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My Open Garden - A New Online Service Begins

(www.myopengarden.com.au)

I know that several of our members have, for a number of years, opened their own gardens as part of the long-standing Open Garden Scheme. Members will therefore be surprised to learn of the recent announcement by the Open Gardens Australia organisation that it will close its doors in June 2015 after 27 years!

We have heard from Andrew Mowat that he, and others, could not let the important connection between owners of open gardens, their visitors and local communities disappear.

Consequently, Andrew’s group has decided to launch My Open Garden, a new online service that acts as a “one-stop shop” for garden owners and visitors across Australia. It’s a free service to visitors, which is being broadly publicised to inform interested parties about all the Open Gardens and other gardening events. Now, community groups, special interest groups and garden clubs have a place to promote their event and, importantly, everyone can get free and easy access to the information.

Please feel free to browse the new web site: www.myopengarden.com.au. You’ll find more details about the new scheme and be able to see some of the gardens we are working to present on the site.

If members have any questions, please contact Andrew Mowat directly via email: Andrew@myopengarden.com.au or telephone him on 0419 228 434.

John Hadlow

Camellia hybrid “Lady Gowrie”

NSW CAMELLIA NSW CAMELLIA NSW CAMELLIA

RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH

SOCIETY INC.SOCIETY INC.SOCIETY INC.

Affiliate of Camellias Australia Inc.Affiliate of Camellias Australia Inc.Affiliate of Camellias Australia Inc.

www.camelliasnsw.orgwww.camelliasnsw.orgwww.camelliasnsw.org

NEWSLETTERNEWSLETTER Issue No: 1Issue No: 1 February 2015February 2015 Price: $1.50Price: $1.50

ContentsContentsContents

From The President; Richie Griffiths Looks to the Year Ahead

Camellia Calendar

Photos from our Annual Dinner at Killara Golf Club

Pam Watson Previews National Congress in September 2015

Cultural Notes for February 2015 - this month Richie Griffiths writes about Camellia Plantings at Willandra House, Ryde

My Open Gardens - A new online service begins

First Monthly Meeting will be held on Monday 16th February First Monthly Meeting will be held on Monday 16th February First Monthly Meeting will be held on Monday 16th February 2015 at 7.45pm2015 at 7.45pm2015 at 7.45pm

Program Program Program --- See page 5 for full detailsSee page 5 for full detailsSee page 5 for full details

President Richie Griffiths will provide welcoming comments;

Popular Vote Flower Competition and Fun Quiz;

Pam Watson will give a talk titled “Tea, Mangoes, Coconut and Fish”;

Experts can answer your camellia questions;

Donation Camellia Plant draw; and

Supper

2015 : A NEW YEAR BEGINS!

2

Patron Her Excellency Professor The Honourable

Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO

President Richie Griffiths

39 Hazelmead Road, Asquith 2077

0418 200139

(mobile)

Vice President Pam Watson

12 Knights Road, Galston 2159

9653 1036

Secretary Margaret Levick

73 Roland Avenue Wahroonga 2076 Email: peter.levick@bigpond.com

9489 4482

Treasurer Paul Stanley

“Birchgrove” 16 Fishburns Road, Galston, 2159

9653 2202

Public Officer Peter Levick

Membership Secretary Margaret Levick

Committee (including

President, Vice-

President, Secretary,

Treasurer and

Newsletter Editor)

Peter Levick (Immediate Past President)

Diana Herrald

6 Lisgar Road, Hornsby, 2077

Juliet Muras

11 Ackling Street, Baulkham Hills, 2153

Kate Stanley (details same as Paul Stanley)

Richard Fischer

7/70 Albert Street, Hornsby, 2077

Liz Navin

P.O Box 2515, Bowral, 2576

9489 4482

9482 4487

9639 5445

9653 2202

9476 3141

4871 1146

Newsletter Editor and

Producer

John Hadlow

17 Tudor Place, St Ives Chase 2075

9449 8989

Librarian Bill Fleming wfleming@primusonline.com.au

National Councillor Richie Griffiths

Email Address nswcamellias@hotmail.com

Website www.camelliasnsw.org

NSW CNSW CNSW CAMELLIAAMELLIAAMELLIA RESEARCHRESEARCHRESEARCH SOCIETYSOCIETYSOCIETY INCINCINC A.B.N. 16 873 158 367A.B.N. 16 873 158 367A.B.N. 16 873 158 367 Reg. No. Y17693Reg. No. Y17693Reg. No. Y17693---474747

The NSW Camellia Research Society meets on the third Monday of every

month February to November inclusive at the Baptist Church Hall, corner of

Park Avenue and Garden Square, Gordon at 7.45pm

11

Photos of Plantings at Willandra House, Ryde (cont’d)

Planting Site Before (l) and After (r)

Example of Camellia Plant securely

staked and tied with hessian in position

10

Plantings at Willandra House, Ryde (cont’d)

The area was now ready for planting. Plantings occurred at the time of

flowering in early August and allowed for 4 – 6 weeks of root establishment

prior to spring growth occurring.

