Welcome to our last newsletter of 2024. Hope you find something of note in it as we wrap up the group’s happenings since September. Many thanks to everyone who has sent me photos or articles during the year. Your input is much appreciated. Best wishes for the Festive Season and into the New Year.

Spring Garden Visit

Sunday 29th September saw over 20 members visit Pru Ervin’s expansive garden in Mt Eliza. After being welcomed at the front of the house

Pru guided the group down past an area she has planted out

to where a creek flows through the property.

She explained how she has been able to apply to SE Water for grants each year that have enabled her to clear unwanted weeds and revegetate the area along the creek.

It has also provided her with funds to build a boardwalk through the area.

Quite a few plants were in flower alongside the boardwalk.

Pru battles with possums eating new foliage so she has protected her recent plantings with plastic sleeves.

The walk finished up near the house in one of the first sections of the garden she planted out.

The afternoon was concluded with afternoon tea. Thanks for hosting us Pru.

September Plant of the Month

At the end of one of paths a mass of purple could be seen during September. It’s our Alyogyne huegelii, native hibiscus, growing on a small slope.

Remember, if you would like to share a photo of your beauties just send me the photo to our email address- morningtonpeninsula@apsvic.org.au and mark it Newsletter in the Subject line. Thanks

Nature vs Nurture

Well known APS member Bill Aitchison was our speaker for the well attended meeting on October 15th. He spoke on the initial premise that plants grow best where they grow naturally but can then grow in similar situations in other places when the same or similar soil and rainfall conditions are possible.

Bill showed photos of plants in original locations and others grown in gardens and as street plants. Some from WA and Tasmania quite often have limited success. 

Examples from his extensive photo collection that he shared of plants in their original locales and then growing successfully somewhere here in the greater Melbourne area included – Crowea exalata, Acacia leprosa, scarlet blaze, Acacia multisicata, Pultenaea pedunculata, Eucalyptus gregsoniana, Eucalyptus victrix, Melaleuca linatifolia, Callistemon viminalis and Native frangipani, Hymenosporum flavum.

Bill concluded with a separate collection of photos matching the last six Prime Ministers with Acacias and other native flora in a rather amusing way with no political bias.

Propagation Workshop

Our Treasurer, Rob Powell reported – A lovely spring day saw 22 members attend Rod and Kay Pitts ex Sunvalley nursery for an afternoon of propagating on Sunday 27th October.

Verena Reich started by talking us through propagating by seed where each member filled a 10 cavity tray with 5 different species of seed, then one half was topped with smoked vermiculite and the other half with plain. Time will tell the different results.

Ruben Buttigieg then showed how to propagate by cuttings, sharing his experience on how a home gardener can do it. He then helped us do our own from a large variety of prunings brought by members.

A lot of advice thrown in by Rod made the afternoon a great learning experience. Thanks to Ruben and Verena for their patient guidance passing on propagation of cuttings skills to the assembled group- much appreciated. Thanks to Rob for his photos too.

October Plant of the Month

After listening to one of the speakers at a meeting some time back we knew we were light on for plants in the Malvaceae family in our garden so we made sure we found a spot for one of the most prolific flowerers, Thomasia purpurea and we weren’t disappointed this year when it was in full bloom in October, so it was definitely our Plant of the Month.

Turned up in the Turner’s

Thanks to Ray and Eva who have sent another lovely collection of photos from their spring garden. Enjoy.

Seaford Banksia Arboretum

Here’s a few Banksia photos from the Seaford Banksia Arboretum that Ross Shepherd was very happy to share with me when I saw him at our November meeting. As you can see there is a wonderful range and Ross has taken photos from all angles so we can appreciate all aspects of these beauties as they continue to grow.

Alice Springs to the Tanami Road

On November 19 member Verena Reich spoke about her trip from Alice Springs to the Tanami Road with Coates Wildlife Tours in June and July this year.

Highlights of her trip included seeing cycads in the West McDonnell Range, seeing lots of new regrowth in Ormiston Gorge since her previous trip,

lots of wildflowers including members of one of her favourites the Mulla Mullas, such as Ptilotus sessilifolius

and the time spent at the Newhaven Wildlife Santuary.

She included in her presentation quite a few plants that caught my eye – Grevillea wickhammii, Melaleuca glomerata,

Mimulus gracilis, Wurmbea deserticola, Ptilotus latifolius, Scaevola collaris and the stunning Eremophila gilesii.

And one more thing ….. One non flora part of her trip that Verena was pleased to mention was the opportunity to attend the Beanie festival in Alice Springs.

November Plant of the Month

This Banksia baxteri from Verena Reich’s garden clearly loves her sandy soil and is my selection for Plant of the Month for November.

November Plant Table

Here are a few photos of a few of the items on the plant table.

End of Year Lunch

On Sunday November 30 we held our end of year lunch at Verena Reich’s property in Rosebud. About 20 members came to enjoy lunch together and the usual walk around Verena’s ever expanding garden. Here’s a few photos from the day.

December Plant of the Month

It wasn’t only Karen and I that loved this Melaleuca teretifolia in our garden but lots of bees checked it out too so it’s my December Plant of the Month. Like many Melaleucas it can handle the clay. After planting it in 2020 this is the second time it has flowered in all its glory.

FJC Rogers Seminar 2025 – Epacrids

Don’t forget our APS group is hosting the FJC Rogers Seminar next August so put aside the dates now.

You can register via the QR code below.

2025 Calendar

Our 2025 Calendar is a work in progress. Click on the Calendar menu at the top of our web page to see dates for meetings, excursions and other special events such as our Plant Sale that are already locked in.

That concludes this newsletter. Remember you can be notified as and when each newsletter is available by clicking on the Follow button near the top right hand side of our Home page.

Look forward to seeing you at our first meeting next year on February 18th when Roger Standen will be talking about Insects. If we didn’t have them in our gardens there’d be a lot less beauty for us to see.