Growing Matters
Summer 2013 Volume 15 Issue 4
Newsletter of the Gold Regional Botanic Gardens Growing Mattersof the Friends FGCRBG NewsletterCoast Summer 2014 Page 1
From the Friends President
David Baguley
The Gold Coast will host the Commonwealth Games in 2018.
Browsing on the web, I thought I would check out Glasgow‘s offering for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. One of the highlights of their City Sightseeing Tour was the Botanic Gardens. Rio de Janeiro will, over the next few years, host the Football World Cup and the Olympic and Para-Olympic Games. During our recent visit to the city, we discovered the Botanic Gardens were ranked just behind the Christ the Redeemer statue and Sugarloaf Mountain cable car as things to see in Rio. Earlier this week, I also discovered that the winner of this year‘s Banksia Education Award was the Rio Tinto Naturescape in Kings Park managed by the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority. The citation mentioned that King‘s Park in Perth was the most visited place in Western Australia. How can our Gold Coast city leaders be so short sighted? They have cut all capital works funding to our Botanic Gardens and reduced operational funding. With reduced staffing hours at weekends, incidents of unacceptable behaviour have resulted in damage to the Living Collection. Botanic Gardens are not just another park. Because of their Living Collection, education and research functions, Botanic Gardens are more akin to Art Galleries and Museums and should be looked after with similar care. Our Garden for Children could have been a major draw-card for Commonwealth Games visitors. We have no Visitors‘ Centre and our temporary toilets are an embarrassment to the City. We have decided to petition the Council to get adequate and permanent toilets installed in the Botanic Gardens. Hundreds of signatures have already been collected. Please call into the Friends‘ Centre and sign it. Do not stop there. We ask all Friends members, concerned visitors and residents to talk to local Councillors and help us convince elected representatives to recognise the Gardens as an important Gold Coast asset and attraction, and a high priority in funding decisions. The Friends will continue to pursue grants to develop facilities for the Gardens but we need the Council to re-commit to continued development of the Master Plan.
Table of Contents:
P12 Secretary‘s Desk
P2 From Friends President
P13 Recipes and Announcements
P3 From the Curator
P14 Living near the Living Collection Sue Tierney
P4 Nursery News
P15 General Information and Merchandise
P5 Gardening News
P16 Useful Information and supporters
P6 5th Global Botanic Gardens Congress P7 Christmas Bush P8 Education P9 Guiding & Communication
Cover photo: P. Reilly NZ Christmas Bush, one of around 50 Metrosideros species which includes trees, shrubs and ground covers.
P10 Australian Plants
Refer Christmas Bush article P.7
P11 Australian Plants cont.
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Newsletter Summer 2014
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Nursery News
Alan Donaldson Garden Group Co-ordinator
Despite disappointment with slower than anticipated progress getting Friends nursery into full production, we have successfully produced a range of plants for Friends‘ sales in our first year. In addition we have provided a good number of plants to the Gardens Living Collection for in-fill planting by the gardening group on Maintenance days. One of our main nursery activities has been the care of plants purchased for Council via Friends for the various Community Planting days. Although we gladly tend, weed and re-pot, at times this puts considerable strain on our bench space and watering resources, particularly as we grow on small plants for later planting in the Gardens. This will need to be looked at during the coming year, as our activities expand we will require additional space and improved watering facilities. One of our highlights for the year was the receipt of a generous grant from the Federal Government for purchase of a bottom heated propagation unit. Now that we have a connection to mains water and electricity via Ms Rosser residential services, we will be able to propagate plants all year. Not only will this allow us to produce more plants for sale, but also to begin the propagation of rare and endangered, and hard to obtain plants for the Gardens. At the time of writing we are expecting work for the safe pedestrian access to the nursery soon be started. We very much appreciate the work being done by Council and that the walk to the nursery will no longer be such a hazardous journey.
Image: K. Heffernan Xanthorrhoea glauca
My thanks go to all our nursery volunteers for their enthusiastic work over the year. It is gratifying to see the group develop their skills so well. With their continued efforts the coming year promises lots of success for the nursery.
Alan, Gardening & Nursery Team Co-ordinator puts finishing touches to Propagation Bench. Thanks to Commonwealth Dept. of Families & Housing, Community Services , Indigenous Affairs Grant in July.