Because of the exposed location which can suffer horrific southerly winds,

staking and loose hessian ties were placed around the taller plants to allow

some movement but not to the point of loosening the trunk at ground level.

The area was finished with 100 mm cover of leaf mulch – kept away from

trunks.

The cultivars chosen were Moshio, Virginia Franco, Fraterna, Alba Plena,

Speciosissima. Unfortunately, some other cultivars were not available, but

these may be incorporated into some future plantings around the house.

Five months on, the establishment has been successful and I will keep you

updated of the progress. These simple preparations are ideal for any new

planting whatever the scale.

Front view of Willandra House, 770 Victoria Road, Ryde

3

From the President

Welcome to 2015.

Christmas is but a memory and winter is coming!

Maybe that is a bit premature, but this year is a big year for our Society.

Our monthly meetings commence this month and continue till October. Already

we have some interesting speakers lined up, as well as demonstrations from

guest presenters on all manner of topics. The Quiz makes a return this month

along with our novelty flower displays (see more detail in the newsletter). Our

Camellia bloom competition benching commences in March.

In July, our Annual Show will take place with the added gravity of being the

Designated National Show for 2015. You may well ask, “Why this is so?” If you

did not already know, our society the NSWCRS is hosting the National

Congress for 2015. It will take place in mid - September and is based around

the Richmond and Blue Mountains area. A more comprehensive rundown of

the proposed itinerary at this stage is provided in this newsletter.

The Congress is a great opportunity for our members to participate in a

national event in both organising and running, as well enjoying the activities

that are planned for our interstate guests. This opportunity is generally only

available every seven or so years, so don’t miss the chance to be part of the

Congress.

Again, any articles, requests or trivia that you think we should include in our

newsletter can be forwarded to our editor, John Hadlow. Your input is

welcomed and I hope to see you at our meetings throughout the year.

Good growing! Richie Griffiths

Please Renew Your Membership for 2015

This is a friendly reminder to members to please renew your memberships for

2015. A membership renewal form was included with the November 2014

newsletter. Please complete and return the form with your payment to our

Membership Secretary, Margaret Levick, 73 Roland Avenue, Wahroonga, NSW

2076.

Fees have increased by a small $3 to $28 for a single membership and $33 for a

double/family membership to help offset increased postage and printing costs.

The fees still represent tremendous value and we request that you renew

promptly. Thank you. John Hadlow

4

February 2015

16th February 1st Monthly Meeting of the New Camellia Year at Gordon

at 7.45pm

March 2015

16th March Monthly Meeting: Member Daniel Low will talk about bonsai in general and will bring along to the meeting some of his own camellia bonsai

April 2015

11th & 12th April 10th Collectors’ Plant Fair, Hawkesbury Race Club, Clarendon. Sat: 8am - 4pm; Sun: 9am - 4pm. Entrance Sat: $12; Sun: $10. For more details visit www.collectorsplantfair.com

20th April Monthly Meeting

May 2015

18th May Monthly Meeting

June 2015

15th June Monthly Meeting

July 2015

18th & 19th National and Annual Camellia Show

20th July Monthly Meeting

August 2015

17th August Monthly Meeting

September 2015

19th - 20th September Hosting National Congress at Sebel Resort & Spa, Windsor - see page 8. for more details

21st September Monthly Meeting

2015 Camellia Calendar

9

Cultural Notes for February 2015

Plantings at Willandra House, Ryde

In July 2014, an opportunity for rejuvenating plantings at Willandra House,

Ryde presented itself. The House, built by James Devlin in 1842, was restored

in 1982 along with the remaining garden area, that had been reduced to the

size of a standard suburban house block (from an original 200 acres). Many

plantings from the early 1980s had either died, been removed or gone feral

(i.e. Wisteria sinensis that was threatening to engulf the whole building)

Plant Selection

No specific knowledge was available as to what was originally planted when

the house was constructed in 1842. As the house is a recognised site of

heritage significance, certain criteria were used to choose plantings.

Some of the historical criteria for the plantings included that they reflected the

age and character of the House, were commonly available at the time, and

fitted the “gardenesque” style of landscaping common to such estate houses of

the mid 19 century. Other criteria relevant to the 21st century included that

they be long lived, require minimal maintenance, and are relatively pest and

disease resistant.

With a certain bias, I went with a planting theme of mid-19th century Camellia

japonica cultivars along a 30 metre stretch of fence line with some protection

from westerly winds and hot afternoon sun. These camellias were to be mixed

with a collection of perennials, with some old world roses used on hot garden

beds adjacent to the house walls.

