If trees fail to set fruit, then seed is not available and the seedling you want when you visit the nursery won’t be available either. We can, however, help out by collecting seed from fruiting trees on our own properties. Rules apply to seed collection and one definitely does not collect in national parks, forest reserves and similar places. Some species are rare or endangered and seed should not be collected from those either. Nature needs to have a chance to use it sown dispersal mechanisms to increase the local population.

Some species are popular with birds and they get there first, or seed dispersal is random or happens over a period of time, which can make collection difficult. Fragmentation of vegetation can restrict the number of seed bearing trees available. Barung can help you with advice on what is needed and what can be collected. The nursery has a propagator’s licence.

Try to match the environmental conditions at the planting site with those of the collection location and if you are able to take seed into Barung, make sure you make a note of where you collected it. Take a specimen of the plant with you, a twig or small branch with several leaves so that its identity can be verified. Good advice relating to seed collection and storage can be found on the FloraBank website.

BARUNG NATIVE PLANT NURSERY
Nursery opening times:Wednesday, Thursday, Friday-9am-3pm
Riverside Centre office hours: 9am to 4pm.
Next to Maleny Post Office, Riverside Centre
Phone 5494 3151

This is a large genus of over 150 species of herbaceous shrubs, some of which are vine like and epiphylic. They are naturally occuring from tropical Africa to southern Asia to the South Pacific.

Medinilla magnifica is native to the Philippines, growing both terrestrially and as an epiphyte in tropical rainforests. Plants grow to 2.5m in height with succulent four angled stems.

The large foot-long lanceolate leaves have a distinct midrib. It blooms on and off throughout the year having pendant inflorescences that have pink leaf-like bracts with small coral red flowers.

A very unusual and attractive plant, the Medinilla grows well in high humidity and in partial shade, and is ideal in tropical to subtropical Queensland.

An ideal environment is good drainage with plenty of moisture in a rich compost. Avoid areas that are subject to frost. It can be grown in containers in a compost-rich medium.

Loors Landscaping

Garden Design, Construction and  Consultancy
Phone: 5445 7615 Mobile: 0412 680 801

Did you get to nibble on a bunya nut or two this year?

These delicious nuts are a great bonus to our diet and potentially free if you have one on yours or a friends block. Free food is always great and food that literally falls from the sky is even better – but then again you don’t want to be waiting under a Bunya tree to catch these babies as they weigh in at, up to 10kg and then add gravity!

The Bunya Tree (Araucaria bidwillii) is one of the truly ancient members of our local forests. They hark back to the age of dinosaurs and were once widespread across the Australian continent and are part of a family of trees that extends across many of the southern land masses and includes Hoop Pines, Norfolk Pines and Monkey Puzzle Pine.

The Bunya Pine is now found naturally in one tiny patch in north Queensland and more locally as scattered populations between the Sunshine Coast and Kingaroy. Not only are these trees ancient, but quite exclusive about where they live – so we are lucky to share their neighbourhood with them!

As you may be aware the Bunya Pine was an important part of the traditional owner’s culture and economy and provided a huge crop every 3 years. This bumper crop provided a great excuse for a big party, family reunions, making of law and so much more. It’s great to see the revival of the Bunya festival under the stewardship of Beverly Hand, a great opportunity for us newcomers to learn about the traditional owner’s culture, a time for reconciliation and also to learn more about this ancient and beautiful land we now call home… also a chance for a good feed and good fun!

Bunya Trees are a Blackall Range icon and easy to grow. The starchy Bunya nut sends a root deep into the ground where it forms a thick tap root (like a radish) from which the tree shoots. They are a little bit slow to start off with but once they get going can grow a metre or two per year and can be fruiting at 12-15 years. Just don’t plant them -near your driveway, garage, shed, water tank, house etc. for what I hope are obvious reasons…

Cooking with Bunya Nuts: boil for twenty minutes, then let them cool down enough to handle, the next bit is tricky and very, very important -don’t cut your fingers off! The husk on each individual nut is quite tough and requires a sharp knife and an equally sharp operator. Once you get the knack you’ll get a taste for bunya that’s hard to match with your cutting abilities!

h 0428 130 769

spencer.shaw@brushturkey.com.au

www.brushturkey.com.au

Peltophorum pterocarpum

From a small genus of about 15 species the Peltophorum is indigenous to a wide area of tropical Asia from Srilanka through Malaysia, Philipines to northern Australia. The tree has a dense crown of ferny foliage atop a massive grey trunk. It grows to a height of over 15m in an ideal environment. In cultivation 8-10m on average. Bipinnate leaves grow to 60cm long with dark green 12mm leaflets. Shedding of leaflets may occur in severe drought or cold. In late spring to autumn 60-75cm tall flower panicles which are orange-yellow with bronge coloured buds cover the crown of the tree.

