Information

We have a passionate interest in the environment in general and native plants in particular. We also have an interest in railways and particularly railway history. We first encountered Henry Deane (1847-1924) when we read about the now abandoned Wolgan Valley Railway in the upper Blue Mountains of NSW. Henry was engineer-in-charge of construction in the early 1900’s. At the same time, he was collecting botanical specimens.

We find that the internet is a treasure trove of botanical and horticultural information. A recent search brought to light a biography of Leo Hodge, christened Leomin, the originator of many Grevillea hybrids, all prefixed ‘Poorinda’ after his property in the Gippsland area of Victoria. The name is taken from an aboriginal word meaning ‘light’.

The idea of a cosy cottage garden, with herbaceous borders of annuals and perennials against a backdrop of shrubs and (maybe) a small tree or two, is becoming popular again especially as gardens become smaller. Remember, plants that self-seed in a garden can easily become weeds in nearby bushland. By introducing native plants, especially local (i.e. indigenous) species, you will reduce your garden’s weed potential and make it more attractive to flora and fauna.

One of most frequent question I receive is how I manage to grow Thelychiton kingianum and Thelychiton speciosum orchids on my rocks and ‘apparently’ in the ground. These orchids are really very hardy and many are killed by too much kindness and water.

A few years ago I had quite a few native snails in one part of my northern Sydney garden and now they are gone. A pity as the species I had was carnivorous and fed on the introduced garden snails (Cantareus asperses, which are from Europe). I have no idea where they came from or where they have gone. Maybe it is because I now have no introduced snails in my garden and as a result no food for the native snails anymore.

As I always wanted a small pond/water feature, I created a dry creek bed leading from the rock to a small stainless steel 47 litre laundry tub. To make it all appear ‘natural’ I did the following:

This article by Jeff first appeared in GardenDrum in 2015, for the Australian Plants Society NSW. I have been growing Australian orchids in my Sydney native garden for nearly 30 years. Every year, I get a stunning display that wows everyone who sees it.

For many years, I have been growing native plants, reading gardening books, listening to garden gurus, advising people on what native plants to grow in their gardens and listening to other people’s gardening problems. During this time, I have concluded that there is only one important garden principle that one must try to follow

The Northern Tablelands of NSW is a challenging area to establish gardens. Winters are usually characterised by a series heavy frosts throughout the season. This presents problems particularly if you wish to cultivate native plants as many come from milder, coastal and more temperate areas.

During a recent trip to Europe, I noticed a lot of quite large, home-made bee ‘hotels’. On my return, I undertook a bit of research and I found some excellent information on different home-made ‘hotels’ in the EU and UK.

While rhododendrons are very popular plants in Australian gardens, there are only two species that we can truly call our own. They are both Vireya Rhododendrons – rainforest species found in mountainous tropical areas of SE Asia, New Guinea and North Queensland. These

The Powerful Owl is Australia’s largest apex nocturnal predator owl, it is present along the Eastern Coast and is listed as vulnerable in NSW. The owl is a territorial obligate hollow nester

I took a trip about this time last year to Kakadu National Park which had many items of interest, both flora and fauna. (All photos included here were taken by myself.) This is a summary of the talk that I gave to the Sutherland group of APS recently. Check out our District Group page.

We recently received this picture from Bruce Duncan, who runs an olive farm in Mokine, Western Australia (Clackline Valley Olives).

This is Cymbidium suave, or Snake Orchid, usually found in stumps and in forks of gum trees but this one was at ground level, so got some easy pictures. Apparently, once the pods turns brown the kernel can be eaten raw and has a similar taste to peanuts. The juice from the stems was once used as a glue and applied directly to wounds (particularly burns). Everyone knows the Sydney Rock Orchid, Dendrobium speciosum, but more unusual to find one with seed pods on it. These were growing in full sun on an exposed rock shelf in the Royal National Park, Sydney. Tough plants.  

Over 130 people attended our quarterly gathering at Coffs Harbour in September 2017. Here are some of the beautiful plants and vistas on show.

I have always been fascinated with Grass Trees and they are such an iconic emblem of our bush. Those of you who have travelled to and from Inverell and Guyra via the Ensmore and Tingha Roads will have seen some great specimens (see left) along the northern section of this route which winds among the hills and crosses Paradise Creek and the Macintre River in its upper reaches.

Mark Henley (Newcastle Group) has shared the great work being done by Top End birdwatcher and natural history and cultural guide, Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow.

Here are the visitors to our garden this month – the King Parrot, Powerful Owl, and Eastern Spinebill.

My predominantly native Hunter Valley garden is feeling the pressure of no rain. While it looks quite beautiful in the misty morning, the mist hasn’t translated into rain.

At the recent ANPSA conference in Tasmania, it was decided to provide regular updates on ANPSA, so people better understand its role in growing and conserving native plants. Here is the first such update, an introduction to what ANPSA does, from President, Riita Boevink.

Several people have asked me recently to write down the methods I use to grow flannel flowers.
 I have had some success with them so here is my story.

Asmall group of Newcastle members had a very pleasant visit to Boongala Nursery run by Mal and Jenny Johnston in Kenthurst, Sydney.
This garden and nursery has been an institution for many years for those interested in Australian plants and is well worth a visit.