Growing Matters
Some of the happy hard working Nursery Volunteers at work. Excited about the Grant success. L to R David, Kerri, Leah
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From the Curator Dr Liz Caddick
I'm writing this on the way back from the 5th Global Botanic Gardens Congress, which has been a huge inspiration. The conference attracted delegates from over 40 countries, representing Botanic Gardens big and small. It was encouraging to see so many of the smaller gardens represented and attracting interest. One of the talking points of the conference was community outreach, and this really is a strength of smaller gardens. For many of the big botanic gardens, extending their reach outside the garden gates is quite a new direction. Some are doing an amazing job, with apprenticeship programmes for disadvantaged youth, urban gardening schemes and children's‘ farmers markets etcetera. For smaller gardens, like ours, community outreach has always been a dominant objective. Community groups, such as the Friends, are the driving force behind the development of many of Australia's regional botanic gardens - which helps keep theses gardens relevant and focussed on the needs of their community. The Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens hosted two very successful community events in the last couple of months - Arbor Day and the Spring Threatened species planting day. Friends volunteers and the maintenance team deserve a huge thanks for all their efforts organising these events and preparing the site. It is wonderful to have started the Wallum Woodland Zone of the Mangroves to Mountains Transect. Coastal heath plants can be difficult to grow, but are well worth the effort, and this gardens Zone will show Gold Coasters some of the beautiful plants which were once common on the Gold Coast. A key outcome of the Global Botanic Gardens Congress was to acknowledge the opportunities for botanic gardens to address the challenges of our time, including food security, environmental degradation, health, unemployment, safe communities and our aging population. Gold Coast Regional Botanic Garden is already meeting some of these challenges, providing a safe place for families to meet, space for daily exercise, opportunities for social interaction through volunteering, environmental education for young and old, and by showcasing our native plants and monitoring and recording the Gold Coasts flora. There are many more ways in which we can work towards some of these challenges, including greater involvement in vocational training, improved collaboration with universities and other gardens in botanical and horticultural research, better interpretation of what we do and, above all, getting the message out that -
our planet needs plants.
Friends Garden Guides preparing for a group tour.......... From left: Sylvia, Beverley, Poul, Helena and Shelly Image courtesy K. Heffernan
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Gardening Group News Alan Donaldson
Group Coordinator
Another year of hard work by our small group has seen us help the staff hold the line with Gardens maintenance work. This year a new group of volunteers commenced work in the Rose garden doing both Alan Donaldson maintenance and new plantings, and already the results of their hard work is showing. In addition to regular maintenance and in-fill plantings in the Mangroves to Mountains, the group has worked on site preparation for Friends 10th Anniversary Commemorative plantings, considerable infill planting at the Marbella Avenue entrance and the additional plantings in the Car Park Buffer Garden extension. The group also did last minute site preparation for the Wallum Woodland. One maintenance session in the Rosser Garden was also undertaken. Garden Group working at the Marbella In recent times our work has taken on increased Avenue entrance responsibility with Council staff reductions, and we hope next year to not only continue our work but also expand our activities. To do this we will need more volunteers.
Thanks again to the volunteers in all our gardening groups, especially to our regulars who front up each week during the heat, rain and sometimes cold winter mornings. There are many important volunteer activities that Friend‘s undertake but I believe none more important than assisting to maintain the Gardens, without the Gardens growing in their best condition none of the other activities would meaningfully exist. In closing for the year, I am writing this from an overcast and cool Dunedin in the south of the ―land of the long grey cloud‖ while Kate attends the BGCI/BGANZ Congress. We have been privileged to see some wonderful gardens and natural vegetation in our travels prior to the Congress and whilst at Dunedin I have been exploring their magnificent Botanic Gardens. They are amongst the top 10 in presentation, plant and garden condition of any I have had the privilege to see around the world. Aside from the pleasure of viewing great gardens such as these, this visit to Dunedin BG brought renewed frustration at the slow progress with the very basic infrastructure necessary to support our Botanic Garden. It frustrates me that the Gardens are still struggling to realise the basics outlined in the Master Plan (not just toilets). I hope next year brings the Gardens more success in this regard.
The Fallen Angels raised the most funds in the 2013 Cancer Council ‗Relay for Life‘ and among their rewards was a Tibouchina ‗Imagine‘ which they planted at the Botanic Gardens with Graeme and Kate. Purple, the flower colour of Tibouchina ‗Imagine‘ is a significant colour for the Cancer Council and the tree was planted as a ‗Tree of Hope‘.
