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Blackheath & District Horticultural Society Inc

Established in 1920 Newsletter –December, 2018

Hello to all gardening friends, At our 2018 Annual General Meeting I certainly did-n’t intend to become President, however things do happen and here I am. I am pleased to tell you that we have four newcomers on the Executive Com-mittee and with the continuation of our Treasurer from last year, I just hope I can keep up with all their enthusiasm. They all come with relevant expe-rience offering our committee so much to look for-ward to next year. (See below for their names.) After our General Meeting on the 6th December we are having a Christmas Luncheon at Blue Jax. Please come and join in the fun with all our mem-bers. I will doing a flyer later on in the newsletter with all the details. Thanks to Mary Storrie for con-tinuing to arrange this function for us.

I would like to wish everyone a very happy and safe Christmas season and a wonderful year ahead. Laraine

WE SHALL REMEMBER THEM On 11th November and the 100th anniversary of the end of the first world war our Society laid a wreath at the Memorial in the Blackheath Park. We also donated a book voucher to Blackheath Public School to commemorate the event.

Next General Meeting Thurs, 6th December, 2018 10.00 am – 12.00 noon The Rhododendron Gardens Bacchante Street, BLACKHEATH at 10:00a.m.

General Meeting 10.00 –

10.45 am

Mini Flower Show by Jane

McKanna

Mini Flower Show Awards by President

Q&A to and from the Ex-perts Morning Tea 10.45—11.15am.

(Please bring a plate to share.)

Get to Know new com-mittee for 15 minutes

Host, Greeting & Sign On Mary Storrie

Morning Tea Ladies Carole Lee & Mary Lawley Thank you ladies for always being there!

Executive Committee2018- 2019 President: Laraine Graham Ph 0408 309 624 Email contact: bdhsinc89@gmail.com Vice President: Walter Hitchell Secretary: Liz Parker Treasurer: Brenda Lush

Committee Members: Silva Ikaunieks Katie Jakes Christina Rayment

Chrysanthemum

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Along the Garden Path.

A life without dreams

is like a garden without flowers.

Gertruade Beese

Focus on Christmas trees

Decorating a traditional pine tree with tinsel and baubles is one of my enduring Christmas pleasures but I must admit by the end of the 12 days of Christmas, my pine is indeed suffering. The delicious smell is still there but the pine has really turned up its toes .

There are however great Aussie alternatives to traditional pine trees. Why not try one this year.

A Christmas tree needs to look good in a pot , have branches that can carry decorations and be able to tolerate shade. It should also be able to be planted in the garden or remain as a handsome long- term potted plant. With these requirements Woolly Bush ( Adenanthos sericeus ) is ideal because its silvery rather woolly foliage is perfect to hold bright Christmas balls. After Christmas it can be planted successfully in the garden in full sun. It grows to 3 metres .

Another native plant to consider because of its pine like leaves is the Geebung (Persoonia pinifolia). It has the right kind of branching, produces bright yellow flowers which may save

some decorations. After Christmas, plant it in part shade.

The Wollemi pine ( Wollemia nobilis ) would make an excellent living Christmas tree. Although not a true pine it is enough like one to serve as an indicator to show santa where to leave his gifts. Of course it is indigenous to our area and while it can grow to 20 metres, it may be kept in a large tub which will restrict its size.

Last of all, the N. S. W. Christmas Bush ( Ceratopetalum gummiferum ) would make a good Christmas tree. It grows red sepals which come into maturity in December. It would be a great outdoor Christmas tree adding a festive touch to a Christmas day B.B.Q..

Jobs for December ( just in case you have time while preparing for Christmas )

Dig up and divide daffodils. Its an ideal time to dig up and divide clusters that have become too crowded. Dig around the outside of the clump and gently lift it out of the ground . Shake off excess soil. Only separate the bulbs that come away easily. Trim off the dead leaves. You then have two choices. You can replant the divided bulbs or store them over Summer and plant them in the Autumn. If you store, put them in a mesh bag and keep them in a cool dark place.

Remove spent flowers on daisies and petunias to keep them looking fresh.

Prune viburnum, mock orange and laburnum into shape after flowering.

Get Well Soon

To our Members who are not feeling well goes every best wish for a speedy recovery.

Welfare Matters: Please notify Silva Ikaunieks if you are aware of

any society members who may be in hospital or ill. Silva will send him or her a card from our Society.

Woolly Bush

NSW Christmas Bush

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Trim hedges to tidy them up before Christmas.

Feed roses and azaleas with a flower and fruit fertiliser to encourage rapid growth and improved flowers.

Collect seed off Spring flowering shrubs such as wattles and grevilleas

Strike cuttings of fuchsia, azaleas and English box using soft tip growth.

Great garden gift ideas

Nursery gift voucher Topiary or bonsai plant

Garden lantern Watering wand

Garden statue Fruit preserving kit

Rain gauge Potted succulent

Fancy gardening gloves

Subscription to a gardening magazine

Hand moisturiser

Christmas Craft

Make a welcoming Christmas wreath for the front door or for an indoor decoration. Following are brief instructions for making 2 different wreaths.

The Traditional Wreath

Tools. An oasis foam wreath shape from florist or bargain store, rope, 15cm length fine florist wire, moss or soft foliage base, scissors, flowers

Step 1 . Fill a sink with water then add foam Wreath. Soak it till it sinks. Layer pieces of moss of other chosen material as a foliage base .

