The Galston District Garden Club has enjoyed a second meeting this year with members slowly coming back after such a long break.
We also welcomed new members and visitors to the last meeting.in April. The garden club meets on the 2nd Wednesday of the month in the Galston Community Hall, 37 Arcadia Rd, Galston at 7:30.
We are an informal and friendly group, and no matter what your gardening ability or gardening knowledge, you can be sure that you can look forward to the pleasant company. Your botanical knowledge will be entirely adequate.
Members range from beginners to very experienced. We use our interest in gardening as a great excuse for social gatherings and garden rambles. There will be interesting talks and displays at each meeting. We have a large and extensive library of gardening books and DVDs that members can borrow. Each year we hold the Galston District Open Gardens Weekend on the third weekend in October. to fundraise for local community projects and charities. About 8 gardens are opened to visitors with plant and produce stalls.
A garden club is more than just coming to listen to speakers and purchasing a bargain plant. You will be rewarded by making new friends and sharing plant tips and ideas. We are also spoit by having many plant experts such as Judy Horton OAM(our Patron) and Elizabeth Swane.
We have a cutting corner. There is a table left of the stage for you to bring cuttings to share. The trading table is coordinated by Christine Stockman and at our last meeting we had a table full of plants for sale such as Begonias, Hoya, Geraniums, Succulents, a few pink Pentas, Ajuga plants, bare-root yellow and orange Canna, a Japanese Maple, bunches of Lady Finger Bananas, a fig chutney and strawberry plants all donated by members.
Our guest speaker for the evening was Pat Moode from Valley View Nursery in Arcadia. The topic of the evening was “hanging baskets. Pat spoke briefly about the history of the nursery and the style of baskets the nursery is producing for the market. He brought along a marvellous display of what the nursery supplies to the market as a “designer plant”. Not the flowery type but the more unusual foliage type. We were able to purchase plants on the night to go home and create our own “designer baskets”.
Many plants will be able to survive in a hanging basket getting a lot of shade, but Begonias, Fuchsia, Ferns, Hosta, coleus, creeping Jenny and Coral Bells are especially likely to thrive in a shady environment.
If you are looking to buy a hanging pot ready to plant in, there are a few commonly available baskets made from different materials. Plastic is an easy lightweight choice, and whilst not always attract the plants will eventually distract from the pot. Wire baskets are often lined with coir fibre or plastic or you can even make a lining with paperbark collected off the ground.
The linings serve two purposes – holding in the soil and protecting it from drying out. Baskets are often more exposed to wind and sun, so they’ll require more water than if they were on the ground. The larger the pot, the more space for plants to grow and the less chance of drying out – but they can get quite heavy when wet so make sure it’s attached to a structure that can handle the weight.
Our speaker for the meeting in May will be Brian Roach and the topic is “Native plants suitable for our Sydney climate”. You are welcome to come and join us for another informative meeting and enjoy the supper later in the night.
For more information regarding the Galston District Garden Club please visit our website: www.galstongardenclub.com.au or email [email protected]
