U3A Ballarat Gardening Interest Group

  A group of 16 from the Gardening Interest Group were looking forward to a day in the Macedon Ranges.  Firstly, we headed off on the highway to Macedon and drove through the little town to have a morning tea at the Centennial Park, opposite Honour Ave on Mt Macedon Road, Macedon. The town put on a splendid day with the autumn colours were in full swing.  We then headed to the Dicksonia Rare Plants Nursery, 686 Mt Macedon Road, Macedon, where we were met by the owner Stephen Ryan.   Stephen had run the family nursery until he started his own nationally recognised nursery in 1980 and has been a passionate plant collector ever since. He spoke about the difference of his nursery where he cultivates nearly all his plants for sale rather than buying plants in bulk to sell onto his customers.   While he said his plants were rare, they were still hardy and most were well suited to the Ballarat climate.  He also spoke about his life outside the nursery and was a ...

  Bonsai Information Presented by Dick Patterson Dick undertook a quick half hour demonstration on an air layering process to start new Bonsai Plants. This process is quick and cuttings should start to develop roots in a few weeks after layering, but could be a few years before a new tree is ready for pruning and shaping the way you would like. Process:  Select the right branch of a deciduous tree in late Winter. Be sure it has a thick ‘trunk’ and thinner branches like a mature oak tree. Too thin will take too long to develop the old and gnarled look. We want miniature old trees, not miniature whip sticks.  Don’t remove the branch. It should be as thick as a sausage. Work out what it will look like when planted upright in a pot. You need to allow at least six inches to give it some stability in the pot, below the root ball that you will create.   Use a very sharp knife to ring bark the branch where you want new roots. The two cuts should be 30mm apa...

  EVENT REPORT BY KERREN Our group of 21 headed for Melbourne for a chance to step back in time to when the wealth from the goldrush was used to build a family's estate. This ornate Victorian mansion built by Frederick Sargood in 1868, originally sat on 40 acres (now 14), and includes a beautiful fernery, extensive orchards and lake with boathouse. The pleasure garden was there for the rich to indulge and entertain, with open grassed areas, tall Morton Bay figs, mature exotics and eucalypts. Since 1974 Rippon Lea has been owned by the National Trust and now take 45 minute tours of the house and/or garden for visitors. The cost for our two tours was $21.50, and an easy train trip to Melbourne, changing at Flinders St to the Sandringham line and a 10 minute walk east down Glen Eira Rd turning right at Hotham St, took us to the gates. Some travelled down by train and some by car, and on arrival we had morning tea in the beautiful surroundings near the café. We were then divided into t...