PRESIDENT Marcia Bonhame: bondura@harboursat.com.aup: 6337 1117

VICE PRESIDENT Gillian Baldwine: gbaldwin60@hotmail.comp: 6332 1583

SECRETARY Lyn Burgette: lburgett@bth.catholic.edu.aup: 6331 9170

TREASURER Joanna McLachlane: bandoola1@bigpond.comp: 6337 3810a: ‘Bandoola’, 1566 Orange Road Bathurst 2795

PUBLICITY OFFICER Val Fenne: cv@skymesh.com.aup: 6337 1509

NEWSLETTER EDITOR Bev Wodrowe: oxley1885@ix.net.aup: 6337 5030

STATE COUNCIL DELEGATE Merle Thompsone: merleaps@bigpond.com

PLANT STEWARD Sue Wakefi elde: peckatoe@harboursat.com.aup: 6337 4853 m: 0429 789 487

LIBRARIAN Val Fenne: cv@skymesh.com.aup: 6337 1509

COMMITTEE MEMBERSDonna Rathe: the.raths@bigpond.comp: 6336 9091

Fiona Johnsone: cloudyhill@bigpond.comp: 6368 5965

Vivienne Sutherlande: pixies28@harboursat.com.aup: 6331 9928

CENTRAL WEST GROUP-NEWSLETTER VOL.16 NO.11

President’s CommentDECEMBER 2011

the next committee meeting is on thursday, december 8, 12 noon at bathurst city panthers bowling club, all members are welcome!

2011…….What a wonderful year! plenty of rain, sunshine, good plant growth, and especially you good friends made me one very happy lady.

Next year promises to be even better, with some wonderful trips to be planned. Any new ideas are most welcome. Following on Fiona’s generosity in bringing plants to our last meeting, maybe we could have swaps of plants and/or cuttings in future.

Thanks to Rod and Alexandra for having us to their very interest-ing home, and very special acreage. I felt like apologising to the plants I stepped on! “Sorry , little orchid, or whatever, but I have to put my foot down somewhere!”

All the best to our new President, Gillian, who will be excellent.

Happy Christmas, everyone, and here’s to 2012!

May it be just as good as dear old 2011. See you soon, Marcia

Kindly contributed by Fiona Johnson APSCW member

i was reading an english gardening magaZine recently and came across an interview with Timothy Walker, Director of the University of Oxford’s Botanic Garden and Harcourt Arboretum. The following excerpt appealed to me and I wondered if you wanted to include it in a newsletter The excerpt was:

“What are your three top gardening tips? First, the only part of your garden that should be watered is the compost heap. Second, pesticides don’t work, so grow plants that don’t need spraying. Third, the time to take a cutting is when it is offered (a saying of plantswoman Primrose Warburg).”

Calochilus robertsonii

GatherinG of the aPSCWDG 27/11/11 For the week beFore the gathering torrential rain, blusterous wind and chill buFFeted the central tablelands. the likihood oF Flash Flooding and Fallen trees, deep mud and impassable roads was widely broadcast...

An intrepid band of Australian plant lovers converged on Kennedy Park, a secluded spot in the locality of Mount David 1100m above sea level and home to a hotspot of biodiversity and a nearly complete earth brick house and its builders.

Bearing gifts of plants and gastronomic fare they braved a very cool cloudy morning and threatening rain to hold the AGM, and have a long ramble in the heathland area.

Kennedy Park does not have a “made” Australian plant garden. With the exeption of some 36Ha the rest of the 98Ha is as nature intended, a diverse garden of grasses, sub shrubs, creepers and twiners, terrestrial orchids, flowering perennials, snow gum woodland as well as grassy box areas and tall Eucalypt forest with E. dalrympliana, E. dives and E.radiata, and protected in perpetuity by a Voluntary Conservation Agreement.

Picking their way amongst tall budding red anther wallaby grasses (Chionochloa pallida), and keep-ing open an eye for the slithery wild-life, the plant hunters found miniscule Lomandra flowering, Dianella ceru-lea, Stackhousia monogyna, Pimelia curviflora,assorted Brachyscomes, Wahlemburgia communis, Geranium solanderi, Stylidium graminifolium with variations from white to pink trigger flow-ers. Clumps of Brachyloma daphnoides had the last few flowers hanging in after the rain, but the Melichrus urceolatus was presenting its prickly aspect. Bushy Davesia mimosioides was still present-

ing some flowers, and Hibbertia is sparking the bright yellows of Craspedia, Bulbine bulbosa and Helichrysum scorpioides.

Everyone huddled around when we found several examples of Calochilus robertsonii – known in the family as helmetted bikie orchids – just starting to flower. The Diuris orchids of the past weeks had been discouraged by the rain and were not visible.

The greatest treasures are perhaps the most straggly, untidy and prickly shrubs, some 20Ha of Bursaria spinosa ssp lasiophyla which is the food plant of probably the largest number of the endangered butterfly Paralucia spin-ifera, aka the Bathurst/purple copper butterfly. These shy creatures emerge in early spring, and are currently at the caterpillar stage, supervised by a small busy ant Anonychroma itinerans during the night.

A few clumps of snow tussock have been extracted from the grass beside the house which will be propagated to display the purple/lavender flowering habit and the aquamarine colours of the foliage after rain – a perfect border plant for the native garden.