Ever seen a ‘zoo of trees?’ Kevin Stokes from Newcastle Group is fascinated by eucs and suggests a visit to the Currency Creek Eucalyptus Arboretum in South Australia can be a rewarding experience.

Three members of APS NSG went “on holidays” and ventured to Loftus on the balmy Saturday morning.

Last week, I joined some other volunteers on the Curra Moors track in the Royal National Park for some track trimming activities. This track goes through a lot of the burnt areas from the January fires which ‘destroyed’ over 2,000 hectares in late January.

Three members of APS NSG went “on holidays” and ventured to Loftus on the balmy Saturday morning. We arrived just in time to join Rhonda leading the group on the guided tour of the beautiful Joseph Banks Native Plants Reserve.

On a beautiful autumn afternoon last weekend, we headed off to Callala Bay to seek out the Callala Creek Reserve boardwalk. The boardwalk has been recently reopened after being damaged by fires at the end of 2016 and sits between Callala Bay and Callala Beach taking in the Callala Creek salt marsh.

As many members may know, Noel Rosten of North Shore Group was tragically killed on 26 February when hit by an out of control 4WD while checking the letter box.

Warren and Gloria have been long term members of the Society, first joining the Blue Mountains group and then moving to Armidale in 1977. Warren held multiple positions over the coming 30 years where Warren took a position in the Dept of Botany at the University of New England.

At the Australian Plants Society NSW AGM on 26 May, Angela Speering was awarded life membership of the Society.

We are very lucky to have such talented gardeners as well as such talented photographers. Here are some beautiful images taken by Kevin Stokes, of Newcastle Group, of the garden of Ian Cox that a number of us visited on the weekend.

Central Coast Group’s speaker in May was Nick Carson, an Environmental Education Officer at Central Coast Council where he educates the community about the Tuggerah Lakes Estuary. Nick spoke passionately about the importance of the Tuggerah Lakes Estuary and catchment area. This article was first published in the May issue of the Central Coast Australian Plants Society NSW newsletter. 

John Arney from Sutherland group led a recent walk in Kamay NP at Kurnell and pointed out these plants. Apparently the juvenile leaves on Commersonia hermanniifolia, (previously Rulingia hermanniifolia), had some people wondering if this was a new weed.

Here is a selection of wattles blooming at Hunter Regional Botanic Gardens. Images by Barbara Melville.

One of our plant experts, Dick Turner, has responded: You have a case moth larva sheltering inside the protection that it has made for itself. The larva or caterpillar uses the cover for protection while it moves about foraging on leaves.

Here are some stunning images from Colin Lawrence of the Newcastle group, who captured the lorikeet enjoying its fill of the dwarf eucalyptus. This tree lived in a pot for a a couple of years and then was planted out 5 and a half years ago. It certainly looks happy!

In February 2018, I was bemoaning the loss of some long-established plants in my predominantly native garden in the Hunter Valley. We’d had far less than average rainfall and there was no end in sight to the drought. Along with vicious 45-degree days, the resilience of the garden, and me, was being tested!

This time we purchased a Greenlife Mini Drop Over Greenhouse from a well known supermarket. It is designed to either fit over a raised garden bed or stand alone. We have tied ours down to a metal bench. The pots and punnets sit in plastic basins that are half full of sand. The sand is kept moist and the pots and punnets sprayed once a day.

In November last year, the Southern Highlands APS group enjoyed an informative and passionately delivered presentation by John Creighton, AKA Wombat Man, who talked to them about the important work carried out by volunteer carers at Wombat Care Bundanoon.

MEDAL (OAM) OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA IN THE GENERAL DIVISION Miss Merle Kay THOMPSON, South Bowenfels NSW 2790For service to the community through a range of organisations.

This article by Dr Matt Pye* recently appeared in the Australian Flora Foundation’s January 2019 Research Matters and is reproduced with permission. 

This article was contributed by Andrew Pengelly of the Hunter Valley Group and appeared in their newsletter, Gumleaves. 

One of our members, Kevin Stokes from Newcastle, has brought to our attention a new book called Native Terrestrial Orchids of the Hunter Region Botanic Gardens, by Lynda McPherson.

Interested in bioluminescent fungi? It is about this time of the year these fascinating fungi appear in the Hunter Region Botanic Gardens especially after the rain of recent times. The fruiting bodies should be appearing soon and there are several people keeping a lookout. If any appear, walks will be organised.

One of the stalwarts of East Hills Group, Hugh Stacy, died on 5 March 2019, his 83rd birthday. Hugh was a very active and valued member of the Australian Plants Society and its forerunner, the Society for Growing Australian Plants, for many years.

Enjoy some of the entries in the many classes of the Australian plants competition at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, April 2019. Thanks to all the entrants, particularly Central Coast, East Hills and Sutherland Groups, who together created a colourful display on the diversity and beauty of Australian native plants, despite the time of year. All the competition results are here, searchable by exhibitor.

While attending the APS NSW gathering in November 2018 hosted by Sutherland Group I had the pleasure of visiting Joan Zande’s garden and was very impressed at the application of so many design principles in this relatively small residential garden reconstructed after 40 years as a collaborative effort between Joan and an obviously very talented landscape contractor, Greg Hopcroft.