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5th Global Botanic Gardens Congress Dunedin 2013
Kate Heffernan
Jointly presented by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) and Botanic Gardens Australia New Zealand (BGANZ), the Congress was a resounding success for the BGANZ and BGCI as well as Dunedin Botanic Gardens and Dunedin City Council. There was a sense of pride in the city of Dunedin and Otago and an unpretentious and genuine desire to share the New Zealand culture. The wonderful Dunedin Botanic Gardens were celebrating their 150th Anniversary and the presentation of their Gardens was immaculate. After having attended two international Congresses previously, in the early 2000‘s in Canberra and Dublin in 2010, I found this one more relaxed and focussed on the roles of horticulture and community as well as education, science and conservation. In Dublin there was a clear message that the older more established Botanic Gardens were at risk of being irrelevant. In the three intervening years there have been marked changes in the attitude and enterprise of many of the worlds botanic gardens. I recall mentioning in previous newsletters that I left Dublin in 2010 with a strong belief that Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens were on track. We were already engaging community inside and outside the garden gates. Friends and community were expanding the Plant Collection on Community Planting Days and what I call the ‗Science behind the Spade‘ was gradually being addressed through the Herbarium, signage and plant labels. Education was on target through the schools programme, and the role of the Gardens in providing a setting for the delivery of vocational training was recognised. So it was with pride that I listened to presentations from some of the worlds‘ grandest Botanic Gardens, Brooklyn, Missouri and Edinburgh, outline their new in situ and ex situ community education programmes, commenced post Dublin Congress. We may be small and new, poorly resourced and poorly funded, but our purpose and direction have always been clear. Friend‘s role has been so vital and all Friends should take a bow, but make it short because there is still much work to do. Changes in local and state government have resulted in the Gardens losing valuable financial input, for new development and infrastructure, operations, interpretation, education and for the training programmes and partnerships we previously worked so hard to achieve. The role of Australia‘s regional botanic gardens in transmitting the important messages on conservation, biodiversity and climate change were also acknowledged in a presentation by Anne Duncan, retiring President of BGANZ. Anne noted that the extensive plant collections held by regional botanic gardens add significantly to the overall national botanic estate, and they make a credible contribution to Australia meeting the objectives of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. The Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens Plant Collection, especially the regional natives, is the point of difference between us and other Botanic Gardens, and through it we are part of the future of a sustainable Australia. It is a huge responsibility to be part of a global network of Botanic Gardens, as an instrument for change in behaviour and attitudes. We have to tune people into plants, and guide them through what has been coined as ‗Plant Blindness‘ if we are to succeed in our mission to create a place to escape, learn and be inspired.
Clianthus puniceus - Kaka Beak, extinct in the wild in all but one location in New Zealand. KH
Editor‘s Note........ The NZ Native Garden at Dunedin Botanic Garden. KH Kate is Chair of the Queensland Chapter of (ps. this is the landscape ‗look‘ we are hoping for in the Montane Kate & Alan ) BGANZ and is the national Professional Development Representative.
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Christmas Bush
In colonial Australia, Christmas decorations were often picked from the garden or from the natural bush. Early settlers in the colony of NSW are known to have with Kate Heffernan written to family in England extolling the beauty of Christmas Bells and Christmas Bush and explaining how they were a substitute for the traditional holly and the ivy. “We used to meet numbers of people carrying bundles of beautiful native shrubs to decorate the houses, in the same way we use holly and evergreens at home… it is a handsome verdant shrub, with flowers, irregularly flower shaped and go from green to crimson in colour‖ Loiusa Anne Meredith, writer and artist in the colonies in 1830. Right up to the 1960‘s and 1970‘s I remember seeing buckets of flowers of NSW Christmas Bush (Ceratopetalum gummiferum) and Christmas Bells (Blandfordia grandiflora) for sale at railway stations and on every shop corner from early December. While it was a great tradition its removal from the bush has now fortunately stopped. As a school girl I took bunches of Christmas Bush picked from my gardening hero Grandad‘s beautiful garden to give to my teachers. One of my earliest horticultural lessons was learned from him. Christmas Bush could, and indeed should, be cut back by half at least after the coloured sepals finished. Way back in ancient history, the Romans used Holly to decorate their homes during the midwinter festival of Saturnalia, and some prominent historians believe the gift giving associated with Christmas derives from this celebration in honour of the Saturn God. In the Victorian period, Holly, known as the holy tree, was thought to keep bad spirits at bay, and a mistletoe branch was known as a symbol of love. There are long traditions of plants and flowers associated with Christmas. Across the Tasman, Metrosideros excelsa known by its Maori name Pohutukawa, was used as New Zealand‘s Christmas plant from early settlement, and branches were used to decorate churches. (See Peter Reilly‘s wonderful cover image). Each Australian state has a different Christmas bush, related to a plant which is flowering in December. As a horticulture teacher I often used the confusion associated with the common name Christmas Bush, associated with plants from across the globe, as an example of why Botanical Nomenclature is so important! Whatever the history and source of your Christmas flowers, they have a long history of adorning our homes and bringing colour and joy at this special time of celebration.