Step 2 Trim flower stem to 5 cms then starting with the largest flowers, inserting them into the foam randomly around the wreath. Follow this with other smaller flowers and greenery of your choice.

Aussie Bush Wreath

Tools. Wooden embroidery hoop, secateurs, foli-age cuttings such as casuarina, banksia and tea tree, black cable ties, scissors green florist wire, fishing line and a wall hook.

Step 1 . Cut tree trimmings. 2 casuarinna cuttings, 2 cuttings of banksia with blooms and 1 cutting of tea tree.

Step 2 Anchor the foliage to the top right hand side of the hoop. Place one cutting of casuarina on the outside edge of the hoop and attach woody part of branch to hoop with cable ties.

Step 3 Place other cutting of casuarina on outside edge of hoop facing same of opposite direction to the first. Trim branch to suit if required.

Step 4 Position 1 cutting of banksia where the casuarina cuttings overlap. Attach to hoop with cable ties.

Step 5 Tuck tea tree cuttings to one side of the blooms. Attach to hoop with cable ties. Check the shape of the decoration and adjust if necessary. Hang from the door with fishing line.

Recipe

Christmas food

Mini Turkey Cran-berry and Sage Sausage Rolls

makes 16

500gms turkey mince 2 green shallots chopped

1 tbs finely chopped sage 3 cloves garlic minced

2 tsp dijon mustard grated zest half or-ange

1/4 cup cranberry sauce 2 sheets frozen puff pastry

1 egg lightly beaten salt and pepper to season

tomato sauce to serve

Step 1. Preheat oven to 200 degs. Line 2 trays with baking paper.

Step 2 Put mince shallots sage garlic mustard or-ange zest and cranberry sauce into a bowl and mix until combined.

Step 3 Cut pastry sheets into rectangles.

Step 4 is at top of page 4.

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Step 4 Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions. Divide into long sausages and cover with pastry. Cut through to make sausage rolls. Place in rows on trays and bake for 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Serve with tomato sauce.

What's On in December

Until August 2019. Plants with bite. 10am- 4pm . The Calyx Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Free.

30th Nov - 2nd Dec National Cherry Festival Young. Free. Cherry picking, street parade, music, markets.

6th Dec. Drawing from Nature 10am --1pm Royal Botanic Garden Sydney $85 suitable for beginners.

Book Review

This is a beautiful book to give a friend who loves orchids.

Native Orchids of the Blue Mountains

by Sabine Hanisch and Ben Jasiak

Until I discovered Native orchids I thought all or-chids were showy and boring. Then I read this book that is filled with coloured photos of the most deli-cate plants. Included are precise directions of where these orchids can be seen growing in the bush. The book also includes the botanical and common name for each orchid, flowering time, habitat and alti-tude.

The book is small enough to fit into your back pack and if you are not into hiking and prefer armchair travelling, this book will provide you with hours of enjoyment and pleasure.

Editor: A dear friend gave me this book and I rec-ommend it highly. Over the years I have chased na-tive orchids all over Western Australia and I did not know there are so many beautiful orchids here around where we live.

Christmas Greetings

Robin

BUS TRIPS Bus Trip to Sutton Forest, Moss Vale & Brae-

mar on 8th November 2018

Good weather again with an early start at 8:30 am for our trip to the Southern Highlands. Our first stop was at Maccas at Narellan for a comfort stop. On to Red Cow Farm with a small detour via the farm next door.

From the road it is only a small frontage, with a small cottage and a very pretty front garden. Once inside it's like entering the world of Alice in Won-derland. Very large hedges, many at least 2 metres high, separate the various garden rooms with climb-ing roses, lots of statuary at every turn, a lake with large Koi carp and surrounded by yellow water iris, lots of Mollis Azaleas, Viburnum and different types of Euphorbia, plus a lovely colonnade also with climbing roses. The plants for sale were really well grown. A final look in the gift shop with many inter-esting bits & pieces.

On to Moss Vale Services Club for lunch. The club had a good menu, the food was delicious, all at very good prices.

We stopped at The Old Pot Factory at Braemar on our way back. It was very interesting, but most items were far too large for our gardens (and the bus), with prices to match. We had hoped to stop at the plant stall at Luddenham, but it was 4:30 pm by the time we got there (sorry Walter). By the time we got back to Blackheath we were all tired, but had had a very good day.

Brenda

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DID YOU KNOW?

At Red Cow Farm I came across a flowering shrub I had never seen before so off I scooted to find Liz Fox who is a “mine of information on plant spe-cies.” “Kolkwitzia” was the quick reply.

After learning how to spell it I found it in Maco-boy’s What Shrub is that? This plant comes from Western China and loves a high altitude. It grows from a cutting and is a deciduous shrub. The branches arch towards the ground and the flow-ers are delightfully fragrant with hairy golden throats

The common name is Beauty Bush. Laraine

When: 6th December

Cost: $40

Organiser: Mary Storrie

Phone No: 4787 7044

Please ring Mary or leave a

message so we have accurate

numbers for the restaurant.

Pay for the meal on the day.

Kris Kringle or Secret Santa: If

you would like to take part in

this custom please bring a gar-

dening themed present to the

value of $10 or under; per-

haps a potted plant from your

garden.

The Executive Committee