Monthly newsletter for Coffs Garden Club

1. 8
CHGC Newsletter No. 119 July 2016
Meetings are held the 3rd Sat of the month (Jan-Nov) and commence at
1:30pm, Botanic Garden Display Room, Hardacre St, Coffs Harbour
Any meeting venue changes will be advised in the newsletter, CHGC website
and on facebook.
CHGC welcomes anyone who has great ideas on how to meet the needs of
our membership. Please call Geoff if you would like more information on the
various roles within the Club or to discuss your ideas T:6656 2429.
Sat 30 Jul Spring Garden Competition (SGC) Launch at Total Gardens
Julie & Crew are offering super specials to all CHGC members.
SGC entry forms available.
Wed 3 Aug
9:15am
Air-side Garden Maintenance @ Coffs Regional Airport
Meet outside the Admin Building with gloves & tools
Sun 7 Aug
1pm
Floral Art Inaugural Meeting @ Botanic Garden Display Room
Judith Little & Cecily Rogers will be doing demonstrations
Sat 13 Aug South West Rocks Zone Day—full details on page 5.
Sat 20 Aug Monthly Meeting Botanic Garden Display Room
Guest Speaker: Jan Townsend Bromeliads
Thurs 1 Sept Outing
Fri 2 Sept 5pm Closing Date for Spring Garden Competition Entries
Mon 5 -
Fri 9 Sept
Judging ‘Snow Pea Teepee’ School Growing Competition and
Council Roundabouts
Wed 7 Sept Air-side Garden Maintenance @ Coffs Regional Airport
Meet outside the Admin Building with gloves & tools
Sat 10 Sept
6:30pm
SGC Dinner @ Park Beach Bowling Club
There will be a Judges, Drivers & Stewards briefing before
dinner.
Sun 11-
Tue 13 Sept
Spring Garden Competition Judging
Fri 16 Sept
7pm
Presentation Night for the Spring Garden Competition. CHGC
member help is needed for catering, flower arrangementing,
set-up and break-down at the Cavanbah Centre.
Changes to our meeting venue will be advised in
the newsletter, our website and on facebook.
Any cancellations to outings and airport gardening
will be advised in the same manner.
President: Geoff Bell 6656 2429
email: presidentchgc@gmail.com
Secretary: Michael Reid 6650 9485
email: secretarychgc@gmail.com
Treasurer: Anne-Maree Ely 6656 4229
email: treasurerchgc@gmail.com
www.coffsgardenclub.com
Editor: Maria Bell 6656 2429
Email contributions/feedback to :
coffsharbourgardenclub@gmail.com
Coffs Harbour
Garden Club Inc.
Newsletter Number 119
July 2016

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CHGC Newsletter No. 119 July 2016
FLOWER OF THE MONTH
August—Kangaroo Paw
Kangaroo Paws belong to the
genus Anigozanthos family
which has 11 species, the
Black Kangaroo Paw is closely
related and called Macropidia
fulginosa. Kangaroo Paw
occurrs naturally in the south-
west of Western Australia.
Their colour and form make
them one of the most rewarding
Australian natives plants to
grow and they also make
excellent cut flowers.
There are many hybridised Kangaroo Paws and there are many different siz-
es, heights and colours available. Their colour is influenced by fine coloured
hairs which cover the flowers and sometimes part of the stalk. They flower
during spring and summer.
The flowers are pollinated by birds. The long flower-stalks usually rise above
the undergrowth and ‘advertise’ the presence of nectar in the flowers for
nectar loving birds. While the birds are feeding, the different species deposit
pollen on different areas of the birds’ heads, therefore making it unlikely for
pollen from one species to be deposited in the flower of different species.
Anigozanthos species are usually propagated from seed in very free-draining
seed-raising mix in the spring and summer. The young plants are then
transplanted into a sunny, well-drained position with a little organic material.
For general health and vigour of the plants it is imperative to really cut them
back very hard.
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for
something, sometime in your life.
Sir Winston Churchill
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What to sow in JULY
The following are just some Vegetables, Herbs and
Flowers to plant now.
Direct or Germination Maturity
Seed Raise (days) (days)
Alyssum D/R 5-21 55-65
Beetroot D 15-25 55-85
Brachycome D/R 10-20 110-130
Californian Poppy D/R 14-21 50-70
Candytuft D/R 14-21 80-100
Carnation R 0-20 200
Celery R 15-25 120-140
Chives D 14-21
Coriander D 14-21
Dahlia R 7-21 110-130
Dianthus D 10-20 140
Dill D 14-21
Impatiens R 14-21 80-100
Lettuce D/R 6-12 60-90
Marjoram D/R 10-28
Nasturtuim D/R 14-21
Oregano D/R 10-28
Parsley D/R 14-28
Pea D 8-16 65-90
Petunia R 7-14 80-90
Rocket D/R 6-12 30-60
Sage D/R 7-21
Silverbeet & Spinach D 10-25 50-90
Jobs that need to be done around the garden this month:
 After the roses have been pruned, remove all plant material and spray
both the bushes and the ground around them with lime Sulphur.
 If you’ve noticed small yellow spots on citrus, it could be scale. Spray
with a preparation that is specific to scale.
 Feed citrus.
 Get rid of that bindi and clover before they both take off—ask at your
local nursery for the best preparation.
 Now is the time to plant bare rooted trees, shrubs and roses.
 Treat camellias with iron chelates to prevent leaf-yellowing iron
deficiency..