In a similar class to Delonix regia (royal poinciana) Peltophorum is a beautiful shade tree, street tree or specimen tree. The luminous yellow petals contrasting against the orange tipped stamens ligt up in the sun making a dazzling display that is truly spectacular. Suitable for larger gardens in sub tripical and tropical environs. There is a great specimen in flower now in Lowe Street in Nambour.

At last it has rained, but whether we rely on tanks or town supplies, water is often a scarce and precious resource. There may be none to spare for watering young trees so it’s a good time to find out which are the true survivors. These become the key species in any future revegetation projects and will vary according to your particular environment and soil type. If your trees are predominantly from local sources they have a good chance of being sufficiently resilient to survive prolonged hot and dry periods such as the one we have just experienced.

The report card on the health of our rivers was released not long ago and unfortunately the news was not good. It appears that many of our rivers, particularly in the estuarine stretches, are no longer resilient enough to cope with the soil and nutrients being flushed into them during heavy rainfall events. It may be difficult to remember a really heavy rainfall event but it will happen again. The fresh water stretches of the Maroochy River still have a C rating, which is not brilliant on an A to F scorecard, but in the estuary the quality rating has dropped from C to D. We are in the headwaters of our coastal rivers and we need to aim for an A for the water flowing from the Range. That means very low silt levels and no fertiliser runoff. It can be challenging to prevent bank erosion on many of our fast flowing (when it does rain) headwater streams but we all need to do as much as we can.

Once soil moisture levels are again adequate it will be time to get out planting and to make sure the soil is well covered to prevent surface erosion. This can occur when water flows across bare soil and also from the direct impact of heavy rain. A good tree canopy helps to scatter large raindrops and leaf litter helps too.

BARUNG NATIVE PLANT NURSERY
Nursery opening times: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday - 9am -3pm
Riverside Centre office hours: 9am to 4pm (Re-opens January 11).
Next to Maleny Post Office, Riverside Centre
Phone 5494 3151

Well as you read this, hopefully the rain has continued beyond the Christmas – New Year break and is filling the creeks and dams again. This may seem rather selfish and rather miserable of me to wish a wet start on 2010, but after the long dry that we ended 2009 on we desperately need a good top up.

Its quite likely we could even be in the midst of some severe flooding by the time you read this which would certainly be a contrast to the drought we were suffering a mere few weeks back – but that is Australia, a land of extremes!

It’s the extremes of our climate that make the ecosystems of Australia unique. The pattern of life is focused on the conservation of energy. For example the Dingo a recent arrival to the Australian continent of only a few thousand years has already reduced its breeding cycle to once per year, as opposed to the Asian wolf ancestor and recent feral dogs which can breed several times per year. Next is the Antechinus. Although mouse like in appearance, it is a fearsome, if somewhat diminutive carnivore, whose whole male population dies after mating (what a way to go!), so that there is less competition for limited food resources.

Many Australian animals also have adapted to limited food resources by co-operatively rearing young. That is, older brothers and sisters assisting their parents in rearing their parent’s offspring rather than their own - so as to increase the chances of survival for another generation. Did you know that kangaroos are always pregnant? But that the foetus growth can be arrested until there is sufficient food available for the mother to rear young.

It’s not just the fauna that have made these conservative adaptations to life in Australia. Icons of the Australian bush are the Wattle and Gum tree. Most wattles have adapted to our harsh climate by not producing leaves at all and instead have a leaf like structure which is infact a flattened stem, known as a phyllode. Well if it looks like a leaf, what’s the big deal I hear you ask? Again the adoption of the phyllode is an example of conservancy as they lose less water than true leaves. The gum tree is another great utiliser of minimal resources and has been shaped by and inturn shaped Australian ecosystems.

Australian ecosystems are dominated by examples of life adapting to the limited and or variable resources available. In your garden, in your paddock and in your orchard its worthwhile remembering the variability of the Australian environment so that we too can better adapt to the resources available, be it drought or flood!

Brush Turkey Enterprises
Ph 0428 130 769
spencer.shaw@brushturkey.com.au
www.brushturkey.com.au

Garrey Foulkes confesses to being a ‘child of the 60s’ - the generation that switched itself off from the materialist treadmill and on to an alternate lifestyle that embraced vegetarianism, new-age meditation techniques, Bob Dylan and, in Garrey’s case, Buddhism. Garrey’s attachment to Buddhist philosophy stayed with him, and today he has created a unique place in Australia’s largest Buddhist community and learning centre – Chenrezig Institute, close to Eudlo on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.

