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Wollongong Botanic Garden is a service of
Wollongong City Council
This seasonal magazine is produced by
Wollongong Botanic Garden in partnership with
the Friends of Wollongong Botanic Garden.
Issue 1 | Edition: Spring 2013
Wollongong Botanic Garden
Curators Welcome
Welcome to the first ever edition of the Wollongong Botanic Garden Magazine.
The Wollongong Botanic Garden Magazine, produced in partnership with the Friends of the Wollongong Botanic Garden is set to become a seasonal publication keeping you informed about the Garden and its plant collections as well as the many projects being undertaken and opportunities we have for people to engage in our events, activities and programs.
The Magazine will also provide insight into some of the wonderful contributions our Friends Volunteers make to the Garden and I encourage you to also become involved.
The Wollongong Botanic Garden is a fantastic community asset providing conservation, education, recreation and cultural opportunities to more than 340,000 visitors per year.
If you haven’t been to the Garden for some time then now is a great time to visit.
Being the start of spring, you can expect to shortly see our deciduous trees producing new leaf growth, and the Roses and many flowering trees and shrubs coming alive again with new flushes of colour.
I hope that you find this magazine interesting and informative and I look forward to seeing you in the Garden shortly.
Paul Tracey
Curator Wollongong Botanic Garden
Magazine
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w flushes of colournew flushes wnewnnnewewew hees e olourcolf cos o rof
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Plant Sales from our Greenplan Nursery:
Native and Exotics Sunday 1 September, 11am - 4pm
(located on Towri Centre deck for Our Backyard Festival)
Natives Friday 20 September, 7.30am - 2.30pm
Natives Friday 18 October, 7.30am - 2.30pm
Natives and Exotics Saturday 26 October, 7.30am - 2.30pm
Natives Friday 15 November, 7.30am - 2.30pm
Botanic Garden Greenplan Nursery
Whilst our visitors generally appreciate the Wollongong Botanic Garden for its diverse plant collections there are some very important plant conservation projects going on ‘behind the scenes’.
Botanic Gardens worldwide play a significant role in the conservation of flora and more often than not are the ‘last chance’ for many plant species succumbing to extinction.
Many plant species are found within small, specific environments and globally there are many threats to these natural plant populations from ever expanding urban development, mining, agriculture and even natural disaster. Another major threat is invasive introduced plant species that can often adapt to new environments and out-compete native plants.
When natural habitat is adversely affected, botanic garden propagation programs, seed banks, and living collections are sometimes the only way in which certain plant species survive.
Our Garden is no different and plays a small, but very significant role in plant conservation.
An example of a current project is our partnership with the Australian National Botanic Garden to conserve the Zieria baeuerlenii (Bomaderry Zieria) a local plant species with less than 900 known plants left in the wild as part of a national threatened species recovery project.
The Bomaderry Zieria no longer appears to be producing viable seed in the wild so a propagation program has been developed to ensure this species survival.
Cuttings of these plants have produced around 300 specimens currently held in the Botanic Garden Nursery, and will potentially be reintroduced into the Botanic Garden and its native habitat in the near future.
Botanic Gardens - Our Role in Plant Conservation
The Wollongong Botanic Garden also has local and exotic species listed as rare and threatened within its living collection as part of ex-situ conservation projects, produces around 25,000 local plant species for use in Wollongong City Council’s Bushcare program restoring natural areas, and donates some 9,000 local plants to schools each year.
nConservation
Works in the Garden
We have a number of small projects either scheduled or ongoing through the spring period including:
• Ongoing development of a dedicated Palm Garden in the North Eastern corner of the garden (currently no public access)
• Upgrades to the Madoline Street entrance car park and eastern boundary landscape of the garden
• New specimen trees will be planted throughout the Garden in springarden in springn garden springn in sGa enn in sspringen
Ranger Parties
Do you have a little ‘ranger’ at home who enjoys outdoor adventures and has a birthday just around the corner? This season we are launching our Ranger Parties that involve two hours of fun games, exploration of our Bush Tucker and Rainforest Gardens and of course a yummy cake. But what really distinguishes this party from others is that we teach kids how to reproduce plants from seedlings they get to take home and watch them grow. Check out our website or call us to find out more about our Ranger Parties!
Education
As the days grew shorter and colder the Discovery Centre team put on their winter jumpers and worked in partnership with the Friends of Wollongong Botanic Garden (Friends) and Botanic Garden (BG) Staff to present a range of exciting activities to entice our visitors out into the Garden.