Preparation works

The soil in the garden bed area consisted of a sandy loam of poor structure

and little organic material, the presence of debris and old building materials

(i.e. bits of brick and gravel), and the remains of stump grindings from a tree

removal.

Works included removing debris and weeds by hand and as much of the stump

grindings as possible; hand digging and forking over; incorporation of

composted organics to a depth of 200mm; addition of pelletised mineral

fertiliser; incorporation of composted cow manure; and, allowing the area to

settle for two weeks, and keeping it watered. (cont’d next page)

8

NORTH BY NORTH WEST (or HAWKESBURY HAPPENINGS) – 17/9/15 to 20/9/15

The NSW Camellia Society is organising the 2015 national conference for Camellias Australia Inc. The committee has been working on this event for the last few months, and details will be finalised for the next Camellia News and our newsletter.

We plan to base the event at the Sebel Resort and Spa, on Hawkesbury Valley Way at Windsor.

Program

The event will start on Thursday 17th September with a welcome dinner in the

evening at the Sebel Resort. Friday 18

th September: We plan a coach trip to some interesting gardens at

Bilpin and Mt Tomah. In the evening the Annual General Meeting of Camellias Australia will be held for Councillors and Committee.

Saturday 19th September: We again will visit some interesting gardens, this

time around Springwood – with lunch and a tour of The Norman Lindsay Gallery at Faulconbridge. Norman Lindsay is famous for both his ‘Magic Pudding’ books, and also his paintings of women without clothing, so there is something for everyone! A special dinner will be held in the evening.

Sunday 20th September: the Conference finishes after a morning of special

speakers. Tony Curry and George Orel will be two of the speakers. We have really enjoyed their talks on yellow camellias and plant exploration in Vietnam at monthly meetings.

During the Conference we hope to see Andrew Waterhouse, the grandson of Professor E.G. Waterhouse and son of Gordon Waterhouse, who owns Gordon’s property at Kurrajong.

Windsor was settled in the early years of the Sydney colony, about 1791. It still has many historic buildings such as St Matthews church (1817), Tebbutts Observatory (1844), and the Macquarie Arms Hotel (1815). There are lots of cafes and restaurants, markets and shops as well so there is plenty to see and do in the area.

Accommodation is available at the Sebel Resort, and at other motels in Windsor and the surrounding areas such as Richmond. Some of you who live in the North Western suburbs of Sydney may prefer to just travel to Windsor each day for the activities.

We hope to see all our members at the Conference in September.

The Congress Team

5

First Monthly Meeting of 2015 - Will Be Held on 16th February

2015 at the Baptist Church Hall, Park Avenue, Gordon at 7.45pm

Program

Richie Griffiths will provide an opening address;

As the camellia bloom competition begins next month, the February meeting will have a popular vote flower competition in the following categories:

A Vase of Flowers

A Basket of Flower

A Floral Arrangement

Flowers in a Hat and

A Potted Plant

Please bring along any flowers you have and join in the fun. There are no prizes just kudos and the displays brighten up the meeting;

Pam Watson’s talk “Tea, Mangoes, Coconut and Fish” will take you on a trip to Sri Lanka!

Experts will be on hand to answer your camellia related questions;

Donation Prize draw will be a camellia plant selected by Bill Parker of Camellias-R-Us (Parkers Camellias). Tickets to enter the prize draw remain at $1 each or 3 tickets for $2.

The evening ends with a light supper which is an opportunity to catch up with other members on what’s been happening during the holiday season. Please bring along a plate of something to share.

We hope many of our members will try and attend this first meeting - let’s kick-off the season with a great turnout! After all, t.v. is just the repeats season!

Camellias Australia Flickr photo gallery

(www.flickr.com/photos/camelliasaustralia)

If you have a few minutes to spare why not check out Camellias Australia‘s

Flickr photo gallery. There are now well over 3,000 photos that have been

uploaded and include many winners of the various camellia shows around

Australia. The range of colours is magnificent and it’s a great source if you

want to choose a camellia for your garden.

Also, Camellias Australia’s website (www.camelliasaustralia.com.au) is now

trialling uploading and creating a digital archive of all available Camellia News

magazines - have a look and take a trip down memory lane! John Hadlow

6

A Selection of Photos From Our Annual Dinner and Awards Night

Left: Bill Fleming receiving his Open Champion Trophy and Right: Dale Andrews

receiving the Trophy as Runner-up in the Open Competition

Kate Stanley receiving her Novice

Champion prize Society VIP’s Margaret and Peter

Levick with President Richie Griffiths

Left: Rachel O’Conor receiving the Lucy Payens Trophy for the Sasanqua Competition

Right: Richie Griffiths was presented with the Len Bray Trophy for the Reticulata

Competition from Vice President, Pam Watson

7

More Photos From Our Annual Dinner And Awards Night

Above and below: Members and guests enjoying the

Annual Dinner

Kate Stanley produced

these delightful name -

place cards for the dinner