Four Seasons
To keep you updated with the latest news and reviews on gardening topics, the Gardeners' Circle WA Inc. offers a magazine, 4 times a year. This magazine is called 'Four Seasons' and is free to members (AU$3.00 to non-members). An edited transcript of speakers presentations, seasonal tips and 'Jobs to do' for each month, a general events diary and information on discounts to members can be found in the magazine.
This page features some articles from the Four Seasons, edited by Lorraine Douglas, with assistance from Jacques Maissin, Ellie Collins, and Frances Docherty.
'Letters To the Editor' can be emailed to Lorraine Douglas (magazine editor) at lorraine.douglas@iinet.net.au
This page features some articles from the Four Seasons, edited by Lorraine Douglas, with assistance from Jacques Maissin, Ellie Collins, and Frances Docherty.
'Letters To the Editor' can be emailed to Lorraine Douglas (magazine editor) at lorraine.douglas@iinet.net.au
president’s perspective
Hallo everyone. The spring season of colour and profusion is followed, at least in my garden, by scruffiness or pruning. The scruffiness comes from allowing prolific annuals like ‘Love in the Mist’, ‘Peony Poppies’, and ‘Queen Anne’s Lace’ to die down and produce seeds to be collected for next year’s show, as well as letting bulbs die back naturally to build up next year’s flowers.
The pruning is from winter and spring flowering shrubs and perennials which need major cutting back (in my small garden), with enough time for new growth to harden off before the summer heat. And in rejuvenating my raised container beds for summer veges, I created the ultimate recycling circle. I emptied my compost bins to provide lovely rich soil for planting, and soon afterwards, had a carpet of tomato and rockmelon seedlings, most of which then had to be removed and returned to the compost bin!
At our meetings, once again we were inspired, entertained and impressed by our member speakers. In September, Kingsley Gray told us of his gardening journey, followed by garden design principles explained, and all beautifully illustrated. Kim Holbrook educated us about Chile, and his adventures in searching for the famous and oft-elusive Copiapoacacti, while fascinating us with unfamiliar landscapes.
We had a wonderful night in October to celebrate National Gardening Week. Despite the inconvenience and cramped quarters of a different venue, members enthusiastically responded to our request to wear a garden-related outfit. From huge flower pompoms and a bird’s nest hat, to a full-on garden fairy, our audience provided a colourful and entertaining spectacle. Footwear, headgear, tools on belts, and a staggering array of floral outfits kept our photographer, Jacques Maissin, busy to the point of exhaustion.
Our guest speaker, Digby Growns from Kings Park’s plant breeding programme, noted that his pictures paled in comparison. However, his presentation inspired us with the latest in plant offerings, and a tantalising glimpse of varieties ‘in the pipeline’. Member Merrilyn Mellis then took us on an enlightening tour of India, showing us the beauty that can be achieved with immaculate maintenance and layout, as well as the immortalisation of flowers in mosaics and decorative features.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this year with the Circle. Thank you to my Vice President Merilyn Ide for her support, and to all the Committee members for their assistance in so many ways. Thanks also to our numerous helpers, cheerfully contributing at every meeting to provide a stimulating and satisfying experience.
I wish you all the best for the Christmas period, and look forward to seeing you all again in the New Year.
Jan Russell-Brown
The pruning is from winter and spring flowering shrubs and perennials which need major cutting back (in my small garden), with enough time for new growth to harden off before the summer heat. And in rejuvenating my raised container beds for summer veges, I created the ultimate recycling circle. I emptied my compost bins to provide lovely rich soil for planting, and soon afterwards, had a carpet of tomato and rockmelon seedlings, most of which then had to be removed and returned to the compost bin!
At our meetings, once again we were inspired, entertained and impressed by our member speakers. In September, Kingsley Gray told us of his gardening journey, followed by garden design principles explained, and all beautifully illustrated. Kim Holbrook educated us about Chile, and his adventures in searching for the famous and oft-elusive Copiapoacacti, while fascinating us with unfamiliar landscapes.
We had a wonderful night in October to celebrate National Gardening Week. Despite the inconvenience and cramped quarters of a different venue, members enthusiastically responded to our request to wear a garden-related outfit. From huge flower pompoms and a bird’s nest hat, to a full-on garden fairy, our audience provided a colourful and entertaining spectacle. Footwear, headgear, tools on belts, and a staggering array of floral outfits kept our photographer, Jacques Maissin, busy to the point of exhaustion.
Our guest speaker, Digby Growns from Kings Park’s plant breeding programme, noted that his pictures paled in comparison. However, his presentation inspired us with the latest in plant offerings, and a tantalising glimpse of varieties ‘in the pipeline’. Member Merrilyn Mellis then took us on an enlightening tour of India, showing us the beauty that can be achieved with immaculate maintenance and layout, as well as the immortalisation of flowers in mosaics and decorative features.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this year with the Circle. Thank you to my Vice President Merilyn Ide for her support, and to all the Committee members for their assistance in so many ways. Thanks also to our numerous helpers, cheerfully contributing at every meeting to provide a stimulating and satisfying experience.
I wish you all the best for the Christmas period, and look forward to seeing you all again in the New Year.
Jan Russell-Brown