During the city’s Heritage Festival we hosted our first Step Back in Time Tour, at Gleniffer Brae. This theatre based education program was a much anticipated walk down memory lane with the original owners of the Gleniffer Brae manor Mr. and Mrs. Hoskins, as they shared their experiences of their beloved house and gardens. Council’s Heritage Officer joined the tour to provide important historical information. Paul Sorensen, the Danish landscape architect also made a decisive appearance, wooing the audience with his eccentric charm. The event was complimented by delicious Devonshire tea served in the House by the Friends.
This winter we also launched of our new ‘Secrets of Good Gardening’ course. The course, which was held on the second Wednesday of each month has been well attended and very well received. The workshop tours were led by Botanic Garden Horticulturists who shared their expertise and experience with the participants. Due to the success of the course we will repeat it in spring starting Wednesday 11 September.
Families were entertained during the winter school holidays with our Winter Tales activities. This included a Winter Tree Treasure Hunt, Waste Wise Crafts, a book swap and the appearance from the crazy and colorful flowerpot men and a Talking Tree. As part of the Treasure Hunt we introduced a new drawing book for the children - written by Education Officer Jeddah and illustrated by Sandra and Helen from the Friends volunteers. It was spectacular!
In spring we’re launching another community course called Love Food Hate Waste. This course will focus on making the most of the food that we grow in our backyards and supermarket purchases. It will take place on the third Wednesday of every month in spring commencing on 18 September.
The Beetles are visiting the Garden for our spring school holidays activities (23-27 September); yes the Fab Four - John, Paul, George and Ringo! They may look a little different with their insect exoskeletons but you’ll recognise their mop hair, Liverpool accents and well-known Beatle melodies.
EducationEducation
Important DatesThe Beetles - School Holiday Activities
Monday 23 to Friday 27 September
10am - 1.30pm daily
about our Ranger Parties!bout o s!es!artier PaP tbout ouoboout oututoobobobob
esesesActivitiey Activay Ay Aliday
ber b rmber SeptembSSeptembSSS
For exclusive event updates Like Wollongong Botanic Garden
Follow @WgongBG
Visit wollongong.nsw.gov.au/botanicgarden for the comprehensive events calendar
what’s on in springEventsOur Backyard Festival Sunday 1 September, 11am - 4pm
The Beetles - School Holiday Activities Monday 23 to Friday 27 September, 10am - 1.30pm daily
Frogs Hollow Handcraft Stall Monday 23 to Friday 27 September, 10am - 1.30pm daily
Workshops The Secrets of Good Gardening Short Course
• Growing Plants and Nursery Tour Wednesday 11 September, 10am - 12pm
• Garden Design Workshop Wednesday 2 October, 10am-12pm
• Backyard Self Sufficiency Workshop Wednesday 13 November, 10am - 12pm
Propagation Workshop** Thursday 5 September, 1pm - 2.30pm
Love Food Hate Waste Course*
• Love it, Buy it, Grow it Workshop Wednesday 18 September, 10am - 12.30pm
• Cook it, Save it Workshop Wednesday 16 October, 10am - 12.30pm
• Compost and Chickens Workshop Wednesday 20 November, 10am - 12.30pm
Florilegium Art Group** Tuesday 10 September, 10am - 4pm
Propagation Workshop** Thursday 3 October, 1pm - 2.30pm
Florilegium Art Group** Tuesday 8 October, 10am - 4pm
Propagation Workshop** Thursday 7 November, 1pm - 2.30pm
Florilegium Art Group** Tuesday 12 November, 10am - 4pmCost: $9 per person or $27 per course | Bookings essential: 4227 7667 | [email protected]
*Can only been booked on a course basis ** Free activity. Participants must be registered as a member of the Friend of Wollongong Botanic Garden
Guided ToursGuided Bird Walk* Thursday 5 September, 12.30pm - 1.30pm
Nocturnal Walk Friday 13 September 6pm - 9pm
Ghost of Courtney Puckey Tour Thursday 19 September 10am - 12pm
Nocturnal Walk Friday 27 September 6pm - 9pm
Guided Bird Walk* Thursday 3 October, 12.30pm - 1.30pm
Guided Garden Walk* Sunday 6 October, 2.30pm - 4pm
Ghost of Courtney Puckey Tour Thursday 10 October 10am - 12pm
Guided Garden Walk* Sunday 3 November, 2.30pm - 4pm
Guided Bird Walk* Thursday 7 November, 12.30pm - 1.30pm
Step Back in Time Tour Thursday 14 November, 10am - 12pm
Cost: $9 per person | Bookings essential: 4227 7667 | [email protected] *Free activity. Bookings not essential
Plant Sales from our Greenplan NurseryNative and Exotics Sunday 1 September, 11am - 4pm (Towri Centre)
Natives Friday 20 September, 7.30am - 2.30pm
Natives Friday 18 October, 7.30am - 2.30pm
Natives and Exotics Saturday 26 October, 7.30am - 2.30pm
Natives Friday 15 November, 7.30am - 2.30pm
Book Review: Collecting Ladies - Ferdinand von
Mueller and Women Botanical Artists by Penny
Olsen (NLA Publishing, 2013)
Despite its racy title, this interesting book is about a group of 19th century ladies who collected and illustrated Australian plants. They answered the many newspaper advertisements beginning in the 1870s placed by the great German botanist Ferdinand von Mueller. He was the first Director of the Melbourne Botanical Gardens and the first Victorian Government Botanist. These ladies were “collected” by him to provide plant specimens and illustrations for his work.
