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Jan 2021 Weed of the Month – Coral Creeper
The weed of the month is a very pretty ground cover called Coral creeper (Barleria repens). With attractive pinkish red flowers that bloom year round, it’s easy to see why it has been used in coastal gardens. The problem with Coral creeper is that it is so well suited to the local conditions, it out competes most other plants, natives and exotics. Due to its ability to blanket big areas and suppress growth of other plants, Coral creeper sits in the Red zone – Remove from Gardens.
Stephanie’s Garden 11th January
In this edition of Stephanie’s Garden we hear how things are going with the new stingless bee hive and the latest addition to the garden – a homemade Frog Hotel. We also get to visit a beautiful garden in Pomona. Click through for more news and photos.
This week’s big event in Stephanie’s Garden was taking delivery of the bee box which seems to be going really well – click through to see photographs of the hive with and without its foam cover, it’s quite incredible to see. This post also includes some photos of spiders and insects enjoying the garden delights.
Stephanie’s Garden December 2020
Enjoy the first in a continuing blog about Stephanie’s garden at Lake Cooroibah. Like many new Urban Wildlife Gardeners, she doesn’t know much about the visiting fauna, so her 2021 challenge is to learn more about it and share it with us. In this first edition she finds koalas and native bees – click through for more photos and news from Stephanie’s garden.
Noosa’s Native Plants – Flowering Now
The Noosa Native Plants website at www.noosasnativeplants.com.au is regularly updated with the latest plants flowering in Noosa. Have a look and get to know the names of the beautiful flowers in our region!
Weed of the month Fishbone fern
November’s weed of the month Fishbone or Herringbone Fern is quite common in older style gardens. It can be seen in every suburb in Noosa and probably every street. Dumping of garden waste has helped this fern find its way into Bushland reserves. Click through to learn more about this plant and some good replacement species.
Attracting frogs to your backyard
Attracting frogs into your backyard is not difficult. If you create the right conditions and habitat the frogs will find their way. You may even have resident frogs already. The presence of frogs is a good indicator of the overall health of an ecosystem. By creating suitable habitats and refuges for frogs in our own backyards we can help their survival in challenging urban environments. Click through for more tips and tricks to attract frogs into your garden.
Garden Tip from Michelle
Chemical use is a controversial topic. The method used to apply chemicals can greatly reduce the risks to humans and the environment. A safer way to apply chemicals is with a herbicide dabber rather than a spray bottle. A dabber is used to cut and paint shrubs and trees or scrap and paint vines. In this post Michelle explains how it is done and where it can be purchased.
Weed of the month October 2020 Micky mouse plant Ochna serrulata
The weed of the month October is the Micky mouse plant, an attractive shrub/small tree that is common in Noosa gardens. The serrated leaves have a bronze tinge when young but it is the flowers that are the most impressive. The yellow petals don’t last long but the sepals turn bright red and are very eye catching. This South African plant is spread by birds and has found its way into our bushland. It grows well in different ecosystems and so is found from the coast to the hinterland. Once Ochna is established it out-competes the native vegetation and forms dense thickets. It is also hard to kill and so is of great concern to our bushland and should be removed.
Do you want to learn more about Botany and our local plants?
The Noosa Parks Association has a Botany group that meets at the Environment centre on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 2pm. There is a discussion about local plants and talks presented by members and guests. The level of knowledge in the group is extremely high and they are happy to share their passion. They also have walks on the last Sunday of the month. Contact Joan Heavey ph. 0412350749 for more information.
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