IT WAS in 1974 that two highly qualified Tibetan Buddhist teachers, Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche conducted a month-long meditation course in a large circus tent at Diamond Valley near Mooloolah. More than 200 people attended and one of those was Garrey Foulkes and his partner Krissie. Four of the students at that course kindly offered the lamas 160 acres of their land that is now Chenrezig Institute. “When we first came up here, we were children of the 60s”, reveals Garrey. “Krissie had already been to Nepal and had done meditation courses with the lamas.

We were a serious item and the only way I could see to keep our relationship together was to go and do one of those courses, to prove to my partner that it was a load of rubbish, and that she was being completely deceived. “I am very pleased to say that I had the wind knocked out of my sails and realised that what these people had to say was not only enormously interesting but not at all out of line with where I and a lot of my friends were heading. We were asking the same questions … where have we come from, where are we going, what are we supposed to be doing while we’re here? And the lamas basically blew me out of the water, and by the end of the course I had pencilled through all of the questions I had intended to ask because they were silly questions.

The lamas had answered them without me having to even ask them. Garrey lived at Chenrezig for ten years while his children were young, then when they were teenagers he and Krissie moved to Palmwoods where they live today. He has been a part of building the Chenrezig infrastructure since the Institute was first established. He has left and come back during that time but for the past 17 years he has been steadily focused on the tranquil, Garden of Enlightenment.

“Back then, if someone had said to me that you’re going to spend 17 years of your life building things called stupas in a cow paddock in south-east Queensland,” says Garrey, “ I would have thought that was about as impossible as anything could be. But that’s what’s happened, “adds Garrey with a bemused smile. “My partner is a very good cook and when you’re involved with an organisation that needs to be developed from scratch and your partnership is a cook and a builder, it’s pretty clear that you’re going to be very physically involved. “Stupas are certainly the most interesting aspect of my building career. When we built the first stupa here (which was about 20 years ago), it was very difficult to gather information. Now, I can send an email to someone in Nepal and get a series of colour photographs within an hour with exactly the information that I want. So, it was very challenging in the early days.

“Stupas represent the enlightened mind of the Buddha. We have three principal tools to work with to achieve full awareness. We have a body that has to be in pretty good shape, we have a mind that has to be in good shape and we have speech. The Buddha’s body is represented by statues and scroll paintings (thankas) - any images of the Buddha. Speech is represented by texts and the written word, and the mind is represented by the stupa. So the stupa represents the full package if you like of the enlightened mind. “The stupa from the base to the very top represents all aspects of the path that leads to full enlightenment. Inside the stupa there are thousands of deity images and millions of mantras.

There are also the two major texts that represent the entire teachings of the Buddha. “In the Garden there’s one big stupa and seven smaller ones around it. Within the Buddhist memorial garden there are many small stupas that have people’s ashes in them. It’s an opportunity to sponsor a holy object for yourself or for a loved one, and this generates incredible merit.

Also, we have tried to make the Garden as attractive as possible and the building to involve traditional Tibetan architecture to attract people to come and visit out of curiosity.” Tibetan Buddhism is the fastest growing religion in the world, and Chenrezig is one of the largest Buddhist centres in the West. It provides a comprehensive program in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition for beginners through to advanced practitioners. Resident lamas run courses throughout the year along with western monks, nuns and lay teachers. “Buddhist philosophy challenges (and usually agrees with), the most sophisticated aspects of modern science”, explains Garrey, “ and it’s been around for thousands of years. I really feel a lot more comfortable discussing Buddhism as a philosophy rather than a religion, because it’s about what we know as karma … cause and effect. A positive action cannot possibly bring about a negative result. So if you are doing beneficial things to help people the result can’t be anything else but beneficial. It’s not possible.”

While acknowledging that at 65 he’s getting a little weary of pushing wheel barrows full of concrete, Garrey Foulkes is clearly proud of the work he has done himself or supervised, to create the Chenrezig Garden of Enlightenment. “If it wasn’t for countless numbers of helpers there’s no way this project would have happened. It’s not my trip. I have simply been the coordinator of it. The valuable learning aspect of it is sticking at something that has required determination and support, not from sponsorship or fundraising, but from selfless volunteers, pitching in from time to time.”

Mention mistletoe to some folk and they will cross themselves, produce wooden stakes, silver bullets, cloves of garlic and sprinkle holy water about liberally. The thought of a plant drawing on the bodily fluids of another plant for its survival conjures up images of herbaceous vampires sucking the life out of our trees. And lets face it being described scientifically as a parasite just doesn’t generate any good press.

However there are over 30 species of mistletoe found in SE Queensland. These plants may draw on the moisture and mineral reserves of their hosts but what many of us may not notice is what they give back to the greater ecological community and the many species of animals and insects that depend on them.