Sometimes he named a new species after the lady who collected the first specimen, e.g. Myoporum bateae, after Mary Bates from Tilba Tilba NSW. Although women made up only about 10% of his collectors, his recognition of their potential to contribute was extraordinary. At that time women had no access to formal scientific training, nor contact with men outside their own families. At best they would have learned water colour painting, as an accomplishment, from their governesses or an art master. Von Mueller’s attitude to his collecting ladies was unusual for the time. Not only did he write warm letters of encouragement to them, but he publicly acknowledged their contributions, as when in 1894 the South Australian Advertiser praised Jessie Louisa Hussey for the help she had given the great botanist.
One of the best known illustrators is Ellis Rowan, and she is among the most independent of them, travelling the country, collecting and painting. By the early 1880s she signs herself “Ellis Rowan”. Financial need, after her husband’s death, sees her mounting her own exhibitions and vigorously selling her paintings.
The Scott sisters also found themselves forced by financial necessity to use their art to earn a living. By contrast to Ellis Rowan, they found this humiliating, and they often prevailed on male friends to handle their business matters. In one letter, Harriet Scott, while regretting that being a woman she could not become a scientist (page 92), also stated “I hold it wrong for women to hunt after notoriety”
This is a wonderful book, liberally illustrated with the ladies’ own paintings. Von Mueller, whether he realised it or not, had indeed ‘collected’ the rare and unusual in these women. The book is available from the Australian Red Cross, P.O. Box 411 Altona North Vic 3025, phone 1800 267 867, for $39.95 plus postage.
Review written by Gayle Murray
Volunteer, Friends of Wollongong Botanic Garden
Message from the Friends
Friends President Message
Welcome to this new format of the Friends of Wollongong Botanic Garden Newsletter, now incorporated in the Wollongong Botanic Garden (WBG) Magazine. The launch of the magazine will take our newsletter to a wider audience - beyond the Friend’s membership. If you are interested in supporting the Botanic Garden as a volunteer and are not yet a member of the Friends, please contact one of the Executive, (contact details below) or send us a note at the new email address: [email protected]
This is the magazine’s spring edition and just as in the Garden where new buds are bursting forth, we are interested in members bringing forward their new ideas to help the Friends stay an effective promoter of the WBG.
The Executive has three new faces this year- Helen Moon, Sandra I’Anson and Felix Bronneberg, welcome. We have been working to develop a long term strategic plan. This plan will set out how the Friends can best achieve its core goals of publicity, education and financial support for the garden. In working through this process we will be receiving professional assistance from Wollongong City Council staff and have had practical sessions with Annie Sutherland from the Friends of Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney.
Allocation of funds for major projects in the Garden can now be considered. The Curator, Paul Tracey has completed the budget process for the new financial year and the Friends will look for opportunities to support projects. As always recommendations from the Executive will be taken to a General Meeting to seek the approval of members.
There are many other planned activities that involve the Friends, so please check out the Calendar of Events on previous page.
Finally I regret to advise that Roslyn Strahan has resigned from the position of Secretary. Roslyn has held that position for a good number of years and was recently awarded Life Membership of the Friends. I would like to thank Roslyn on your behalf and wish her well.
Barry Baird
President, Friends of Wollongong Botanic Garden
Meet Helen!
After retiring from an active professional career, Helen Moon choose to join the Friends five years ago as the volunteering opportunities the group provided aligned with her passion for gardening, Wollongong Botanic Garden and her interest to protect Gleniffer Brae.