Congratulations to Lloyd Hedges of Menai Group who was awarded Life membership at the APS NSW Annual General Meeting on 18 May 2019. Menai Group’s nomination of Lloyd is reproduced here.

Congratulations to Barry Lees of North Shore Group who was awarded Life membership at the APS NSW Annual General Meeting on 18 May 2019. Barry’s love and respect for our native plants is contagious and he has inspired many others to share his passion. Here’s North Shore Group’s nomination of Barry.

For those who also have this plant, the fruit are ripe when they just come off the plant easily when you pull lightly and I read that they do not ripen off the tree. You can freeze them if you have a huge crop.

Nineteen people joined the ANPSA Council teleconference on 14 May. Each time the time differences bring home the vastness of Australia as a country.

Nineteen people joined the ANPSA Council teleconference on 14 May. Each time the time differences bring home the vastness of Australia as a country. As the member societies are autonomous bodies allowing for differences, these meetings of delegates and elected office bearers are an opportunity to share information and find common ground.

The use of appliances to modify temperature, such as an air-conditioner or heater, impacts on expenses and on the environment. However, their use can be minimised or even made unnecessary, by planting deciduous native trees, Melia azedarach along the north of the house.

Lawrie Smith is the leader of the Garden Design Study Group. In the latest newsletter, he shares photos of some of the Australian collections he’s found in other countries. Stunning images, for our enjoyment. Thanks Lawrie. More information on the ANPSA Study Group can be found here.

Here are some wonderful recipes for bush foods, developed by Colleen and Geoff. Just a word of warning first: Be sure plants are accurately identified. Exercise caution with unfamiliar foods. Although the following are usually considered safe, adverse reactions in particular individuals cannot be ruled out.

The Autumn 2019 issue of Australian Plants was mailed to members and subscribers in late May. Members of the Australian Plants Society NSW receive Australian Plants four times a year as part of their membership.

What do Acacia ‘Winter Gold’, Acacia ‘Winter Flame’, the Correa ‘Winter Bells’ collection, Eremophila ‘Winter Gold’, Grevillea ‘Winter Delight’, Philotheca ‘Winter Rouge’ and Syzygium ‘Winter Lights’ have in common? Yes, they are all named for a winter feature – either their flowers or foliage.

Dictionary of Botanical Names by the late Don Perrin is an updated edition of Don’s earlier book on the derivations of Australian plant names, now with 4,500 entries.

This chain of islands developed as the Pacific Plate moved slowly northwestward over a hotspot in the Earth’s mantle at a rate of 50 km per million years. The southeast island is still volcanically active, whereas the islands on the northwest end of the archipelago are older and typically smaller, due to longer exposure to erosion.

The latest newsletter from the Australian Flora Foundation is now available here. The foundation is a charity fostering scientific research into the biology and cultivation of the Australian flora.

The following notes are based on Maria Hitchcock’s book A Celebration of Wattle: Australia’s National Emblem (2012). The book is a revised and updated edition of Maria’s earlier book Wattle (AGPS 1991), which grew from a small booklet sent out to schools in 1988.

Many people live in smaller units and apartments with balconies or have a small area for a garden and growing Australian plants in containers is a great way to have a small garden of native plants. Growing in containers also allows gardeners to have plants that otherwise won’t tolerate local conditions.

Alan Fairley explains why Wattle Day is 1 September. This article first appeared in Doryanthes, the newsletter of the Oatley Flora and Fauna Society, and is reproduced with Alan’s permission.

Here’s a selection of spring photos from Lloyd Hedges of the garden maintained by Menai Group at the Illawong Fire Station garden in southern Sydney.

Barbara Melville from Central Coast Group recently asked our Facebook for suggestions for walks to see spring wildflowers. Here are some of the responses. APS Groups also have walks in their local area, so check the Group activities and newsletters.

I’ve been growing eremophilas for close on 25 years and have been delighted with the results. In well-drained sunny positions eremophilas usually reward me for my efforts.

very two years two medals are given in association with the ANPSA Biennial Conference, one in the professional and one in the amateur category. “Amateur” is not intended to signify less valued or amateurish. On the contrary, the recipients invariably are people who have unstintingly given their time and made significant contribution in the area of their interest and expertise.

The Winter 2019 issue of Australian Plants was mailed to members and subscribers in late August. Members of the Australian Plants Society NSW receive Australian Plants four times a year as part of their membership.

Many members enjoyed the APS NSW get together hosted by Newcastle Group on 17–18 August 2019 with a program of highlights of the area. Thanks to Newcastle Group including President Mark Abell and Secretary Maree McCarthy and all the volunteers who made the weekend so successful. Photos by Kevin Stokes, Newcastle Group (unless noted).

This is a remarkable publication, given that it provides detailed and authoritative botanical monographs of 54 trees and shrubs that are endemic to the Hunter region, each one of which is accompanied by a full-page scientific illustration.

Ralph Cartwright from APS Sutherland Group reports sightings in his Engadine backyard in early spring.

Virginia McIntosh from APS Central Coast Group reports on creating a garden at Phillip House, Kariong. Virginia was the coordinator of the working bee.

This year the Australian Flora Foundation approved grants for the following projects – all involving restoration of the much-degraded Australian environment.

