and assessing the water requirements in relation to the weather for the day and the upcoming days. I’m also heavily involved in stock picking, and if there is any time left, I like to have a hand in maintenance of the tree stock in the nursery.
Did you study horticulture and where did you study? I have completed my Cert III in Horticulture at Chisholm Cranbourne, and my Cert III in Nursery Production.
What level of study are you at presently and how much more do you plan on doing? In addition to the qualifications previously listed, I’m currently looking to gain further industry related training, perhaps looking into arboriculture.
What do you do in your spare time? I’m very passionate about keeping fit and getting my body in its best possible condition. So, I spend a lot of my spare time running, exercising and walking with my partner.
Hobbies and Interest? Running, football, the gym and some gardening.
Anything else that you would like to add? Working in the nursery industry has taught me the importance of trees to our society and environment. I’ve enjoyed the various aspects of the nursery industry, and am excited to keep expanding my knowledge.
Are you currently studying and if Yes where and what? I’ve completed my apprenticeship and am now qualified as of early 2020. Whilst not currently studying, I am looking at opportunities to further my learning.
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PRICE UPDATE
PLATINUM
Increased by $86.43 per tonne (4.41 cents per litre) Prices effective 1 December 2020 (inc GST) Cat
Cents per litre
Melbourne Geelong
Other
A
Base Price
80.11
80.66
81.76
82.20
B
Usage below 2,500 litres
70.76
71.31
72.30
72.85
C
Usage between 2,500 – 5,000 litres
70.21
70.76
71.75
72.30
D
Usage between 5,000 – 10,000 litres
68.56
69.11
70.10
70.65
E
Usage between 10,000 – 30,000 litres
67.46
68.01
69.00
69.55
F
Usage between 30,000 – 50,000 litres
66.91
67.46
68.45
69.00
GOLD
Mildura
SILVER
BRONZE
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