Christmas Bells (Blandfordia grandiflora) flowering in Alan and Kate‘s Beechmont Garden.
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Ceratopetalum gummiferum The coloured sepals are the attractive addition to our Christmas vases, and make a brilliant summer show in gardens and in the bush. Images Kate Heffernan Newsletter Summer 2014
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Education with Rana Baguley This year we have had four successful school holiday Botanica Quests with another planned for Thursday 19 December. This one will be a Christmas Arts and Crafts Botanica which was so successful last year. Bookings are essential so please phone 0449 561 674 for either the 9:00am or 10am session. Places will fill quickly. Arbor Day on 15 October was an enjoyable day for all involved. Students and teachers from six schools from across the Gold Coast along with Cr Paul Taylor, Cr Margaret Grummitt and many Friends planted trees in the Littoral Forest and Gum Tree Corridor close by the Wallum Woodland planted only two weeks previously. The students enjoyed the whole experience of learning about the history of Arbor Day, the different species of trees being planted and the actual planting of the trees and of course the refreshments that followed! Many thanks to everyone involved with the organisation of this day. There are so many aspects to be taken into account from the design, selection and acquisition of plants to the preparation of the site, the coordination of the schools, the catering and set up of the day. Thank you to all the Friends involved, the Gardens staff and the schools for making it such a successful day. The students took back a certificate along with three trees to plant as a living reminder of Arbor Day; the day they helped ‗grow‘ the Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens. As this year comes to an end, educational activities and interpretation for 2014 begin to take shape. It would be wonderful to have more interpretation signs in the Gardens. Signage is being prepared for the Gum Tree Corridor through the grant from the Dahl Trust. Interpretive signs for the ‗Fruits of the Forest‘ Bush food garden are required for it to become a learning experience for the community. More signs around the lake and lagoons to educate visitors about the importance of not feeding wild life, in particular the birds are also needed. Sadly, it is the lack of understanding of the consequences of feeding birds that needs to be addressed further. The only way is through education and interpretation.
Next ISSUE Event dates 2014 Updates on Friends Rose Arbour Proposal Planting days Plant Sales,
INVITATION Celebrate our new look Roses
Adult education & BOTANICA
with an evening of Champagne Proudly presented by Friends Craft Club in support of our vision of a Rose Arbour at the Gardens. $10.00 p.p. Champagne & nibbles Friends member Sue Tierney snapped this photo showing the Rosser Lake swans foraging for jacaranda flowers. As one of many concerned local residents, Friends and visitors, Sue has been keeping an eye on the development of this year‘s cygnets—with three reaching maturity and still with their parents. Growing Matters
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Be quick Limited numbers RSVP graeli@bigpond.com or Ph 0449 561 674
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Friends Volunteer Garden Guides at the Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens Shelly Kelly Garden Guides Coordinator
BUSY SPRING FOR GUIDES
Spring has been very busy with a number of Garden Clubs from outside the Gold Coast arriving in busloads for guided walks of the Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens. A memorable visit by Brisbane‘s Mt Coot-tha and City Botanic Gardens‘ Guides in September was a very enjoyable day not only for our visitors but also for Friends‘ members as well. They were very appreciative of the very professional tours of the Gardens by Alan, Kate and Mary and amazed by the beauty and content of our Gardens. The group were full of compliments for all concerned in the care and preservation of the Rosser Heritage Garden which was an unexpected surprise for their visit to the Gold Coast. Our trainee guides are now fully fledged with a number of them seen around the Gardens conducting guided walks. Thanks to Helena, Sylvia, Noreen and Poul for guiding members of The Gold Coast Hiking Club in the latter part of October. Guided Tours are currently available to groups: Contact:
email:
info@friendsgcrbg.org.au or
Phone: 0449 561 674 Web:
www.friendsgcrbg.org.au
We will soon be commencing regular fortnightly tours for visitors to the Gardens. Details will be posted at the Friends Centre, to our website and also announced in Growing Matters, the Newsletter of the FGCRBG. Hurry back Shelly
Communications
Our Friends Garden Guide Coordinator is recovering from surgery to her foot, and will be greatly missed by all Friends. A speedy recovery Shelly!