During this time Helen has participated in a range of activities from maintaining the Discovery Kitchen Garden located adjacent to the Discovery Centre, assisting Education Staff with their school holiday activity programs, event catering, and most recently establishing the Florilegium Art Group with fellow ‘Friend’, Sandra I’Ánson.
Among her many and varied volunteering activities at the Garden, Helen declares that her most rewarding volunteering experience to date would be the creation of the new ‘King of Trees’ drawing book that she designed with Sandra. The book encourages children on the school holiday treasure hunts to search for specific trees along their journey and draw the leaves that match the tree they have found.
As a new committee member of the Friends, Helen is looking forward to continuing volunteering in the years to come.
Get involved, become a Friend today!
We have an amazing volunteer group at the Garden, the Friends of Wollongong Botanic Garden, who tirelessly give the gift of their valuable time and experience to Garden projects and activities. The Friends are always looking for new enthusiastic members who share their interest in the activities and development of Wollongong Botanic Garden to join them.
Volunteering opportunities for Friends members include:
• Hosting monthly guided walks through the Garden
• Supporting our staff during our school holiday programs and major events within the Garden
• Horticultural maintenance activities and assisting our Greenplan Nursery team with plant propagations
• Assisting staff with research of our garden collections
• Archiving Botanic Garden historical documents and items
• Fundraising activities:
- Frogs Hollow Handcrafts: creating and selling homemade art and craft items
- Friends annual children’s Fundraising Event undertaking event management tasks
- Greenplan Nursery: selling plants the Friends have propagated throughout the year
• Writing articles that will be included in the Botanic Garden’s seasonal magazine
• Photographing the Garden and its events for use in Botanic Garden promotions
Existing skills and experience only required for the research and archiving projects. Training is provided for all other volunteering activities.
The Friends meet at the Garden’s Towri Centre (parking available in Madoline Street car park) at 10am on the second Saturday of February, April (AGM), June, August, October and December.
As a member of the Friends, you will have the opportunity to join in all their monthly activities - propagation workshop on the first Thursday of each month, a Florilegium Art Class on the second Tuesday of each month and their guided walks on the first Sunday of each month.
No Experience but still want to get involved? All of our volunteers are provided with all the necessary training to ensure you get the most out of your volunteering at the Botanic Garden.
How to become a Friend
The Friends are always looking for new members to get involved. They offer worthwhile volunteering activities for volunteers in a friendly social environment. If you are thinking about volunteering your time to a worthwhile cause then the Wollongong Botanic Garden needs you!
Step 1: Complete the Friends membership form located on our website or within information boards at the Garden
Step 2: Drop form to Wollongong Botanic Garden Administration Centre
Step 3: Pay membership fee of $10 (annual fee April 2012-May 2013)
g g y
Helen and Sandra with the ‘King of Trees’ drawing book
Fr iends Activities
Frogs Hollow Handcraft Stall Monday 23 to Friday 27 September 10am - 1.30pm daily
Propagation Workshop ** Thursday 5 September, 1pm - 2.30pm
Florilegium Art Group** Tuesday 10 September, 10am - 4pm
Propagation Workshop ** Thursday 3 October, 1pm - 2.30pm
Guided Garden Walk Sunday 6 October, 2.30pm - 4pm
Florilegium Art Group** Tuesday 8 October, 10am - 4pm
Friends General Meeting Saturday 12 October, 10am - 12pm
Guided Garden Walk Sunday 3 November, 2.30pm - 4pm
Propagation Workshop ** Thursday 7 November, 1pm - 2.30pm
Florilegium Art Group** Tuesday 12 November, 10am - 4pm
All activities are free. Bookings not essential**Participants must be a registered as a member of the Friends of Wollongong Botanic Garden
Friends of Wollongong Botanic Garden Committee
President: Barry Baird | Vice President: Dr David Murray | Second Vice President: Ms Sandra I’Ánson Secretary: Ms Pamela Peacock | Treasurer: Miss Jean Finlayson | Assistant Treasurer Frogs Hollow: Mrs Jean Woodger Promotions/Publicity: Mr Felix Bronneberg, Ms Helen Moon, Ms Pamela Peacock Newsletter Editors: Mr Barry Baird, Ms Pamela Peacock | Propagation Team Leader: Dr David Murray
Patrons: Mr G D Miller; Mr J Gabriele; Mrs A Hayward; Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery OAM
web wollongong.nsw.gov.au/botanicgarden
email [email protected]
phone 4225 9082
Wollongong Botanic Garden
@WgongBG
Plant of the Season: Judas Tree Cercis siliquastrum
Cercis siliquastrum, commonly known as the Judas tree, is a small deciduous tree native to the Eastern Mediterranean region, with a range extending eastwards in Europe to eastern Bulgaria and Turkey. It is also widely distributed in western Asia.
