Garden Club
Meetings are held in the Cherry Gardens Uniting Church meeting room, at 7.30pm usually on the 2nd Monday of the month from February to November.
President: Ray Wise: raywise@hotmail.com.au or 0405 273 003
Secretary: Shirley Callaghan: shirleyc5159@gmail.com or 0403 801 916
NEXT MEETINGS
Monday 17th June - Freebies Night - Free entry.
Please bring an item for the draw. Three speakers from within our Club
Monday 8th July - Winter Warmers.
An evening of soup and slices. Please bring a gardening Tip or Trick you can share with others
GEORGE'S GARDENING SUGGESTIONS FOR JUNE 2019
Brassicas can continue to be planted as well as onions and peas. Beware of snails as this is their favourite season, they can be trapped with a beer trap or poisoned with organic pellets that are iron based and safe for pets and humans.
Keep on top of weeds as they can smother crops if left unattended.
Asparagus crowns can be planted now into deep rich soil, avoid the temptation to harvest spears in the first or even second year, if they get off to a good start, they will happily produce a crop for the next 20 years!
Larkspurs, linaria and lupins can be planted in the flower garden now. Avoid the temptation to prune roses just yet, leave it till July and then only do it in fine weather.
Now is a good time to plant out bare rooted deciduous trees and shrubs, wash of all of the sawdust that comes with the packaging and plant into a well-prepared hole - raise the soil level if there is a likelihood of waterlogging.
All plants have slowed their growing in the cool conditions so ease well back on fertilizing.
LAST MEETING
Members reported on recent Garden visits, and some forthcoming events:
Ravenswood Homestead and Gardens near Bendigo is a beautiful historical homestead which you can stay in. It is maintained in its former glory with beautiful gardens and grounds to wander and relax in.
Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens overlooking Daylesford are included on the Victorian Heritage Register as they are of historic, scientific (botanic), and aesthetic significance to the state of Victoria.
Orchid Show - Torrens Parade Ground, 15/6 0900-1700hrs and 16/6 1000-1600hrs.
Watchman House, Main Road, Coromandel Valley - 4/5 1000hrs - it might be possible to organise a visit to Watchman House as a Garden Club morning tea event at a suggested price of $10 pp to be confirmed.
The Guest Speakers:
George Hoad, President of the Garden Clubs of Australia, was the Guest Speaker at the 6 May meeting of our Garden Club.
Our President, Ray Wise, introduced the Guest Speaker for the 6th May meeting, Daniel Holzer, Holman Industries which make irrigation equipment for garden, plumbing, stormwater, raised garden beds, vertical gardens, raised garden lights, and weather stations. Daniel demonstrated some of their products including:
Tap fittings realigned and which click onto a plastic or brass hose;
A multi-function gun with thumb control, which controls the amount of water and type of spray, and which has an extra O-ring on the bottom to avoid leaking;
Various timers: Daniel showed one with a screen, and a Bluetooth one (which you can control with your mobile phone). A week or two before you go away you can set up and test it, to ensure you have set it properly. There is one for Android and one for Apple. All 9 Volt standard batteries. Change good quality battery every six months.
Various pop-up sprinklers and filters, with varying degrees of spray up to 360 degrees, choices of rotary nozzles which have jets and various droplet sizes to prevent evaporation and adjust from 15-360 degrees, or ones that throw spray from 4.9 to 5.8 meters, and another 9 meters;
Dripper tubing 6ml to 25m; or 50ml to 50m rolls with holes are 30cm apart;
Raised garden beds 300cm high x 500cm
Vertical garden beds - mobile green wall that you can wheel to wherever you need, e.g., to catch the sun, or put in shade; and a bench top;
Spot lights, path lights, deck lights, 12 volt system, Kelvin lights (LED);
Weather station which shows wind direction/speed/humidity/temperature/rain gauge - a roof unit which is battery-driven with 4xAAs.
Retractable hoses - 10, 20, 30m.
Ray thanked Daniel for his presentation and presented him with a gift.
Auction: Members had brought in plants which they had potted, and various other things for the garden, and these were auctioned off. This was followed by supper.
