The Galston Garden Club are meeting regularly each month with visitors, new members and existing members coming together to enjoy the guest speakers, the trading table of plants which just amazes me each month, and of course the camaraderie conversation over a cuppa at the end of the meeting.
The Club meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month in the Galston Community Hall, 37 Arcadia Rd, Galston at 7.30 pm.
Our guest speaker for our July meeting was Keith Stapley from the The Hills-Kellyville Rotary Club. Keith spoke about the Hills Garden Competition which is coming up in September.
This annual garden competition started in 1949 and The Hills-Kellyville Rotary are encouraging avid gardeners to submit their entries “The Hill” and neighbouring suburbs have absolutely beautiful gardens.
The residents put a lot of time and effort into maintaining their gardens and this is a chance for them to gain some recognition for all their hard work… Keith showed a powerpoint presentation of gardens that were entered last year and encouraged those who did not enter last year to have a go in 2022.
If you have a garden or know someone who has created a magical place worth highlighting, please make sure you submit an entry to this year’s event. Some of the categories residents can enter are: Large Residential gardens; Residential garden; New Garden; Townhouse, Villa or Courtyard Garden; Senior Citizen’s Garden; Strata or Community Title Property; Good Neighbour Gardens; Speciality Garden; Industrial, Commercial or Institutional Garden; and School Gardens; The Gardens are judged by qualified horticulturalists and landscapers.
The winners of the 2022 event will be recognised at an awards night and will receive prizes. If you are interested in entering your garden contact our club and I will send you the information.
WANDERING JEW: In March 2019 the CSIRO released a fungus, Kordyana brasiliensis, for the control of Tradescantia fluminensis (Wandering Jew) After registering interest to trial this on her property at Dural a member of our Club was sent about 10 plants, with roots in April 2021. There was no infection after 6 months so another lot was procured in December 2021.
In June this year the member noticed that quite suddenly swaths were covered in this fungus. Some areas looked decidedly sick, going quite mushy and other areas still had healthy growth, but were completely affected.
It had even spread to more sparse areas of growth throughout gardens that were removed from the original plantings. A proposed visit by Macquarie University students may enlighten the member if the fungus will actually kill out the wandering trad. The Dept.of Agriculture performed trials to establish that the fungus only affects this particular wandering trad and nothing else. I will keep you posted on the findings
GUEST SPEAKER FOR AUGUST: Our guest speaker for August will be Mark Engal. Topic “:Citrus and Roses”. We welcome you to come and hear Mark speak.
For further information regarding the Galston Garden Club please email: [email protected] or visit our web page, www.galstongardenclub.com.au