Kate Heffernan Communications Co-ordinator
BOTANIC GARDENS PROMOTION CRITICAL TO GROWTH
This year the Communication Team has produced more documents, flyers, posters, invitations, certificates, competition guidelines, conference advertising, and other profile raising material than at any other time. Media releases resulted in radio and television interviews promoting events and horticultural features within the Gardens ….and the Gardens made the front page several times! The Newsletter has improved in its new format as ‗Growing Matters‘. On reflection I believe our communications have made a considerable difference in attracting more visitors and in developing a greater perception of the role of the Gardens. I wish we were in a position to relax after a successful year of Friends and Gardens promotion. For all the added impetus good communications bring to increase visitation and activities, the Gardens continually struggle to fulfil their rightful place. Just a few statistics from BGANZ worth pondering…… Botanic gardens attract more visitors than art galleries, libraries or museums More than 35% of Australians, or 6.2 million people visited botanic gardens at least once during 09-10 Nature based visitors stay almost twice as long as other international visitors and spend 80% of international dollars at nature based locations Botanic Gardens add to the economy by providing horticultural services, training and employment.
A huge thanks to Noreen and Lyn and all our other communications contributors.
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when in flower, several Tuckeroos, Ivory Curl Tree/ Shrub and several Leptospermum madidum but not the same subspecies as the one that weeps so beautifully at the front.
Australian Plants Gold Coast
Other plants include Climbing Maidenhair, Hoya australis, Plumbago to The Australian Plants group continued its popular attract the little blue format of monthly garden visits with two in butterflies and Bamboo September. Grass which surprisingly Neil and Margaret were is the chosen roosting spot seeking advice about plant at night for my native selection near their back blue banded bees. (Spot the blue bands in the picture). fence—but we too k advantage of the occasion A large Bribie Island cypress Callitris columellaris and to enjoy Neil‘s Gouldian a Casaurina glauca are original trees in the back finches (which he breeds garden. for re-release) and their variety of orchids. Then we visited Kris‘s garden (and a tasting of French wines with lunch). Her notes follow: The front garden is dominated by a 30 year old Leptospermum madidum subsp. sativum, and a 30 year old Grevillea ‗Misty Pink‘ showing off its typical Grevillea banksii parentage. This grevillea never stops flowering and along with the bird-bath below it, attracts birds every day. In the seventies I became very interested in native plants and started to plant them in my parents‘ garden hoping to make it a haven for wildlife. Some newer plantings in the front include Callicarpa, Acacia macradenia (Zig-Zag wattle), Graptophyllum Ilicifolium, Hovea acutifolia, Hardenbergia and Baeckea.
Other recent plantings are Pink Phyllanthus, Hairy Psychotria (had to have that just for the name) but it does have lovely soft furry leaves, Phaleria clerodendron for the beautifully perfumed flowers, Mallotus claoxyloides (for its not so beautiful perfume but I like it just the same), Breynia, Melastoma, Golden Penda, Banksia aemula, Peanut Tree Sterculia quadrifida, Acacia fimbriata. Near the pool and rocks that house the striped marsh frog and water dragons, are orchids including little pink rock orchid, king orchid and Dendrobium discolor.
These pictures show my little male bees roosting (the female roosts in her solitary mud nest). You can see the strong grip so Grevillea baileyana have been planted out on the as to not fall off (by its mandibles and not by footpath. its legs). Blue banded In the backyard some 30 year old native trees include bees snuggle up at Banksia integrifolia (continually flowering and night on one blade of bamboo grass. attracting birds), Native Frangipani (Hymenosporum flavum), an old Macadamia tree which the bats visit
Lyn
Lyn and Peter Reilly have been instrumental in the development of Australian Plants Gold Coast and its affiliation with the Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens. They have brought a depth of enthusiasm and knowledge to both. With Peter‘s excellent photographic legacy and Lyn‘s books to augment their other work they have provided both groups with a foundation hard (if not impossible) to replicate. We wish both Lyn and Peter well in their future endeavours and we will certainly remain in awe of the work they have done and, no doubt, will continue to do. Au Revoir and thank you to our best Friends Peter and Lyn Growing Matters
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Australian Plants Gold Coast
Friends of the Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens
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Local Native Plants
Jakimoff’s Open Garden at Ecovillage, Currumbin Valley
No. 8
Cordyline congesta (a palm-lily)
Long-time Friends members and supporters of the Botanic Gardens, Alex and Mirella Jakimoff opened their garden to the public over two days in early October as part of Australia‘s Open Garden scheme.
