Soup and Damper Day for July garden club meeting

THE July meeting of the Gunnedah Garden Club was the annual Soup and Damper Day.

The Lions Hall looked just like a restaurant with the red checkered tablecloths and Helen Murrell’s beautiful camellias as centrepieces.

Coralie Howe is stepping down after many years as horticultural convenor at the Gunnedah Show and is looking for someone who would like to take over the role. So please contact her if you are interested.

The flower competition results were first Sue Walker’s Just Joey rose (a large apricot colour with a lovely fragrance), second Anne Penrose’s beautiful violet-coloured bearded iris, and third was a tie between Julia Withers’ snap dragon (which pops up every year) and Cheryl Field’s rose of Narromine (which are planted all along the main street of Narromine).

 

The fruit and vegetable competition results were first Fay Byrne’s snap peas (which have flourished since the soil has been loosened up and fertilised), second Julia Withers’ lemonades (the last of her crop, with one weighing 400g, pruning and removing central branches results in bigger fruit), and third Ann Penrose’s snap peas (has had a good crop over two to three weeks).

In plant problems, Gwen Donaldson’s navel orange had an unusual marking, thought to be a mutation, and Shirley Palmer’s coral succulent shrivelling with crystal formations, thought to be salt. Recommended repotting with fresh potting mix and ensure good drainage.

 

The raffle, donated by Gwen Donaldson, was won by Meryl Hennessy and Julia Withers won the potting mix. Next month Cheryl Field will bring the raffle.

Julie Palmer was the first guest speaker, talking about growing indoor plants in water, and brought along some of her specimens that she has successfully grown – a spear plant, a happy plant (that has thrived for five years) and a flourishing devil’s ivy. Julie changes the water regularly and adds aquatic pellets to fertilise the plants and keep algae from forming.

You can be quite artistic by using different shaped containers for your plants and they look lovely around the house, though, keep them out of direct light and heat from a window.

 

Helen Murrell was the second guest speaker, talking about growing camellias.

She grows Japonicas, which grow in a cool spot, with filtered light. Helen recommends buying a camellia when in flower.

They like acid soil, but Gunnedah soil is more alkaline so she adds half a cup of sulphur in November.

Her routine is to apply sulphate of pot ash in February and March, which makes flowers last longer.

Fertilise in October with Aquasol, blood and bone or cow manure. Keep the ground moist in summer.

 

Propagate December to January, when green growth starts to harden. Helen has never pruned her camellias or needed to spray them. They are such a beautiful flower and easy to grow.

The meeting concluded and members enjoyed a delicious lunch of homemade soup.

The August meeting will be held at the Carroll Gap Restaurant, where members will enjoy lunch and a guided tour of the gardens.

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