Warren promoted Australian plants continually throughout his life. He had a fortnightly column in the local newspaper, the Armidale Express, for over 30 years. He also wrote articles for other papers.

In the frigid beginning of August, APS Blue Mountains Group ventured to the high country to discover the extant native vegetation. We were not disappointed. Although this area has been farmed for nearly 170 years, this has occurred on the most fertile land leaving the agriculturally barren sandstone country and hills to the bush.

On a recent APS Sutherland Group walk of the Curra Moors Track in the Royal National Park, we found several large, colourful flowers, such as waratahs and Gymea Lilies.

From the start the author David Watson outlines that mistletoes are part of the natural environment, are not toxic, are not a weed, and are part of the Australian flora. Many books have the title of a genus or a group of plants, but only mention part of that group. This book contains comprehensive information on all 47 species of mistletoe that occur in Southern Australia…

This article by Jennifer Farrer first appeared in APS Parramatta Hills Group newsletter Calgaroo. Part 2 is on commercial uses of medicinal native plants.

This story is based on an article by Lindy Monson, Bushcare volunteer, in the newsletter North Sydney Bushcare, Summer 2015, issue 28, and updated for 2019. Harry Loots has won awards for his native garden in 2015, 2016 and 2019.

This article by Jennifer Farrer first appeared in APS Parramatta Hills Group newsletter Calgaroo. Part 1 is on early colonial uses of medicinal native plants.

I was introduced to this attractive plant, Prostanthera scutellarioides, accidentally. In fact, it introduced itself. I was at the John Benyon Park at Kenthurst and here it was, in this unlikely place one spring, covered in flowers and looking brilliant! Of course, I took home some cuttings.

Dan Clarke presented on his new roadside verge garden at the APS Sutherland Group September 2019 meeting and wrote this article which appeared in the APS Sutherland October 2019 newsletter. Look out for updates as the plants grow.

Brian Roach, a member of APS North Shore Group, runs Westleigh nursery from his home and has an open garden and plant sales twice a year. Brian wrote this article after the Gardening Australia team visited and filmed in 2018. The segment aired on 1 November 2019.

IndigiGrow welcomes volunteers at our nursery which is a not-for-profit nursery and social enterprise of First Hand Solutions Aboriginal Corporation. Please check our website for more information: www.indigigrow.com.au

Judy Smith explains the content of the book and the significance of its timing.

Olive Pink was born in Hobart in 1884 and learned to love the Australian bush and its unique flora on rambles with her father on Mt Wellington. Her life was influenced by the Quaker philosophy of social justice she encountered at the private Girls High School in Hobart, run by a Quaker family. This influence can be seen in her later activism on behalf of Aboriginal people, which made her an unpopular figure in government circles.

The Spring 2019 issue of Australian Plants was mailed to members and subscribers in late November. Members of the Australian Plants Society NSW receive Australian Plants four times a year as part of their membership.

The number one priority of our trip to the Blue Mountains on 7th September was to hear Liz Benson’s talk about the Wollemi Pine at the Wentworth Falls History Centre. While we were there, as well as absorbing the views around the falls, we wanted to do some plant exploring on Kings Tableland, and also take a look at the location of Grevillea ‘Lawson Queen’, discovered by Pip Gibian in 1988.

I’ve been growing a Hoya carnosa in a concrete trough for several years, and each year in the warmer months it puts on a nice display of pink flowers over a long period.

The Rudder garden at Maroubra recently won the Native Garden Section of the Randwick Council Garden Competition for the 16th year in a row. Kim wrote to share his own Wollemi pine, after missing our November 2019 quarterly gathering on the Wollemi pine.

The 2019/20 summer of bushfires has had devastating impacts, with lives and homes lost, communities disrupted and millions of hectares of native vegetation burnt. Fire is a natural part of the Australian environment, and plants can recover from fire, but fire behaviour and impacts are changing.

The latest newsletter from the Australian Flora Foundation is now available here. The foundation is a charity fostering scientific research into the biology and cultivation of the Australian flora. 
Research Matters, No. 31, January 2020 announces projects being funded by the foundation and prizes awarded:

With our increasingly hotter and drier conditions and water restrictions in many locations, new approaches are needed even for gardeners used to native plants. Here are some tips to consider for hotter and drier conditions in general and for more very hot days.

Three APS NSW members were featured in the media in January 2020 – Conny Harris, Greg Bourke and Rhonda Daniels. See their stories

In November 2019 Lesley Waite and I went on a magical walk to the summit of Mount Banks. The objectives of our visit were twofold – to indulge in the beautiful upper Blue Mountains flora, and to experience the magnificent surroundings and views.

Congratulations to Margaret Baker who was awarded Environmental Citizen of the Year at Blue Mountains Council’s Australia Day Awards in January 2020.

After the damage from our bushfire season to many properties throughout NSW, homeowners are thinking about replanting their gardens, often while waiting for longer-term building works. The APS NSW office received an inquiry about advice on fire-resistant plants for people buying plants to restore gardens which had burnt.

One of the valuable benefits I found when I joined the Parramatta/Hills Group was that I could mingle with experienced members. From them I could often pick up gems of wisdom.
Here are some examples. Be ruthless. Probably the most valuable piece of advice I learnt was from Ross Doig. It was just two words: “be ruthless”. This was in relation to native gardens of course!