FAMILY: Agavaceae
In response, the Australian Plants group and the Friends‘ Nursery and Craft groups set up and manned stalls – to sell native plants and goodies and to talk to visitors. Theirs is a young native garden but the mature Bottle Tree Brachychiton rupestris and its relative Brachychiton bidwillii, the North Queensland Waratah Alloxylon flammeum and flowering grevilleas set off the understory beautifully.
DISTRIBUTION: This palm-lily has a restricted distribution from the South Moreton to extreme northern New South Wales. It is common on the Gold Coast growing in sheltered gullies and rainforest habitats. DESCRIPTION: It usually grows to 3 metres high as a single stemmed palm-like plant specimen but occasionally has multiple stems. The strap-like leaves are clustered towards the top and they can grow to 40 cm long by 3 cm wide. The lilac flowers are borne in panicles during spring and summer. The spectacular clusters of berries are orange-red and about 1 cm in diameter.
It is always a pleasure to be in a garden of predominantly native Australian plants (that‘s why we are Friends of our own Botanic Garden!) and to talk to other gardenlovers. They generously donated their share of the takings to the Friends. Thank you Alex and Mirella for your generosity in sharing your garden – and the proceeds – with us. Lyn Growing Matters
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CULTIVATION AND PROPAGATION: This species is very suitable for most styles of home gardens which have some shaded areas or areas of dappled light. It is very hardy in dry conditions due to a deep succulent tap root. Specimens look very attractive when mixed with other foliage plants. Plants are grown from fresh seed or stem cuttings which strike readily. Graham McDonald Author: Grow Natives on the Gold Coast: a practical guide for gardeners Available for sale at the Friends Centre
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From the Secretary’s Desk… Mary Woods secretary@fgcbg.org.au
0449 561 674
Annual General Meeting Here it is time for another AGM … and again the year seems to have galloped through the seasons! You will find enclosed with this copy of Growing Matters, the Notice of Friends Annual General Meeting on Sunday 1 December 2013 at 9.30 am at the Friends Centre. Nominations are invited for the executive and committee positions on the nomination form enclosed. New energy is always welcome and if you would like to contribute a more active role among the Friends, please consider nominating for the committee - or join one of the teams. I hope as many of you as possible can be at the AGM and enjoy some socialising with the refreshments to follow. Remember, if you are unable to attend, we would welcome your proxy with your apologies. The proxy form (also enclosed) may be made out in favour of a Friends member who will be attending the meeting. Remember – you must be a financial member to vote, so if it‘s one of those things you have meant to do, ‗on the long finger‘ as they say in Ireland, then it‘s time to get your membership up-to-date.
* Please see Notice of AGM attachment *
A year of fundraising success!! Friends are fortunate to have been recently granted a Divisional Donation of $3,000.00 by Cr Paul Taylor for equipment and resources to facilitate Friends‘ operational functions and visitor services at the Friends Centre. We were also delighted to have been successful recently with our application to the Queensland
Gambling Community Benefit Fund for $24,000.00 to enclose and equip the space beneath the Friends Centre for storage facilities. With these grants, we finalise an exciting and successful year with a total of $41,300 in the past twelve months – all of which will be directed to projects that enhance our Botanic Gardens and Friends‘ capacity to deliver services for our community in the Gardens.
Friends 2014 Calendar and Gift Cards The Friends Craft Group has produced a beautiful calendar for 2014, cards featuring our Botanic Gardens and a variety of craft gifts. Please consider Friends and the Gardens as the beneficiary of your Christmas-New Year gift and card purchasing. Calendars ($10 each) and cards are available from the Friends Centre.
“Music in the Park” at the Botanic Gardens On Sunday 8 December, as part of Gold Coast City Council‘s “Music in the Park” series, Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens will be the host of a concert from 1pm to 5pm. Councillor Paul Taylor and Councillor Bob La Castra are supporting this community event in the Gardens. As a partner in this event with Council, Friends will be offering refreshments (sausage sizzle, sandwiches, muffins, cold drinks) as well as Gardens merchandise, including the Friends 2014 Calendar, gift cards and books. This is both an opportunity to promote the Gardens and to raise funds to support Friends activities in the Gardens. Hopefully, many of you will be able to come and enjoy this event in the Gardens and come and say hello to the Friends volunteers!
