A Growing Passion for Native Plants and Botanical Art – Helen Moon

Having had a mother who was a keen gardener and founding member of Wollongong Garden Club, I suppose it was inevitable that I would show an interest in gardening and plants. When I resigned from teaching, I was fortunate to be asked to work for the National Trust local branch and manage the Old Courthouse in Wollongong. This involved just 10 hours per week so I had time to complete my Advanced Certificate in Western Calligraphy, to join the Native Orchid Society and the committee of West Wollongong Garden Club. A few years later I joined the Wollongong Botanic Garden Friends and soon found myself on another committee and leading the propagation and plant sales team for the Friends. I had also taken up botanical art and, with a few fellow artists, started an art group in the garden. Our curator at the time, Paul Tracey, was enthusiastic about our idea of creating a Florilegium of plants in the garden. He suggested we focus on rare and endangered local species. We have completed 23 paintings, some of which Paul had framed and are now hanging in the Towri Centre at the Wollongong Botanic Garden and Wollongong City Council Administration building. We have had cards and prints made of our paintings and these are available to purchase at the Garden. 

I now also volunteer in the beautiful Rhododendron and Rainforest Garden where volunteers are always needed to keep weeds under control. This special place is entirely volunteer run.

My interest in native plants is increasing as I spend more time in our beautiful bushland on our local Australian Plant Society walks. There is one plant that I specially love as it always makes me smile – Caleana major, the Flying Duck Orchid. It really does look like a fat little duck in flight.