Less time being out and about and more time at home to protect community health from COVID-19 is a chance to do some activities you might not usually have time for. Here are some ideas, both for individual members and for APS Groups to consider if you don’t want to clean the cupboards or the garage.

The Summer 2019/20 issue of Australian Plants posted to members and subscribers in mid March 2020 is a very special issue celebrating 60 years of the journal. In the Editorial and tributes, co-editor Merle Thompson OAM explains the significance: “For an organisation or its publications to survive for 60 years must be regarded as a major achievement. This issue of Australian Plants marks the 60th anniversary of the publication of Volume 1, Number 1 in December 1959”.

The Growing Illawarra Natives website showcases native plant species local to the Illawarra to encourage greater appreciation and cultivation of native plant species in the Illawarra.
 The area has a rich diversity of plant communities with over 850 indigenous plant species, many of great value in cultivation.

Life member and Menai driving force Lloyd Hedges gave host Clarence Slockee a tour of the Illawong Fire Station garden maintained by the group and demonstrated how to create smoke water to germinate flannel flowers while nursery volunteer Pam Forbes highlighted the group’s project to propagate casuarinas to provide food and habitat for glossy black cockatoos in the Southern Highlands.

I feel confident anyone reading this would agree that gardeners have a better insight than most into changing weather patterns. Whatever the reason, the hot days seem to be getting hotter and the cold days colder but it’s usually the former that presents the greater challenges in selecting the right plant for the hot spot. Enter stage right our wonderful grey-foliaged native plants.

Ralph Cartwright explains how it happened:
“I was contacted by the SMH Urban Affairs reporter, Angus Thompson, who got my contact details from the Friends of Royal page who wanted to talk to someone still bushwalking in the Royal in the time of coronavirus. We had a brief chat for quotes and he sent a veteran photographer, Peter Rae, to meet me.

Congratulations to Chris and Leigh Cousins from Hunter Valley Group who were awarded Life Membership at the APS NSW AGM, held by Zoom on 16 May 2020.

Congratulations to Ian Cox from Parramatta Hills Group who was awarded Life Membership at the APS NSW AGM, held by Zoom on 16 May 2020. This summary is based on the nomination from Parramatta Hills Group, with added detail.

What is a mulch? A mulch is any covering put over the top of the soil, such as bark, woodchips, leaves, gravel and groundcovers – even a layer of leaf litter counts as a mulch.
There are a number of different types of materials that are widely used as mulches.

For many years, I have been growing native plants and have picked up tips and tricks along the way. Here is a summary of some of my learning.
1. Planting under gum trees
To maximise your success in getting your plants to grow, plant them as close to the trunk as possible. The reasons you do this are:

Botanical names can seem initially confronting but it all makes sense when you understand the origins of the names. Many species names relate to a feature or characteristics of the plant such as the flower, leaf, fruit, seed, bark, size, shape, colour, texture, habit or habitat. Other plants are named after people or places.

Bob Ross’ mention of the Flying Duck Orchid in the October 2018 issue of Native Plants for New South Wales reminded me of a piece I wrote some years ago for the Chefs Cap: newsletter of the Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden at Batemans Bay. This is an edited version.

reader recently asked for plants to discourage cats from entering the garden. The reader’s plants needed to thrive in tough conditions being southerly facing and sandy soil. Here are the plants suggested

Here are the suggestions for prickly shrubs and hedging plants from our panel of experts: Grevillea rosmarinifolia cultivars such as’Scarlet Sprite’…

When it comes to thinking about a favourite plant, I think those interested in Australian plants are very spoiled for choice. Have you ever thought about a favourite? Where would you start?

These photos, taken by the late Noel Rosten, shows the process by which the orchid, Cryptostylis erecta, is fertilised by the wasp, Lissopimpla excelsa.

One of our Newcastle members, Kevin Stokes, is a stunning macro photographer. Check out these beauties!

After our recent AGM, Dr Brett Summerell, Director Research and Chief Botanist at the Botanic Gardens and Centennial Parklands, gave a talk by Zoom and discussed the botanical work of Banks and Solander in 1770, the herbarium collection they created and its scientific importance, and the impact of the bushfires on Australia’s unique plant life.

Most gardeners will be familiar with the exotic Cymbidium and Phalanopsis orchids or maybe the native Dendrobium. However, the orchids which fascinate me are the tiny terrestrial orchids which can be found growing in the wild in the eastern and southern states of Australia.

Swapping jobs in the nation’s capital for a tree change to the high country and a shed with a view on a rural property, Fiona and Alex moved to Fitzgerald’s Mount near Bathurst in 2008. There they built a house and created a garden that flourishes despite the harsh conditions of the high country of the central tablelands of NSW.

Updated seed list now available. The enterprising David Drage of Northern Beaches recently wrote to APS VIC to see if NSW members could purchase seed from them. Chris Long, the APS Vic President has let us know that they are happy to provide to APS NSW members on the same conditions as apply to APS VIC members.

Volunteers from Menai Group have grown over 7,000 casuarina seedlings to support the Glossies in the Mist project, and more are on the way.