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News from the Craft Group During 2013 our Craft Group has surprised everybody with the financial contributions we have made due to our creative endeavours. Our member numbers have doubled and creative ideas and enthusiasm have been flowing. The group enjoys sharing their wide range of creative skills. We have all worked extremely hard, devoting many hours each week to produce our works of art. As a group, we enjoy friendship as we encourage each other and engender new inspirations. We thoroughly enjoy keeping our fingers busy so, for us, it is all a labour of love.
Elinor & Nancy with craft items
Successful ventures have been: Mothers‘ Day Stall. The Event – 10th Anniversary of the Friends of the Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens . Fathers‘ Day Open Garden at Eco Village.
Christmas Market on the Verandah
6, 7 & 8 December from 10.00am
We wish to express our thanks to St Kevin‘s Catholic Primary School, Benowa , for welcoming us into their community this year. Thanks, also to Alex Jackimov and the Open Garden Movement. New members are most welcome to join us on the FIRST Monday of every month, commencing at the Centre in February. Creative enthusiasm is all that is needed. No prior experience necessary.
We wish all Friends a joyful and peaceful Christmas Nancy, Elinor, Denise, Noreen, Yvonne , Colleen and Colin, Claudia, Margaret, Bonni and Rena.
Rosella Jam
Danish Frikadeller
3kg Rosellas
Recipe makes between 20 to 30 (egg size)
Water
meat patties
Sugar
—————————————————————
Lemon juice. Wild Rosella Hibiscus sabdariffa
1/2 kilo of pork - and 1/2 kilo of veal mince 3 to 4 eggs
Cut ends of fruit and extract seeds. Put seeds and cuttings (calyces) in saucepan and cover with water. Boil for 1 Hour.
200 gr. plain flour
Strain juice into another container. Add Rosellas to the juice and cook 30 minutes or until cooked.
a good size chopped onion
Measure pulp and add 1 cup of sugar to each cup of pulp. If you don‘t want jam too sweet you can cut back on quantity of sugar.
Salt and pepper
Then measure juice and juice of 1 lemon for every 600 ml liquid. Boil rapidly for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Cool, bottle and seal.
small bottle of soda water a good dollop of tomato sauce A variety of chopped herbs Stir all the ingredients into an easily handled `porridge` that can be formed into egg sized patties (spoon and hand). Fry in melted butter and oil until the patties look golden brown. (medium to low heat)
Recipe provided by Friends member Sylvia Gustaffson.
Recipe supplied by Friends member Poul Sletten .
A much loved early Australian favourite jam using a well known Hibiscus adopted from the tropics.
Poul‘s mother‘s version of this Danish traditional recipe— we all enjoy them at our functions.
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Newsletter Summer 2014
Page 13
We first discovered the Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens in 1998 when it was Rosser Park. My son had bought a house a few doors from the The Secret is out! entrance on Ashmore Road. We took his dog for walks around the lagoon and the off leash area. What a big secret it was that such a magic large open space existed in the middle of a busy tourist city. We thought of the area as the ―heart‖ of the city in more than location. We were delighted when the signs on Ashmore Road told us Rosser Park was chosen as The Regional Botanic Gardens. Over the years we have been to birthdays that family friends have held there, including a friend‘s 70 th (held in the morning). It was no longer a secret but a beautiful community asset. In 2009 we seized the chance to move to Benowa. The Gardens were a significant factor. My son had found a property on Lake Rosser with access to the Gardens, and a perfect view across to the Gum Tree Corridor where we had run with his Doberman. We saw plantings had improved the ambience, and upgraded it from a park, but it wasn‘t until we were living opposite I saw ―Friends‖ activities. At the plantings of the extension to the Gum Tree cCrridor in 2010 I watched across the lake as swarms of busy people planted saplings and the guilt was overpowering. I should have been helping but I was still working. When I retired I determined to go to the next public planting. On National Tree Day 29th July, 2012 I turned up for planting after seeing a poster in the Gardens and was amazed that the swarm had already planted them all. I joined Friends that day. The learning arc was steep and immediate. I rostered myself on with Shelly and Rana. Never mind the schoolchildren, I realised it was important to educate myself, particularly