Monthly newsletter of Coffs Garden Club

1. 8
CHGC Newsletter No. 113 January 2016
Changes to our meeting venue will be advised in the
newsletter, our website and on facebook. Any outing
cancellations will be advised in the same manner.
Tue 19 Jan
9:30am
Map
References
taken from
Coffs
Harbour &
Grafton
2015/16
Phone
Directory
Northern Beaches outing—Emerald Beach & Moonee
Carpool at Botanic Garden before heading north to Andrea
Baker’s lovely native garden—14 Capizzi Close, Emerald
Beach. Map 25 B7 This garden has a very steep driveway,
so it may be necessary to do some further carpooling, to save
the legs! We will have a BYO morning tea at Andrea’s howev-
er, there is no need to bring a chair as Andrea has heaps.
The second garden is the Garden Comp’s 2015 New Home/
New Garden category winning garden of Corinne & John
Staggs–12 Seachange Cres, Moonee Beach. Map 26 C9
Lunch at the Moonee Tavern where they have a ‘Tuesday
Special’ of either crumbed cutlets or fish for $10 (other meals
available too). Info: Jane 6656 1041
Wed 3 Feb Airport Garden Maintenance, 9:15 Admin Building
Contact Peter Kimber 6650 0985
Sat 20 Feb Monthly meeting at Botanic Garden Display Room
Guest Speaker: Zone Co-ordinator, Marion Watts
Wed 2 Mar Airport Garden Maintenance, 9:15 Admin Building
Contact Peter Kimber 6650 0985
Sun 6 Mar Clean up Australia Day
CHGC usually clean up the Coffs Historical Cemetery
Contact Peter 6650 0985 or Jane 6656 1041
Sat 19 Mar Monthly meeting at Botanic Garden Display Room
Guest Speaker: TBA
Sat 4 June Masters BBQ
Contact Geoff 6656 2429
Sat 13 Aug Zone Day at South West Rocks
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.
President: Geoff Bell 6656 2429
email: presidentchgc@gmail.com
Secretary: Michael Reid 6650 9495
email: secretarychgc@gmail.com
Treasurer: vacant
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 113
January 2016

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CHGC Newsletter No. 113 January 2016
FLOWER OF THE MONTH
February—Nasturtium
Although they can be vigorous to
a fault, swathes of colourful
nasturtiums give a garden an al-
most magical easy-care appeal.
Nasturtium has over 80 species of
annuals and perennials. They are
easy-to-grow whose leaves and
flowers are both edible. These
plants, with their bright greenery
and vibrant flowers are good for
either containers or ground
covers. Their pretty fragrance
also makes them a good choice for cut flowers.
With their large seeds and rapid growth habit these flowers are perfect to
grow with children. They come in the 'warm' colours of red, orange and yellow
with some pretty salmon-pink and also creamy yellow flowers with orange
centres. The foliage is a lovely bright green with some variegated varieties
too. Nasturtiums bloom during summer and autumn.
Their appearance has variable foliage. They may be many lobed trifoliate or
shield shaped and some even tinted a blue-green.
Position: plant directly either in full sun or partial shade (they bloom better in
full sun) in moist, well-drained soil. The plants should appear in 7 to 10 days.
Water regularly throughout the growing season. If you are growing them in
containers, they may need to be trimmed back occasionally over the growing
season to keep them looking good.
Nasturtiums are very easy to care for with the added bonus that they inhibit
weed growth. If you don't like them in a particular position, it's an easy task to
just pull them out. Drifts of nasturtiums planted in your garden are splendid for
that special quiet morning walk where little droplets of dew sit suspended atop
the leaves, just beautiful.
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
Weather means more when you have a garden. There’s nothing like
listening to a shower and thinking how it is soaking in around your
green beans.
Marcelene Cox
7
Subtropical Plants Presentation
The Reid family travelled to Hawaii recently and Michael took
some wonderful photos to share with the membership of CHGC.
Gavin is, without a doubt our sub-tropical plant guru and for
him to visit Hawaii once again and visit gardens that showcase
his much-loved sub-tropicals must have been pure bliss for him.
The images below are just a small sample of the wonderful
plant and flower images that were
seen at our January meeting.
Thank you to Gavin for his commentary on the stunning images
his dad, Michael took in Hawaii.