Mistletoes are spread by numerous animals and there is even a specialist Mistletoe Bird. These little birds have a specialised digestive system that passes the seed within a ½ hour (now that’s what you call regular!). The seed of mistletoe have a long sticky tail that passes through the digestive system. This long sticky tail requires that the little birds wipe their backsides on a branch as they pass the seed to completely pass the seed tail. This ensures that the seed is placed in the best position for it to grow, on a branch. The seed tail also helps it adhere to the branch.

There is also another intriguing set of animal – mistletoe relationships, with the Azure butterflies. These are exclusive mistletoe feeders and some also require the presence of specific ants. The butterflies provide food to the ants, secreted from glands on the caterpillars and in return the ants provide protection to the caterpillars. Some Azure caterpillars hide under bark, in borer holes or ant nests during the day and at night with their ant body guards may travel upto 40 metres, to mistletoes high up in eucalypts.

Amazingly the leaves of mistletoe often mimic those of their host. There are even mistletoes that only grow on other mistletoes’ such as the Golden Mistletoe. One mistletoe species that does make a living in our local rainforests is the Rainforest Mistletoe. These have very attractive red flowers that attract a variety of wildlife.

So next time you see a Mistletoe don’t panic – the apocalypse isn’t upon us. They are an important part of the intricate web of life and if we keep playing with the threads we will all come undone. It could even be argued that it is worthwhile “planting” mistletoes on our gardens and reveg’ plots to enhance diversity and return them to areas they have disappeared from through land clearing. But that’s another story.

In the Wild with Spencer Shaw

Ph 0428 130 769 spencer.shaw@brushturkey.com.au www.brushturkey.com.au

Endemic to North East Queensland this small tree grows to about 6m in height. It is evergreen and upright in habit with new growth being apricot/red on stems. Leaves are shiney dark green on top and paler below. Flowering in late October to December, a spectacular display of yellow to orange flowers borne on terminal growth can cover the entire tree. Flowers have five spreading petals and five protuding anthems.

The Thaleropia prefers acidic soils that are well drained, full sun to light shade is ideal. It is moderately frost resistant and can withstand tropical heat. Propagation from seed takes about 30 - 90 days. Sow seeds in a peaty seed compost about 2mm deep at 15 degree celcius.

The Queensland myrtle makes a good specimen in a rainforest setting or as a singular specimen tree, it could also be used as a hedge or windbreak or grown in a large container. Thaleropia Queenslandica is hardy with few pests and diseases which makes it a good choice for most gardens.

Loors Landscaping

Ph: 5445 7615 Mob: 0412 680 801

THE AUSTRALIAN Open Garden Scheme generates great interest across the Range with some stunning gardens open for public inspection. However not every garden has the sense of history which surrounds the home once owned by novelist Eleanor Dark.

Grant and Marlene Mayfield came to Montville Macadamery in May 2004 from South Australia where they had been opening their rural garden as part of the Australian Garden Scheme for four years in a row.

Montville Macadamery is a very tranquil type of garden. It is situated on 20 hectares - 13 hectares of rainforest on the south west slope, and 7 hectares of semi-tropical gardens. The main house is a Queenslander built in 1926 with additions completed during the early nineties.

During her seven years in Montville in the early fifties, Eleanor Dark wrote the novel “Lantana Lane” based on the humorous goings-on and characters in her neighbourhood.

The existing garden area was originally a substantial macadamia orchard and in the early days the University of Queensland used the trees for collecting genetic material to help improve the macadamia species in Australia and overseas.

The macadamias have now been cleared away and replaced by gardens and pasture to create open space. Four 10,000 gallon concrete tanks were constructed to ensure constant water supply before extensive new gardens were constructed.

These days Grant has full time help in the garden and the ambitious first stage of his newly constructed board walk into the rainforest currently finishes at a giant fig. This is a local landmark in the district, and sits only half-way along the total board walk project.

Mature plantings of poinciana, frangipani, palms and tree ferns, anchor the garden. With careful planning Grant says, “we have added plants such as variegated trachelospernum repens and perennial dianthus for edgings. Potted pandanus, yuccas and cordylines add to the overall setting. Photinia, sasanqua and syzgium hedges have also been added recently“

Clivias, hippeastrums and day lilies add colour when in season and a number of deep purple bougainvillea spheres are evidence of the district’s early pioneering days. During the weekend opening, the Montville Church of England ladies auxiliary provide lunch, morning and afternoon teas from the stunning cottage replicating Eleanor’s main home situated in the grounds of this delightful garden.

Montville Macadamery 41 Mill Hill Road, Montville will be open 10am- 4.30pm Saturday 21 & Sunday 22 of November.