APS NSW Life member Peter Olde was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to Australian native flora in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Frank Howarth PSM was made a Member of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2020 for significant services to the visual arts through the museums and galleries sector. Frank, a long time member of APS NSW, was the Chief Executive and Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Trust, then director of the Australian Museum 2004–2014.

Life member Robin Davies provided friendship and support to all those she met. Her commitment to the environment and willingness to work hard to preserve it was an inspiration, as was her tenacity through a long illness. She was the mainstay of Macarthur Group, a small but dedicated group, and her perseverance has been a major factor in its survival.

Here is a presentation by Dr Greg Keighery on the biodiversity of plants in South west Western Australia

Zoom presentation with Dr Greg Keighery, identification WA plants

Plant discussions by Zoom at Sutherland meeting, June 2020

Flora of the Kimberly with Dr Russell Barrett, presenting at Menai Wildflower Group meeting. See also Part 2

Flora of the Kimberly with Dr Russell Barrett, presenting at Menai Wildflower Group meeting. See also Part 1

Demystifying Plant Names with Dr Rhonda Daniels May 2020

Australian Plant Society members and non-members from around Australia come to APS NSW as a source of expert knowledge about Australian plants. Questions arrive mainly via email, and occasionally through our Facebook and Instagram pages. I receive the questions and redirect them to our Experts Group. The group has eleven members who were recommended to me as being knowledgeable about Australian plants, and happy to share their knowledge.

• Enjoys holidays on sleeper trains
• Volunteers with the Pyjama Foundation, where she reads and plays with children in foster care
• Born in South Africa
• Trained as a librarian
• Gets paid to read books
• Won a prize for determining how to alphabetise index entries starting with the word ‘The’

These photos were taken by Lesley on a recent Fern Study Group walk from Evans Lookout to Neate’s Glen via the Grand Canyon (Grose Valley).

Ralph Cartwright from Sutherland Group is a keen photographer and close observer of plants in his garden at Engadine. He shares some insects seen in July.

The Australian Flora Foundation newsletter Research Matters, No. 32, July 2020 is now available.

Want to see all the wonderful pictures of gardens and flowers when you open emails like the APS NSW monthly enewsletter? Follow these simple steps to make sure your email system knows to Load remote content or Display external images.

APS members should know where native plants are! Tony Maxwell introduces a major project he is working on to assemble data on the occurrences of species from reputable and publicly available sources. Spreadsheets and maps are now available to download for regions around Sydney, with more regions to come.

Michael Batley from the Australian Museum shares a tale of two important sites for bees which were affected by the Gospers Mountain fires. Reproduced from the Australian Native Bee Association’s The Cross-Pollinator newsletter, July 2020.

Dr Weston has done a lot of research on the origins and evolution of Gondwanan flora. The term Gondwanaland refers to the larger supercontinent which includes Antarctica, Australia, Africa, Arabia, South America, NZ and the Indian sub-continent. The enormous land mass was thought to have existed from about 800 million to about 20 million years ago. Botanists have discovered, that numerous plant groups have representative species, closely related, in the resulting land masses.

Brian shares the best plants to grow in your garden. 

Overview of cockatoos and Australian parrots with a focus on the glossy blacks and the impact on this iconic and vulnerable species from the devastating 2019/2020 fire season on the island.

Dieter Hocchuli speaks about insects in urban bushland

A great way to learn about plants in the garden

Daisies provide a delicate, multi-coloured and spectacular impression on the seemingly harsh and dry looking bush areas of Western Australia (WA). Growing everlastings and other colourful daisies for your own spring show is guaranteed to bring great pleasure and satisfaction.

Daisies provide a delicate, multi-coloured and spectacular impression on the seemingly harsh and dry looking bush areas of Western Australia (WA). Growing everlastings and other colourful daisies for your own spring show is guaranteed to bring great pleasure and satisfaction.

In our first two articles, we shared with you the different kinds of daisies in Western Australia. Now we explore how to get maximum impact in your garden using stunning WA daisies!

A lightning strike on 26 October 2019 ignited a large fire at Gospers Mountain in the Wollemi National Park northwest of Sydney. As of 27 December 2019, it had burnt over 500,000 hectares making it the biggest forest fire in Australian history. The fire burnt places where I have looked for bees over the last 20 years and it caused me to reflect on what had been found there. Of the many sites that have suffered, two stand out, for different reasons.

Our walk was to inspect the endangered species, Acacia gordonii. This little acacia, usually about 1 metre high, has single, very bright gold flower heads on long stalks. We were hoping that other species would be starting to flower this early in native plant spring. We were certainly not disappointed.

North Shore Group reports on their COVID-safe plant sale at Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden on 22–23 August, with prebookings for 15 minute-slots, a marshall, entry desk and contactless payment. Edible plants were popular.

We received a request for detailed instructions on propagating kurrajong trees from someone who had just harvested almost 50,000 seeds. Glenda Browne summarises responses from our experts group.

Central Coast Group has launched an online shop on the APS NSW website offering 26 species in large forestry tubes. Pick up is from Kariong on 4 and 18 October. This pilot project is time-limited, ending on 16 October 2020.

Two issues of the Australian Plants journal were posted to members in August. The Autumn 2020 issue is on bushfires and the Winter 2020 marks the 250th anniversary of the Endeavour voyage and the botanical legacy of the visit to Botany Bay.