about Australian plants. Then I could help with education activities better. Thanks to everyone for their willingness to share information and generosity of spirit. Kate‘s leadership and guiding instruction has been invaluable as has Alan‘s symbiotic feel for every plant and his knowledge of propagation and needs of plants. There are others such as Lyn, Peter, Noreen and Katherine I would like to acknowledge. All of us just like to be in this magic place. It‘s almost unbelievable what has been achieved in 10 years. Each Precinct has its own attraction and purpose. In comparison to Botanic Gardens overseas the Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens sparkles, but in a different way to the Glitter Strip. It has its own individual look with regional species that are often stunning, but which soften the landscape. It‘s great to know the difference between a Leptospermum and the many varieties of Melaleuca. What better library could one have than a living collection. Thank you to Sue Tierney for the above article and for your reflections on the Gardens.......ed
Living near the Living Collection
Image : Friends member Sue Tierney exploring the Fern House at Chelsea Physic Garden, in May 2013. Chelsea Physic Garden dates back to the 17th Century, and is London‘s oldest Botanic Garden. Image Kate Heffernan NOTE from Communication Coordinator
In the past few years I have noticed the uptake by Real Estate Agents of using Botanic Gardens views or frontage in advertising. As well as the odd illegal sign placed inside the gardens fence! Quite a compliment to the Gardens Kate
Important Notice Sunday 1 Dec. 9.00 am Friends Annual General Meeting Followed by morning tea Growing Matters
FGCRBG
Newsletter Summer 2014
Page 14
General Information Postal Address: PO Box 5653 GCMC QLD 9726 Location: 232 Ashmore Road Benowa 4217
2014 Calendar
$10.00
featuring prize winning Gardens Photos
Secretary:
secretary@friendsgcrbg.org.au mobile: 0449 561 674
Treasurer:
treasurer@friendsgcrbg.org.au
Membership:
membership@friendsgcrbg.org.au
Visit our Website: www.friendsgcrbg.org.au Facebook :
friendsgcrbg@facebook
Friends of Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens
10 years of the Gardens by Kate Heffernan
$10.00
With the support of Nick Bloor
Some of the new Plumeria collection in flower now!
Extended Friends Centre Hours CRAFT GROUP CHRISTMAS MARKET SALES Friday December 6th
Open 10 - 6pm
Saturday 7th 10—4pm Sunday 8th 10 - 5pm ( Music in the Park) Support your Friends & the Gardens Friends Craft & Merchandise
Children’s Books
Ideal Christmas Gifts
Books about Gardening
Hand crafted items such as: Bookmarks Calendars
Books about plants,
Cards Botanic Cards
horticulture and
Christmas Cards hand
decorated
embroidered
towels
Botany
pots and
General Gift Items
other napery PLUS MORE. Growing Matters
FGCRBG
Newsletter Summer 2014
Page 15
2013 Committee
Grevilleas in the Honeyeater Garden at the Friends Centre.
President David Baguley Vice President
A real hit with visitors and the birds!
Lyn Reilly
Garden groups favourite garden to maintain !
Patron Gene Rosser Secretary
Sharing the Gardens
Mary Woods
Tai Chi Tues & Friday with Brad Holmes 8am
Treasurer Gareth Davis
Free
Original Stroller Group Every Tuesday 10.30am $5.00
Communications
Make your own Herbarium Specimen Sat 16th Nov 2013 gcparks.com.au Booking essential
Kate Heffernan Nursery and planting
Botanica Quest School Holidays Bookings Friends 0449 561 674
Alan Donaldson Archivist
Schools Program
Term time
$5.00
gcparks.com.au
Helena Kelso Education Rana Baguley Herbarium Neil Morley
Field Guides provide important Information
Membership
Seasons Greetings to all
Peter Reilly Newsletter/Editor
from
Great designers, artists, kings, historic gardens of France & England
Noreen Swan Webmaster Caroline Kelly Australian Plants
Friends of the Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens
Peter Reilly
BOTANICA CRAFT
Friends Centre
December 19th
Elinor Cox Garden Guides
Friends Centre
Shelly Kelly General Members Di Wagner
Masterpiece Garden Tour
BOOKINGS 0449 561 674
22 days Departs May 9 2014
Max 12
Join Kate Heffernan for a presentation on this and other proposed tours at the Friends Centre at 5.30 pm November 19th Contact Tracey info@zt.com.au Contact Kate kate.heffernan6@bigpond.com
www.zt.com.au www.kateheffernan.com.au
Elaine Swan Poul Sletten
RSVP
55579888
Newsletter Deadline for the Autumn 2014 edition to be advised Many thanks to the City of Gold Coast for assistance in the printing of this publication. PO Box 5653 GCMC QLD 9726**Email: secretary@friendsgcrbg.org.au **Web: www.friendsgcrbg.org.au **Ph: 0449 561 674**232 Ashmore Road Benowa 4217