A few offshoots of this most pleasant day will be a brick pressing day (bring your own earth) and a timber milling day for the engineeringly minded, and later in autumn a fungus, lichen and mushroom day might be fun.

Thank you members for “christening” the new house. Its first function has been a pleasure to host and we hope for many more such enjoyable occasions. alexandra tuson APSCWDG member

On behalf of all, thank you for co-ordinating such a magnificant weekend - the food, the gardens, and the weather. A fantastic time was had by all. A special thank you to Helen, whose expertise was appreciated by all. Regards, Graeme Ingall

Members of the APS Southern Tablelands Group have asked me to express to you and your members a sincere ‘thank-you’ for the organisa-tion of the recent get-together. I was unable to attend but those who did assured me that it was a wonderful weekend and that they will have many happy memories of the trip. Congratulations are definitely in order! Kind regards Tim Hayes (President)

I’m writing to you on behalf of the Southern Highlands contingent who enthusiastically attended the Regional Get-Together. We all had a great time, even the ‘hangers-on’. We were all filled with admiration with what the staff and volunteers at the Arboretum manage to achieve with little in the way of funds, and your organising committee and friends made us all feel very welcome. The program was interesting but allowed time for slow but purposeful wandering. The Caves tour was fascinating, and the Mount Arthur walk was enjoyed by those who did it. Several of our lot are on restricted diets, and your attention to that detail was much appreciated.

Please pass on our thanks and appre-ciation to all concerned, and some of us are looking forward to a return visit before too long.

With best wishes, Jane Pye,President, Southern Highlands APS

captured during the year From the top: The Mulligans property; Dunne’s Swamp; Duck-Pond, Burrendong Arboretum tag-along tour & EOY festivities at Mount David

Burrendong Arboretum Regional Get-TogetherRememBeReD

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2011

Thank you for the work the CWG put in to the very successful weekend at Burrendong. It was amazing how well it ran - and this can only be attrributed to the organisers. Connie Southwell and I found it very enjoyable and informative. Whilst we also found it exhausting I am sure that you and the organisers found it even more so. Please pass on our thanks to all the helpers in your group. Jim Ward

CENTRAL WEST GROUP-NEWSLETTER DEC 2011

Have you heard?NurseriesBilby Blooms of BinnawayBy appointment only, recent plant list availableNative plants for gardens & revegetation projectsContact: Annabelle or AnthonyT: 02 6844 1044E: bilby.blooms@tpg.com.au

Blue Wren Bush FarmWattle FlatInclude local seed salesContact: Geoffrey WindsorT: 02 6337 7155

Glenbrook Native Plant ReserveGreat Western Highway, GlenbrookOpen: 12pm-4pm, Sat, Sun, Wed

Oberon Plateau Farm Trees‘Bennelong’, 539 Mozart Rd. OberonNative tube stock for gardens, windbreaks, wildlife refuges and revegetation

Contact: Clea & John RalphT: 02 6335 8468E: winter@ix.net.au

Stoney Creek Wildfl owers The Bridle Track,DuramanaLocal grower of Australian Native &Protea cut fl owers. Fresh Bouquets & Arrangements available at Bathurst Farmers Markets, IGA Supermar-kets (Trinity Heights & Westpoint). Special orders delivered to Bathurst.Contact: Fiona & Rob McGregorT/F: 02 6337 1791M: 0427 371 791E: stoneycreekwildfl owers@bordernet. com.au

Riverside Nursery171-191 Morrisset St., BathurstWe grow & stock a unique range of acclima-tised roses, trees, shrubs, conifers seedlings and native.Open: Mon-Sat, 9am-5pm Sun, 10am-5pmT: 02 6331 3121

Wombat Gully Native Nursery1729 Coxs Creek Rd. Rylstone 2849We grow trees & shrubs in recycled milk cartons for revegetation projects throughout the district. 10% discountContact: Carmel Spark T: 02 6379 6202E: carmelspark@gmail.com

New membersWe are always pleased to welcome new members. Just contact the treasurer.

10% discount

What’s on for members?

VIEW PAST NEWSLETTERS ONLINE: http://apscw.wordpress.com/previous-newsletters/

Reminder: If you aren’t sure when your membership for the APSCWDG is due, the date is on your membership card.

Can’t find your card? You will fi nd the renewal date on your State Journal envelope, or you can phone Joanna, our treasurer:

THE PLANT SOCIETY LIBRARY is available to members. There is no charge for the use of books. We request that books borrowed be returned in reasonable time. The library can be expected at each outing. Members can contact Val before outings or committee meetings to confi rm the books will be there. (Details on page one) There is a wide range of interesting books. The most detailed and botanically informative are the four volumes of “Flora of New South Wales”. These are invaluable for an enthusi-ast seeking the fi ne points of identifi cation. With these superb volumes, be prepared for detailed botanical language.

From the Librarian

As seen on TV....The family in CSU Orange water towerLog on to www.gumtreecs.com.au. And be part of a very entertaining family!

ABSOLUTELY

NOTHING!!!

SEE YA NEXT YEARMERRY XMAS

& JOYEUX

NOEL2011

BE KIND & FULL OF GOOD CHEERSING CHRISTMAS CAROLS

HANG MISTLETOEGIVE MORE THAN YOU GET

TREASURE FRIENDS &

FAMILYMAKE SURE YOU HAVE SECOND HELPINGSFA LA LA LA LAAS YOU DECORATE