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CHGC Newsletter No. 119 July 2016
1. A lemon-scented geranium is a pelargonium just like most
other commonly grown ‘geraniums’. From the brilliant red-
flowered ones to downy-leafed peppermint or strongly scented ‘rose
geraniums’. True geraniums are quite different plants.
2. All berries from the castor oil plant, holly, privet, daphne and lily of the
valley are poisonous..
3. A spring onion is a green-leafed perennial onion with only a thin white
bulb. Clumps (if left) will grow bigger every year.
4. Iceberg Rose, for its continuous blooming and high resistance to
disease.
5. True. Try spraying seedlings with strong coffee and see what happens
to the snails!
6. Always cut your lawns on the high side, as this will keep them neat but
healthy. Low mowing of lawns can encourage weeds and damage to
the base of the lawn plants.
7. Cut climbing roses after flowering, either once a year if they only bloom
in spring, or trimmed back after each flush of flowers.
8. Only give ferns a little fertiliser, at half strength or even less. Strong
fertiliser kills new fronds and the fern will slowly die if there are no new
fronds to replace the old ones.
Gavin’s sub-tropical presentation this month was
the Zebra plant (Aphelandra Squarrosa). This also will
be on our website if you missed any of the details.
Quiz Answers
Jane did a presentation on Magnolias which
was just full of information about them with the
most wonderful images. If you missed this
presentation please visit our website
coffsgardenclub.com where you will be able to
view it.
Thank you both for your excellent presentations the members really enjoying
learning about your feature plants
3
It was unfortunate our guest speaker for this month was un-
able to join us, because her talk was to have been about
how to prevent back injury and pain when gardening. This
was a topic I was certainly looking forward to hearing about
given my personal experience with a troublesome back.
Gardening can indeed cause us some health difficulties, but
it can also have a really positive impact on our physical,
mental and emotional well-being. In fact, I’m sure the health
benefits of gardening far outweigh any risk of injury we might have when
we’re out there working in our gardens.
For example, gardening provides us with a work-out for our respiratory and
cardiovascular systems and can improve strength, endurance and flexibility,
as well as helping to prevent problems such as heart disease, diabetes,
obesity and osteoporosis. Isn’t it great that we don’t have to spend precious
time at the gym or competing in triathlons when doing something in our
garden is a really great way to get some healthy exercise.
A quick look at the internet tells me that gardening activity has the benefit of
releasing endorphins, which work to alleviate stress. Studies have also
shown that spending time in a garden can help lower blood pressure,
stimulate the appetite and foster a good night's sleep.
But beyond the physical benefits, there are many other benefits to be had
from gardening. For example, gardening can help with the development of
social and intellectual skills, including those needed for social inclusion or
rehabilitation. In addition, a garden can provide an oasis of calm and some-
where peaceful to escape to, helping restore a sense of balance and
wellbeing. And a healthier diet can be a fantastic by-product of gardening.
So the next time you’re out in your garden, why not take a minute to think
about how much all that hard work you’re doing produces not just a lovely
garden, but also a healthier and happier you.
President’s Message
Geoff Bell
Coffs Coast Floral Art Group
The inaugural meeting of the proposed Floral Art Group is being held at the
Botanic Garden Display Room commencing at 1:00pm on Sunday 7 August.
There will be demonstrations from two very renowned floral artists—Judith
Little and Cecily Rogers. At this meeting it will be decided if there is enough
interest to establish a group here on the Coffs Coast.

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CHGC Newsletter No. 119 July 2016
1. What is a lemon-scented geranium’s true name?
2. Which of these common garden berries are highly poisonous
a) castor oil plant; b) holly, c) privet, d) daphne, e) lily of the valley
3. What is a spring onion?
4. What is the world’s most purchased rose?
5. Caffeine kills snails? True or False
6. Lawns are best mown short as you can or high?
7. When should a climbing rose be pruned?
8. Should potted ferns be feed a little or a lot to keep them gloriously
bushy?
If you are wanting up-to-date information
about our club or activities please visit our
website at www.coffsgardenclub.com
Wishing these members a very happy July birthday:
Warwick Godlonton & Simon Young
(for answers see page 6)
Because CHGC members are attending the Zone Day
at South West Rocks, this will be regarded as the August
outing—so no outing on Thursday 4 August.
The July outing was to the north of our region—
Sandy Beach and Woolgoolga.
There is a brief report with some images from
Michael Reid on our website.
Thank you to the Program Committee for
organizing such an excellent outing.
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Spring Garden Competition Launch at Total Gardens
 Total Gardens are having some super specials on the
day.
 Coramba Firies will be doing their bit working the BBQ
sausage sizzle.
 Entry forms for the competition will be available.
 Spring Garden Competition Committee members will be
selling tickets in a beaut raffle.
 Totally Coffee will be serving their brews and treats as usual.
It’d be really good if you could pop in throughout the day, not only to support
the club, but the team at Total Gardens who are just fantastic sponsors of the
competition.
The South West Rocks and District Garden Club are the hosts for the 2016
Mid North Coast Zone Day. This function is being held at the beautiful
Country Club on Saturday 13 August.
The South West Rocks club have asked if we can arrived around 9:30am for
a quick cuppa and catch up before the day kicks off. The CHGC Program
Committee have organized a bus for travel for this event. The details are:
 7:30am pickup from Woolgoolga Diggers carpark
 8:00am pickup from Coffs Botanic Garden carpark
This bus will also be making brief stops to pick up other zone garden club
members along the way.
The day will be packed full with:
 floral art demonstrations from members of the NSW Floral Art
Association;
 keynote speaker Paul Dalley is a grower of eastern Australian native
cut flowers (Christmas Bush, Flannel Flowers, Banksia, Gymea Lily
and Christmas Bells);
 trading tables,
 silent auction;
 raffle;
 and of course wonderful food and terrific company!
Please remember to bring a box for your purchases (so they don’t roll around
on the bus).