Spring is a great time to see acacias in flower at Joseph Banks Native Plants Reserve at Kareela. With over 1,000 species of Acacia, there is great diversity. Here are some in flower in August grouped by size into groundcovers, low shrubs, shrubs and trees.

Enjoy spring at Sylvan Grove Native Garden at Picnic Point. It is maintained by Canterbury–Bankstown Council to showcase Australian native plants to the community. It is open Monday to Friday all year, but in spring is also open on the weekends. Free.

Join a citizen science project where photographers can use their skills to help record and identify Sun-loving Moths and their association with Australian plants in the Rutaceae family.

Ralph Cartwright reports on a weekend of 30 volunteers planting 1,800 native trees and shrubs to support regenerative farming on a sheep property north of Canberra.

In August 2020, APS Parra Hills members and visitors walked the Duck River track through Wategora Reserve at South Granville. There were several stands of very healthy plants of Acacia pubescens (Downy Wattle), a plant which is listed as vulnerable but which flourishes in the reserve, all flowering beautifully.

The Spring 2020 issue of Australian Plants on eremophilas is now available.

Many people who grow Australian plants also want to select those that are indigenous – that is, those that naturally grow in their local area. Here are answers to two recent questions on indigenous plants.

An established wildflower farm on the mid north coast of NSW producing cut flowers for the domestic and Japanese markets is seeking an enthusiastic, native flower fanatic to take over the farm.

Andrew and his wife Jennifer have regenerated their two properties at Dubbo and Narromine. When Andrew and Jennifer purchased their properties, they were degraded due to livestock grazing and feral
animals. After two decades of very fulfilling work they have transformed both properties, with original woodland plants regenerating and wildlife returning. To recreate the original vegetation that existed before farming they relied on the records of the early explorers on the types of vegetation they saw in their travels in the area.

Banksias are Australia’s most iconic plants after the Eucalypts, known for thousands of years to indigenous Australians and, through writing and art, to many more who have never visited this land.
This extensively revised edition of the first edition, The Banksia Book by Alex George, includes the most recently discovered Banksia, vincentia, with descriptions and illustrations of all 79 known species with many new photographs and updated species descriptions

Imagine a roof top covered with stunning native plants from around Australia, blowing in the breeze! A few of us visited the first indigenous rooftop farm and other cultural gardens at the newly developed South Eveleigh precinct. (https://southeveleigh.mirvac.com/)

Graham Fry, the President of East Hills Group is also a member of the Oatley Flora and Fauna (OFF) group. At their February 2020 monthly meeting the guest speaker was Vince Hefferman. Vince owns a sheep property in the Gunning area in the southern tablelands. Some years ago he realised that the way the property was managed was not sustainable and that there had to be a better way.

Recently, ANPSA held its annual meeting, at which the different state bodies reported. Some provided written reports on activities during the year – Queensland, Victoria and SA. These reports are included here.

Harry Loots from APS Northern Beaches reports on his first visit to Sydney’s Cumberland State Forest. Hidden off Castle Hill Road, it is Australia’s only metropolitan State Forest. It has Sydney Basin species, and the Forestry Commission experimented with many northern NSW and south east Queensland rainforest species to see how well they would grow.

In 2020, Joseph Banks Native Plants Reserve at Kareela in southern Sydney is celebrating 50 years. It was established as a bicentenary project to commemorate Cook’s landing at Kurnell in 1770 and Joseph Banks’ botanical legacy. Members of the Australian Plants Society have been involved for over 50 years.

‘River-flat eucalypt forest on coastal floodplains of southern New South Wales and eastern Victoria’ has been listed as a threatened ecological communities under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. This forest is habitat for many threatened and fire-affected species, including Platypus, Swift Parrot, Greater Glider, Koala and the Camden White Gum.

We get a lot of emails about sourcing plants and seeds. Our first advice is to look at the list of plant and seed suppliers on our website. Glenda Browne then shares the message with our experts group in case they have special knowledge (which they usually do). Here are some of the questions and responses in 2020.

East Hills Group member Karlo Taliana regularly walks around the Picnic Point area of Georges River National Park in southern Sydney which has great general flora diversity. Each year, our local pea flowers decorate the bush with a variety of colours while also providing a valuable food source for insects. 

Grafting is often the only option to grow plants in soils and climates outside the normal habit, including for eremophilas. Russell Wait reports on graft-chimeras, which can arise in grafted plants. A growth, known as ‘graft-chimera’, can form within callus tissue at the graft union. Chimeras occur in other plant families, either naturally or contrived to produce features such as variegated foliage.

There’s an old saying that if you don’t know where you’re going, you won’t know when you get there! And so it goes with setting a strategy for APS NSW. We last developed a formal strategy in 2017, so it is now time to rethink our direction and focus. We’ve achieved strong outcomes over the last three years (website, social media presence, online payments, outsourced financial management), and our membership has grown this year, potentially a function of the bushfires and threat of climate change. Our district groups and passionate members are a strength, as are our deep plant expertise, local relationships, nurseries and plant sales. But the needs of members are changing and so time for us to adapt. Many people join and don’t stay members for more than a couple of years, so it’s an opportunity to rethink what we do. Would you like to have your say on what those opportunities might be?  I will be hosting several Zoom strategy discussion sessions in early February for members to contribute their thoughts and ideas. If you’d like to participate, please email secretary@austplants.com.au to receive the Zoom link. The dates are: Tuesday 9 Feb, 10am Thursday, 11 Feb, 7pm Saturday, 13 Feb 2pm Any questions, please let me, Heather Miles, know on the above email. Looking forward to hearing your

The Summer 2020/21 issue of Australian Plants is the second issue commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Endeavour voyage: 1770–2020. Titled ‘Along the east coast of Australia’, it was produced by Lawrie Smith AM of Native Plants Queensland.

