Flora

Peter Rutherford. On the 24 November 1939, the Coffs Harbour Advocate reported, among other things, that “now there are only 200 known koalas in the whole of New South Wales, including those in captivity.” NSW Environment Minister Sharpe’s media release of 3 December 2024 stated, “that our grandchildren will never get the chance to see koalas in the wild”. I thought she may have been a little behind in reading her ministerial briefings. But then the penny dropped!

A long-held theory about the life cycle of one of Australia's most beloved natural icons has been upended in a botanical whodunnit that has revealed an unlikely hero ... researchers at La Trobe University, has uncovered another suspect in the survival of some of Australia’s more unconventional Banksia flowers, in a paper published in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 

Jenny Pollard. “Life is better in the garden”. How many gardeners would agree with that?! From the attendance at last Sunday’s North Central Garden Club’s (NCGC) Charlton Open Gardens Day, the lure of that precious space you call your own resonates with a lot of people!

To take a walk through the magnificent and wellkept garden of Gary and Dale Gwynne it is easy to see why they regularly pick up awards in the Warwick Horticultural Society’s Spring Garden Competition. This year their garden at 269 Hendon/ Goomburra Road Allora was awarded the Warwick Horticultural Society’s Shield for the best Large Home Garden…

Madison Eastmond. Riverlanders, rosarians, and visitors can now ‘stop and smell the roses’ for the month of October, with celebrations for the 30th Rose and Garden Festival beginning this week. With the region now in bloom, the 2024 program will kick off on Friday with a number of popular returning components ... including the Renmark Institute floral display, the Festival Fair...

... this region is renowned for its abundance and diversity of produce ... Marc and Stacey Brooke are one such couple who have wholeheartedly embraced the area’s inherent spirit of diversity, with the transformation of their small cropping farm nestled on the outskirts of Wakool into the blossoming Australian natives enterprise, Tulla Natives.

The project will support the 64,000 hectare expansion of the Crystalvale Nature Refuge, about 15km south-west of Coen, and establish the new 244,000 hectare Abingdon Downs North Nature Refuge, about 85km north-west of Georgetown ... Abingdon Downs North and Crystalvale make up the largest dedication of private protected area in the past six years.

As part of a Connecting Country event held last Sunday, Mulga Urban Landcare (MULGA) Secretary Bev Phillips took a group of Landcare colleagues on a tour of some of Maldon’s oldest trees. This included trees located at the Bill Woodfull Recreation Reserve, the Police Reserve and Maldon Primary School.

Statistics from Tourism and Events Queensland unveil a fresh milestone for the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers in total attendance, with a record-breaking figure of 417,517 - an impressive 14 per cent surge compared to the 2022 results.

Ian Hutton. This month’s orchid is aptly named the Christmas orchid because its flowers are often out around Christmas ... Calanthe australasica is a tall evergreen herbaceous plant, with a rosette of four to nine dark green leaves...

As the vibrant colours of spring blossom around us, Richmond Landcare is reaching out to the community with an urgent plea: investigate your backyard and help us uncover the rare and endangered Rosewood Mistletoe – Amyema plicatula.

Kerry Cain. Local Judy Streeter has waited 12 years for her Gymea Lily to bloom. When Judy purchased the lily, she was told it would never grow in Maldon. 

Not to be missed this Sunday (15 October) is the Maldon & Baringhup Agricultural Show, which runs from 9am to 4pm (with free entertainment for the children starting at 10am) at the Maldon racecourse ... The [Tarrangower] Times caught up with Kristina Forbes last weekend, who was in the process of finalising arrangements for entries into six (that’s right, six!) categories of the floral art section of the Show.

Geoff Park. I recently watched an excellent short video by PBS Eons on the rise of ants and the importance of flowering plants in the story ... This increase [of ants] seems to parallel the rise of flowering plants, a rise which involved many symbiotic relationships ... These complex relationships were very apparent to me as I wandered around the bush at our place, camera in hand.

The delightful country garden at St Mary’s Vineyard with its hundreds of roses and many dry-stone walls is a fitting location for the annual Limestone Coast Plant and Trade Fair ... Over the years plants and bulbs suitable for the soil and climate have been planted and now hundreds of roses, bulbs, iris, hardy perennials, trees and shrubs surround the classic homestead and outbuildings, adding colour and texture throughout the year.

Known for its soothing fragrance and myriad of applications, lavender has emerged as a versatile and sought-after plant that is thriving across Australia.

Adair Dunsford. With Spring in the air, the Naracoorte Art Gallery is supporting the local show this year with a targeted floral art workshop. Two designs from the Show catalogue will feature in an afternoon session with former florist, Lisa Caon on Saturday October 7.

This past weekend, the Kerang Memorial Hall hosted the annual show of the Mid-Murray Orchid Club. The event was a visual and olfactory delight with stunning colours and fragrances that could rival any high-end perfume. 

Meet the Immortal River Red Gum – a heritage-listed tree on the Mallee Dam Road, adjoining Mount Elgin Swamp. It’s one of the thickest, tallest, and oldest River Red Gums (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) in Victoria and can be found 13 km south of Nhill. The National Trust estimates the tree is about 400 years old and has been listed as a significant tree because it is particularly old and because of its outstanding size.

Today is the first day of spring in Australia, a day we celebrate as national Wattle Day ... we use today to celebrate a wonderful species that is, with a few exceptions, unique to our landscape. But to professional foresters, a recognition of wattles only reminds us of the deleterious effects of changed land management practices after millions of hectares of actively managed state forests have been converted to reserves since the 1990s. The effects have been compounded by massive wildfires that have occurred over that time.

Ian Hutton. Pterostylis orchids are ground herbs that exist for most of the year as an underground tuber, and in season develop small flat leaves in a rosette at the base of a long stem that has a single flower develop at the top. The genus name refers to the winged appearance of the flower parts.

Thoughts are turning to the return of Spring in Wingecarribee with Tulip Time Tickets now on sale. Entry to the daytime event is free for residents who need only book tickets to see Tulips After Dark.