This is a February 2020 update on the Bush Tucker Garden being developed by the Yass Landcare community nursery and Yass Men’s shed.

Given the recent rain, the ground has some moisture. And as there were some good plants in the nursery, Graeme Fountain took the chance to plant: Dianellas, about 10 plants; Billy buttons, about 20 plants; and four Hardenbergia violacea plants.

The Dianellas and Hardenbergia are part of the original plan. The Billy buttons, not a bush tucker plant, but native, we had some in the nursery, and they serve to harden the leading edge of the garden boarder against water erosion.

In the photo, the Billy buttons are in the foreground, the Hardenbergia at each end of the trees and the Dianellas near the water wash-away.  Let's hope that we have more rain to continue planting this garden.

On a hot and smoky day, eight YAN Landcare group members visited the Ferndale property, Bookham to undertake an in-paddock practical session in Acacia and Eucalyptus identification with John Weatherstone. During the morning several Acacias were identified by participants using two native plant reference books by Leon Costermans and Meredith Cosgrove, and John Weatherstone either confirmed or suggested an alternative plant id.

Acacia saligna Golden Wreath Wattle was the only Acacia which had any suitable seed for collection. Two days later that seed was sown by Kath McGuirk and will be grown on in the Yass Landcare Community Nursery. The Ferndale property had some great Eucalyptus which could be accessed in future seed collecting sessions. 

This was the first in-paddock plant identification and native seed collection course which is an important stream of the YAN Climate Ready project. Future sessions will be held in 2020 on Landcare member properties who have registered to participate in this project.  However if you are interested in this type of activity please contact our YAN Landcare coordinator Sonya Duus at [email protected]

The Yass Hospital historical rose cuttings housed at the Yass landcare community nursery are now being protected from the wind by donated shade cloth. The shade cloth was installed at the regular nursery open morning on the last Tuesday of the month (26th November 2019).

The roses are blooming as well as can be expected in the current heat and wind. Upon receiving advice from a rose horticulture specialist the rose cuttings were moved under the tables in the shade house as they were getting too much water. They will be inspected in February 2020 to see if the 3-4 cuttings in each pot - are ready to re-pot.

On 1 November nursery volunteers from Bowning-Bookham Landcare sowed some Billy Button seed (Craspedia sp.) collected from the Yass Valley region. Thirteen days on they are germinating under the guidance of the Bango nursery team. We look forward to planting these wildflowers out in our members paddocks where they will be food for local pollinators.