| Wednesday 28 May 2008
Walked through the gardens this afternoon - it's amazing just how much color there is, even with winter coming on.
Saturday 24 May 2008
Glasshouses vandalised - 15 panes of glass broken.
Saturday 22 March 2008
Despite the lack of postings, we have been busy (looking back - the constant apology needs to stop!). Plant sales have been quite good. This means we're raising money to go back into the gardens - and signage and a brochure are going to be the focus for the next few months.
Purple colors seem to predominate the gardens at times.
The top images are of an amazing looking plant. Have discovered it is petrea volubilis, also known as Queen's Wreath, Purple Wreath or Sandpaper Vine. It's sometimes called a tropical wisteria. It's a native of the Caribbean Basin, with large, rough-surfaced, dark green leaves and a very showy display of purplish blue, star-shaped flowers aranged in footlong, slender, hanging clusters.
Middle left is salvia, and middle right are two sulphur crested cockatoes wreaking havoc in the trees.
Bottom left is just a lovely view across the gardens and bottom right is an "artistic" image of eyrthrina indica (coral tree) plant sign.
Saturday 29 December
We have been working hard in the glasshouse - despite the apparent lack of activity here on the blog. The xeriscape beds are looking better every day - although it should be pointed out that the gardeners have run out of stock to complete all the beds, and they are finding almost impossible to source appropriate mulch to cover the beds. Gardening - as we all know - is a very good teacher of patience!
After the rain last week the lawns have come up gorgeous green, although the high temperatures over the next few days will undoubtedly bring on a browner shade.
Thursday 15 November - entertaining members of the Greenhills Probus Group
 
Saturday 10 November - working in the xeriscape bed
 
Saturday 22 September - plants in bloom
Saturday 22 September
Matt's harem of five women weeded and pruned the acanthus in the cypress avenue. Left are the clivia flowering beautifully, centre - acanthus after we pruned, and right are two of the bromeliads planted in the bed near the glasshouses.
WANTED
Photos of the gardens - preferably historical, or photos that tell a story about you and your family and friends.
We're planning a photo exhibition based on the St Kilda Botanic Gardens. One Elwood resident has sent in this image - it's marked as having been taken in our gardens in 1942, but we can't work out where. Can you help? If you click on the photo you can download a larger image.
FOR SALE
Gear up for a sexy summer - buy a Friends T-shirt (see pic at the bottom). You'll look great and our funding raising will benefit. $25 each. Or a pair of gardening gloves - only $5 pair - lilac for girls, green for boys, multi-colored for kids.
Saturday 19 August - Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE horticulture students put into practice what they've learned.
Matt: I told you - prune here! |
Comparing notes |
Saturday 11 August - just another day in the glasshouse.
No St Kilda Botanic Garden entries for the past couple of months because we've just been working away in the glasshouse.
Kitty is still propagating succulents. Some, regrettably, have succumbed to mealy bug - but we're getting on top of that. It's a good lesson in glasshouse hygiene and the importance of controlling watering and airflow during cold months.
Sold quite a few plants and "exotic" plant settings. Here's a pic of two satisfied customers with their frying pan of succulents - or as they agreed to be called "happy suckers". We're hoping they'll move into the area and become members of FOSKBG.
Sunday 29 July - Amsterdam
(Joy) Visited the Hortus Botanicus in Amsterdam today. It's one of the oldest botanic gardens in the world. As a result of a plague epidemic, the Amsterdam City Council founded the Hortus Medicus, a medicinal herb garden, in 1638. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dutch East India Company delivered not only herbs and spices but also exotic ornamental plants to the Hortus - some of which still survive!
The Hortus is only 1.2 hectares in size, with approximately 6000 specimens of more than 4000 plant species growing in the garden and seven greenhouses. Only pure plant species, as they are found in nature, are grown in the Hortus and the collection is managed in a scientific manner.
We discovered an extensive Australian bed - and the best sight of all was the prized wollemi pine - huge interpretative sign and a locked cage!
For more info about the Hortus Botanicus in Amsterdam, go to www.dehortus.nl
Wednesday 18 July
The Friends planted out several bromeliads in the bed opposite the glasshouses. Several are in flower.
Saturday 16 June - working bee
Over coffee after an energetic working bee, Matt showed Friends and friends the plans for the xeriscape beds to be created in the gardens. Xeriscape is a term meaning dry landscape. The principles of xeriscape gardening can be used to save water in new or established gardens.
Some of the succulents for sale in the glasshouse.
Saturday 21 April 2007
Almost a dozen Friends and friends of Friends came along early in the day to help with planting out. Matt Fox, our head gardener, collected over 80 plants from the glasshouses for bedding out. The plants - several varieties of salvia (brilliant for drought conditions), kerria, phlomis, and other plants, had been propagated several months earlier, from plants growing in the gardens.
 
 
Everyone worked hard and by 11am it was time for a cuppa. |
Kitty, as usual, was called upon to help identify some of the hundreds of succulents we're now propagating in the glasshouses. |
As a token of our gratitude for his support of the Friends, we gave Matt a t-shirt. These t-shirts are also on sale - proceeds go to supporting the Friends' activities in the garden.
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