Cross-border Community Nursery Update – April 2014

Cross-border Community Nursery Update – April 2014

The Nursery has been a hive of activity the last couple of months. As well as hosting a 4 week botanical art course and a plant identification workshop hosted by Neville Bonney we have been moving along with the development of the Display Gardens, organising germination trials and collecting and propagating of seeds for various projects.

Neville Bonney Workshop

Neville Bonney’s workshop focused on telling the difference between local native plants and species from overseas or even different parts of Australia, that become weedy in our local environment.  Neville pointed out that invasive weedy plants like Polygala myrtifolia are sometimes mistaken for native plants.

Neville Bonney at a recent Nursery Workshop, describing the difference between some local natives similar looking but very invasive weeds.

Display Gardens ground work advances, but one goes to the wall – literally!

Over the last couple of months the development of several Display Gardens has really moved ahead.

Here in Mount Gambier we have teamed up with the City of Mount Gambier to develop a Display Garden with in the Valley Lake Wildlife Park.  Orazio Culteri has been hard at work constructing paths and preparing the ground for the first plantings this year.  This garden will be a fantastic edition to the Wildlife Park, increasing habitat for Orazio’s treasured Potoroos and Bandicoots in addition to being a valuable tool for educating locals and visitors alike about the value of our indigenous flora.

Orazio standing on pathway he recently constructed for the Display Garden.

The Portland Community Garden Landcare Group has also been very busy constructing their Display Garden. Coordinator Gary Milich has supervised the development of 97 meter long winding pathway and landscaping in preparation for the first plantings this winter. The Community Garden Project is an exciting initative which has the capacity to engage a wide range of people in the Portland community. Having the Display Garden within this complex provides a great way to raise community awareness about threatened species in their area and showcase indigenous natives that would look great in the home garden.

Gary Milich standing in front of the Portland Community Garden Display Garden

Further east in Warrnambool we are getting together with the F Project, Warrnambool City Council, Warrnambool Art Gallery, RMIT and Warrnambool City Council to develop a Green Wall Display Garden in Ozone Alley. This garden will feature locally threatened species as well as attractive local natives. It’s location in the centre of Warrnambool provides a great opportunity to highlight threatened species in the Warrnambool area.

F Group members and NGT staff and volunteers at a recent ‘Green Wall’ planning meeting in Ozone Alley

Ozone Alley Green Wall ready for planting. The NGT Cross-border Nursery will be supplying the threatened species for this garden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nursery Grows Community Involvement

The Nursery is increasingly being used to grow plants for a range of projects. Currently we a propagating plants for revegetation projects throughout the South East of SA. The Nursery is also being utilised by partner organisations like Mount Gambier Council and DEWNR and community members to propagate native plants for various reserves and school environment projects.

Pia Siska (Youth Creating Habitat Officer with DEWNR) and student Abbey Freebairn assessing the viability of some Gahnia filum seed from Bool Lagoon.

Nursery volunteer, Ryan Little, pricking out seedlings for the North Parklands Display Garden in Naracoorte

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vanessa Freebairn, Education Officer with Natural Resources – South East, preparing Bursaria spinosa seed for a Tantanoola School Project

 

 

Ken Baker