U3A Ballarat Gardening Interest Group

  Roraima Nursery, Kevin Hoffman Walk and Suealoe Garden visits, Tuesday 6th Dec 2022 Roraima Nursery Visit, Lara, 6th December 2022. A group from our Garden Interest Group, led by Terry O'Brien ventured to Lara and visited the Roraima Nursery which specialises in unusual, exotic, drought tolerant and architectural plants.  Roraima Nursery also offers a large variety of natives, perennials, ferns, palms, bottle trees, and one of the largest selections of cacti and succulents in Victoria. The passion of plants was obvious when the owner spoke to our group on arrival, and as we wandered through the planted gardens, we could understand how the nursery has grown in the last 22 years, to become a beautiful garden of plantings suitable for all garden types.  There is something for everyone, and the visit was totally enjoyed.  The group headed to the Keven Hoffman Walk in Lara after our Roraima visit.  The walk is Lara's native garden trail that stretches along the eas...

  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...