This species forms a small tree up to 12 meters in height and 10 meters in diameter and displays stunning deep pink flowers along its branches and trunk in late spring and exhibits distinctive heart-shaped green leaves after flower growth. The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite, meaning they have both male and female organs, and are pollinated by bees. These flowers are edible having a sweet-acid taste.
The Judas Tree prefers deep, well-drained soils and a position in full sun or partial shade. Plant one as a feature in your garden and you will be dazzled by its year round beauty.
This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
g gk er: Dr David Murray
ery OAM
0pm daily0pmm 0p ypm
A specimen of this tree can be viewed
on the southern side of the outer
Rose Garden wall (map reference #2)
Opening Hours
Non-Daylight Saving Hours: Weekdays 7am to 5pm Weekends 7am to 5pm
Daylight Saving Hours (commences 6 Oct):
Weekdays 7am to 6pm Weekends 7am to 6.45pmClosed Good Friday and Christmas Day
Wollongong Botanic Garden is a service of
Wollongong City Council
This seasonal magazine is produced by
Wollongong Botanic Garden in partnership with
the Friends of Wollongong Botanic Garden.
A burst of orange, yellow and deep red encapsulates the image of our impressive succulent plant collection in the north eastern area of the Garden (see brochure map reference #8).
Succulents are defined as water-retaining plants that have evolved to withstand high temperatures and low precipitation by collecting and storing water in their leaves, stems and roots. Requiring little more than a well-drained soil and an occasional watering, they are popular especially among those with a not-so-green thumb.
These plants primarily from Mexican and African origins, flower predominately within June and July however some do peak as early as May. With the season we have experienced recently it is more than likely that this prime flowering period is likely to extend into spring this year.
For this reason we would recommend that you visit before November as the spectacular Aloes Aloe spp. are in full flower with their orange, yellow and red flowers until September and up until November the Pig Face Mesembryanthemum spp. will display a range of beautiful red, yellow, pink and orange flowers. Outside this period, you will still see an interesting and often bizarre array of plants with a wide variety of shapes, textures and colours.
Another interesting species to investigate on your visit is the Dragon Blood Tree Dracaena draco. This plant is native to the Canary Islands and prefers rich moist soils and is drought and frost tender. It can grow to a height of 20 metres with a four metre spread. It has yellow flowers that are followed with orange berries in spring but will not flower until it is at least 30 years old. It is named Dragons Blood due to the resin that oozes from the trunk that has been known to used mixed within another compound to coat a violin with a red lustre.
The Bird of Paradise Strelitzia reginae, known for its resemblance to a flying bird due to the arrangement of its purple petals and orange sepals, is an exotic plant native to South Africa. The plant grows to two meters in height. Its leaves are evergreen and arranged in two ranks, making a fan-shaped crown with the flowers standing above the foliage at the tips of long stalks. The flowers that appear one at a time consist of both orange sepals and purplish-blue petals. The major flush of flowers occurs during spring.
The wait for the flowering of the Ponytail Palm Beaucarnea recurvata, can be up to 20 years after planting for this plant. Lucky for all visitors to the Botanic Garden, our specimens flower two to three times each year. The Ponytail Palm is a slow growing, evergreen tree that can reach up to nine metres tall. Its palm-like trunk has a massive swollen base which may reach three metres in diameter. Ponytail Palms are dioecious, meaning the male and female reproductive organs occur in flower on separate plants. Masses of small white flowers are produced in spring and summer followed by spectacular stems of pinkish three-winged seeds on mature female plants. The Ponytail Palm is native to dry, desert regions like Mexico and the southern United States.
Part of the Succulent Mound has recently been mulched with recycled terracotta roof tiles. Not only does this ‘mulch’ create an excellent free drainage system that is essential for this plant collection, it is also made from a reusable building material.
No matter what time of year, a visit to our Succulent Mound is sure to impress.
Garden Collection under the Spotlight: Succulent Mound
Contact
web wollongong.nsw.gov.au/botanicgarden
email [email protected]
phone 4227 7667
Wollongong Botanic Garden
@WgongBG