The Australian Flora Foundation newsletter Research Matters, No. 33, January 2021 is now available. In 2021, the foundation celebrates its 40th year of operations since 1981, funding scientific research into the biology and cultivation of the Australian flora.

Time is an interesting concept and is all relative to one’s perspective. If you are one of the average Australian that change houses every 5 years then your perspective of creating a garden with that time frame will be very different to an old bloke like me that has been gardening on the same 800sq m block for 40 plus years.

Enjoy several posters promoting our large public events in the late 1980s. The spectacular flower displays attracted much public interest.

We regularly receive emails with queries about Australian native plants. Glenda Browne summarises recent responses on propagation from our experts group.

Northern Beaches member Jennifer McLean shares how she became interested in Australian native plants, her life on a bush block and volunteering at Stony Range Botanic Garden.

Who would have thought that so many of our wonderful native plants would be flowering in February at Manly Dam? What a little bit of rain can do!

Here is an update on the opportunities and challenges ahead for us, as a society, and what our next three-year strategy needs to deliver for us. Your feedback as always is very welcome. 

Friends of Grasslands (FoG) is offering a small number of grants of up to $1500 each in 2021 to support projects that promote understanding, conservation and management of native grassy ecosystems. Any individual or organisation can apply by 30 April 2021.

A citizen science project to identify the cause of Lorikeet Paralysis Syndrome in southern Queensland and northern NSW is seeking members to identify plant species the birds feed on.

Lisa captured these upclose images of the pink flannel flowers in the Blue Mountains in January 2021.

A year after devastating fires that razed the bush, Pink flannel flowers, Actinotus forsythii, have been found growing en masse, in a flora bonanza attracting much interest. They are not rare, but the mass flowering is triggered by a smoke-derived chemical.

The ANPSA national Conservation Officer, Dr Eddy Wajon, reports on myrtle rust, bushfires and other conservation matters at April 2021.

One of Betty’s garden design messages was – don’t interfere with nature. Betty will be remembered as a passionate scientist, researcher, gardener, teacher, writer, and supporter of native plants. She was ever so wise, ever so polite. She was an inspiration, and will be fondly remembered and greatly missed!

Some people think that native plants are straggly and boring. You only need to look at the beautiful variety of Australia daisies to see that this is just not so . They grow quickly and flower over a long period of time and there is a place for them in every garden.

APS NSW receives many email inquiries about native plants. Glenda Browne summarises recent questions and answers on flowering and plant selection from our experts group.

The idea of a cosy cottage garden, with herbaceous borders of annuals and perennials against a backdrop of shrubs and (maybe) a small tree or two, is becoming popular again. This is especially so with the reduction in size of modern gardens.

Seed of acacias which occurs in pods, has a tough outer shell that does not allow water to enter the seed easily. Other plants with a similar type of seed include the many pea flowers such as Chorizema, Clianthus, Daviesia, Hardenbergia, Hovea, Indigofera, Kennedia, Oxylobium, Pultenaea and Sphaerolobium to name just some of them

Much of western and north western Sydney is based on clay soils. Quite often these soils are wet in winter and much dryer in summer. While clay has the advantages of holding water well especially at deeper levels and can be rich in nutrients, there are some problems

The following plants generally tolerate (or in some cases prefer) clay soils that are poorly drained but not boggy in winter, and that tend to dry out in summer. Of course, other factors can play a part in a plant’s success, so this list is a guideline only.

There are a range of different ways to propagate native plants. Here’s a run down on each system.

Thanks to Jennifer Farrer, of Parramatta and Hills group, who gave up her morning to host a walk around the 5 Senses Garden in Concord. The 5 Senses Garden is a joint initiative between the City of Canada Bay and Inner West Neighbour Aid. The garden is a place for the entire community offering workshops, volunteering opportunities and a space for local growing and social connections. The garden provides tailored activities for residential care facilities, schools, hospital programs and other non-for-profit organisations. APS NSW was approached by the organiser to see if we could share information about native plants, which she felt were not well known to most attendees of workshops.   Jennifer did the talk as a walk around, so people could see the plants up close and interact in a more informal way. Jennifer reports that it is lovely garden with a mixture of exotic plants, mostly in the raised vegetable garden beds, along with natives. It was easy to find plants to talk about. She also gave the garden a few pots of Warrigal Greens and shared about its use. Seventeen people registered for the event although some elected not to walk around!    Thanks Jennifer and to all our volunteers who share their knowledge and insights about native

Enjoy another spectacular display by APS groups in the Australian plants competition at the Royal Easter Show 2021.

Enjoy photos from a walk at Narrow Neck, just south-west of Katoomba, with pink flannel flowers, ferns, moss, lichen, bark and more.