Members may like to take the opportunity when coming to the Conference to visit the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show on at the Royal Exhibition Building & Carlton Gardens, 21st March to 25th March 2018.

Amongst many interesting things on offer you will find, Floral Design Workshops,Quick tricks to give instant curb appeal, and Bring ‘farm-to table’ with ‘yard to table’.Details at www.melbflowershow.com.au

While you are there pay a visit to TALGA members, Annemarie & Peter Manders, Warratina Lavender and Site B17 is where you will find Di & Clive Larkman, Larkman Nurseries who will have a trading sites.

LAVENDER COURSE

For further information about a 100hr Lavender Course involving growing, harvesting and its use contact
Denise Hodges
Admin. Coordinator, ACS Distance Education, PO Box 292, Nerang, MDG, QLD 4211

E: admin@acs.edu.au Web: www.acs.edu.au
Denise has currently a number of enrolled students in the Lavender Course. It is an excellent exposure to our members to see what is being offered.

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WENDY FULLER – ALR NSW

I’m pleased to report that my “Patch” at Pinelea produced beautiful lavender within the usual time frame this season. All varieties performed well with no caterpillers, grasshoppers or beetles to spoil the party. Bees were numerous and noisy.
Riverina Thomas and Margaret Rocky Hall had particularly long spikes held on generous numbers of stems.

Most of my Margaret Rocky Hall bushes are entering their twentieth year and in structure, show their age with bits cut out here and there, revealing gnarled, thick old branches. However, I monitored one bush which was representative of the three rows. From this bush, my husband cut eleven bunches, each of approximately 160 spikes.

That these old bushes are still so generous to me I think is amazing! Let’s hope the next season will be as good.

I have attempted to contact most of the NSW members, but have only had a couple of recent responses.
Sharon and Greg Bailey from Little Willow Lavender attended Ag Quip at Gunnedah in 2017. They reported that they enjoyed the experience and made some contacts, but do not plan to attend again in the near future.

They have since had a very positive experience when they set up a “Pop Up” shop in Willow Tree over late December and January.

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JENNY THOMPSON – ALR QLD NTH

Pottique Lavender Farm

On the 30th November 2017 I drove over to Kingaroy and stayed at the Burke and Wills Motel overnight. As planned on Friday the 1st December I drove out to The PottiqueLavender Farm. While not members of TALGA Annie McBride’s niece was most interestedin hearing about what we do as an association. A complimentary copy of the 2016 Lavender Journal was graciously accepted. After a delicious morning tea, I could look around in their shop and lovely garden full of lavender geraniums and other native plants.

NEWS FROM MCLAREN VALE LAVENDER

February 2018

February must be the cruelest month on both sides of the planet. Chatting with a friend in UK last week, he recounted the need for 7 layers of clothing while waiting at a bus-stop in sleeting rain. And here I am surveying our parched, dry plot of dirt in heat of 42 degrees, wondering how my precious lavender plants can ever survive.

Does􏰀’t seem to worry the native gums though, they positively glisten silvery, green in the heat, and I was surprised to come across a

spindly gum, planted 30 years ago, covered in beautiful golden bunches of flowers for the first time. What a surprise.

February, in our part of the world at least,
even the most avid gardener and yet amongst the pretty pink Amaryllis lily pops up, delivering a a Hyacinth. It’s a trick of 􏰀ature that these twotime, at opposite ends of the globe, one in
the colder the better.

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