The planting season is underway with Thomas planting the paper daisies he has been propagating from seed.

Eric has sculpted the saltbush hedge under the peppercorn tree at the Racecourse Road end of our site. The saltbushes are Rhagodia spinesens and R. parabolica. 

  2024 Working Bees. How to get involved:

This year our working bees are on Friday mornings between 9.30 am and 11.00 am. One and a half hours every fortnight keeps our garden well-maintained. If you would like to join us as a volunteer, email Ros at: newmarketstationeers@gmail.com or drop in at our next working bee on Friday, April 19th. Fortnightly working bees are key to keeping on top of the garden's maintenance but there are a few larger jobs that require more energy and expertise than our current volunteers can supply. Contact us to suggest improvements and to offer practical support. Newmarket Stationeers are also happy to host workplace volunteer days: Contact Simba at: volunteers@kabvic.org.au 

 

Photo of Flowers taken in July 28, 2023

 

Bee on Grevillea

Acacia

Correa

Clematis and Senna

 

Clematis

Senna

Pelargonium

Eucalyptus

Paper Daisy

 We hold regular working bees once a fortnight on Friday mornings. This autumn we have been mulching the site section by section. John, one of our members has been collecting mulch from the Council depot in his ute. We have been barrowing and bucketing it on one small area at a time starting at the station end. It takes only 20- 30 minutes for the group to off-load and distribute each load of mulch but John says loading it onto the ute at the depot is a much slower process. 

The main reason for mulching is to suppress annual weeds like stinging nettles and cleavers. Mulch also conserves moisture in the soil and looks good, too. To suppress weeds completely, mulch needs to be 7.5 to10 cm. deep but we spread it thinner to allow water penetration when it rains and spread the mulch further.

 This poor little ringtail possum was encountered during our working bee. it is unusual to find a possum out in the open during daylight. It may have been displaced and taking shelter in our island of native vegetation. The next day a dead ringtail was seen in the middle of busy Racecourse Road near Woolworths. We think it was the same possum. 

Blue Flower Wasps

At our working bee in January a large number of Blue Flower wasps were buzzing around close to the ground near the wooden seating area. With their metalic blue wings, they are quite beautiful. The adults feed on nectar from native plants and their larvae parasitize Christmas Beetle larvae. They are not aggressive like European wasps, but individuals can sting if provoked. 

 The Mysterious Hole

After heavy rain a deep hole appeared behind the seating area . We informed Keep Victoria Beautiful, who in turn informed Metro Trains. The hole was filled in but a few of dry weather,  the hole reappeared but bigger this time. It was obviously an old brick drain from a previous century when such things were skillfully constructed of bricks. It was about 80 cm below the surface and was probably part of an open drain at one time. Once again Metro Trains were informed and a metal plate was put over the hole. The Stationeers members continue to weed, water and pick up rubbish although we have not had a formal working bee for some time. The hole has not reopened.