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CHGC Newsletter No. 113 January 2016
Quiz Answers
1. (a) supply more water to the soil around the plants.
2. (a) lime
3. (a) true
4. (a) true
5. Succulents
6. Bulbous
7. Bearded Iris
8. Snails & slugs
9. Standard
10. Magnolia
CHGC member Graham Davey gave us a talk at the
January meeting about the establishment of The
South Coffs Community Garden Inc. This ‘journey’
has been a lengthy process of getting approvals from
Council, obtaining suitable land, setting up a garden
concept plan, establishing a steering committee to
oversee decision making, planning the actual con-
struction of the garden, along with the paperwork in-
volved in policies, procedures, etc etc.
Congratulations to Graham and the Committee for all
their effort and CHGC wish them all the best for their gardens (CHGC
member Pat Roser is on their steering committee, so they are in good
hands.)
New CHGC member Di had a contact for Graham who is very, very experi-
enced at establishing community gardens. What a wonderful windfall to have
someone who can assist—especially in grant applications as the gardens
have (so far) not been successful in getting any government assistance to
date. Apparently this contact has given advice to other community groups in
their establishment of community gardens.
The Community Gardens are conducting a BBQ on Sat 30 January at
Masters, it would be terrific if CHGC members could support this vital fund-
raising event for South Coffs Community Garden Inc. (let’s hope it is as
successful as our last BBQ held at Bunnings before Xmas!).
Congratulations to Bob Tarry who was voted in as
Vice President of CHGC at today’s meeting
(16 Jan).
3
Happy New Year to everyone! It was great to see such a good roll-
up at our first meeting for 2016, which I’m sure is just the beginning
of an excellent year for our Club.
In this first newsletter of 2016, I would like to focus my segment on
the wonderful community spirit that our Club shows in so many
ways, and to say thanks to each and every one of our members
who generously commit their time and energy to helping out.
The agenda at our January monthly meeting clearly demonstrated
what a community-minded Club we are, and I think it’s worthwhile to reflect for a
moment on the community activities that were spoken about at that meeting.
First we had Sue Young and Pat Roser offering to coordinate the distribution of excess
Council plant stock to schools and community organisations around Coffs Harbour.
This is a new initiative brought to us by Ian Corbett and Paul Sullivan and has great
potential to help beautify our city environment as well as providing useful education for
a lot of people in the cultivation and management of living plants. Thanks Sue and Pat.
Next we heard from Peter Kimber about the work our members do each month at the
Airport Garden, which I know is highly valued by the Airport’s management. Well done
and thanks to the team who do this work.
Peter also spoke about the Coffs Show, where again our Club plays a significant role.
So thanks to Peter, Margaret Crawley, Margaret Franks and all those members who
help out with the Show and/or who enter the competitions.
Clean-up Australia Day is another long-standing community activity for our Club and
thanks to all those people who have put their hands up to help out with the upcoming
2016 event.
Finally, we had Col Smith and Graham Davey volunteer to assist the Coffs Harbour
Acute Mental Health Unit by sharing their gardening knowledge and skills with patients
at the Base Hospital. Thanks very much to both you gentlemen.
While I’m thanking people, could I also on behalf of all members, say thanks and
congratulations to Bob Tarry on his election as Vice President. Bob is a very active
gardener and Club member and it’s great to have him on the Executive for 2016.
And I’m extremely pleased to let you all know that Anne-Maree Ely has advised me
that she will stand for election as Treasurer/Public Officer. Assuming no-one else
nominates, the Club will need to ratify Anne-Maree’s election when we meet again in
February. Thanks Anne-Maree for volunteering for this essential role within our Club—
it will be great having you on the Executive with Bob, Michael and myself as we work
toward another productive and enjoyable year for the Club.
President’s Message
Geoff Bell

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CHGC Newsletter No. 113 January 2016
1. When the bottom of a tomato fruit turns brown, it is called blossom-end rot. The best way to solve
this problem is to:
a) Supply more water to the soil around the plants b) Pick off the affected fruits, or
c) Prune off all leaves that touch the ground.
2. If a soil test report indicates that more calcium is needed in the soil, which of the following should be
added to supply this element?
a) Lime b) Peat moss, or c) MiracleGro
3. Epiphytic orchids live on the branches of other plants, usually trees and they are not parasites
a) True b) False
4. If you plan to save seeds of pumpkins for planting the next year, do not use hybrid varieties.
a) True b) False
5. Cacti are often referred to as what?
6. Rhizomes are a type of what plant?
7. What bulb plant could be described as having a facial hair problem?
8. A beer trap can help control what type of pest?
9. Tree or shrub trained to form a round head of branches at the top of a clear stem?
10. Popular trees and shrubs from China, Japan and USA, with showy, fragrant white, pink or purple
blooms?
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 birthday:
Lyla B., Margaret B., Barbara F., Laurance G., Gloria G., Phillip L.,
Ann & John M., Cheryl O’N., Gavin R. & Sue Y.
(for answers see page 6)
5
—Jane Durler
Jane will be presenting the Gardeners’ Diary each month at our meetings and
there will be a summary of her talk in the newsletter, unfortunately Jane was ill
and unable to attend the January meeting.
The Mental Health Unit of the Coffs Health
Campus had contact CHGC President Geoff
asking for assistance. As part of a diversional
therapy initiative the unit are going to establish
and maintain two courtyard gardens at the
facility. Jackie, who is heading up this initiative
admitted that while she believes that these
gardens would be beneficial to the patients she is
just not a gardener!!
Two members, Col and Graham put their hands up to assist Jackie with
advice and their expertise. We will look forward to hearing about these two
gardens over time.
Ian Corbett & Paul Sullivan from Coffs Council came to our meeting today
(Jan meeting) to ask if CHGC would be prepared to help contact community
groups about an excess of stock that the Council have at their Coffs nursery.
All nursery activities are going to be conducted at the Morgan’s Road facility
at Safety Beach from this autumn so there has to be a real purge (there are
around 900 plants that will be given away). If you have any thoughts about
various community groups who you feel should be recipients of these plants
please contact either Pat Roser 6690 2511 or Sue Young 0413 883 831.
$15 membership fees for 2016 are now due.
If you wish to pay by direct debit please contact the interim Treasurer, Simon
who will give you the CHGC bank details T: 0417 176 094.
Or place payment in an envelope with your details printed on the outside and
hand to the Treasurer at the February meeting.