H E R B S                                                    NO 72     August 2004 SHOW SUPPLEMENT New look for our 2004 Wildflower Festival

Nothing stays the same - not even festivals. And our Wildflower Festival is no exception. Our festival committee is in the throes of new look ideas which we hope will arouse the interest of old and young and bring in the crowds from far and wide. We coincide with the Whale Festival 23 to 26 September this year and they are also working on new images, environmental and educational. Specimen and floral displays: These will be brought together in a family-related way. Challenging? Indeed! Gone are the days of massed impact. Education and conservation of the species is the name of the game. The Code of Conduct for Wildflower Shows (Western Cape) drawn up by WCNCB (Western Cape Nature Conservation Board) lays down rules re picking, permits, duration of shows and administration of the proceeds. Last year our show produced a Tree Trail - this year wheelchair friendly paths in the gardens will be our goal. Read more about this below… Some of the fascinating, rare and vulnerable species you will perhaps see on display are: Moraea lucida, a black moraea Protea angustata, rare ground protea Roridula gorgonias, rare carnivorous plant Mini indigenous gardens: The amphitheatre will be the scene of this fascinating new feature - plus/minus ten indigenous gardens of different shapes and sizes, the possibilities varying from a children's fantasy garden where tortoises and other animals could well be fairies in disguise, to a township garden planned and executed by a Zwelihle resident who is manager of a local nursery. Expert advisers will be in attendance. Security will be a top priority for the gardens - not so much an anti-burglar exercise as protection against our local baboon troop, not to mention the bokkie brigade who will delight in the delicate floral morsels on offer. The parkland area is at present being trimmed and tidied with loving care in anticipation of our show plans and also our Walks on Wheels project (from show proceeds), which will help establish paths and gardens especially for the very old, disabled and very young. Donations are welcome. Help us make our dream come true! Other attractions: Indigenous plants on sale Gourmet Catering Fynbos for Sale: cut flowers not used by the arrangers will be bunched and sold . Fernkloof homemade fare: Everything from koeksusters to candles, cards and a special pot-pourri.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Our Wildflower Festival is always a team effort. Please contact one of us listed below if you would like to be one of that team: Carol Groenewald (convener) 028-3132675 Geraldine Gardiner (deputy) 028-3124148 Margaret de Villiers (arranging) 028-3140084 Sandy Jenkin (mini gardens) 028-3140554 Priscilla Drewe (picking) 028-3140919 Carol Leipold (catering) 028-3124465 Jack Bold (nursery) 028-3122985 Christine Wakfer ( Fernkloof stall) 028-3140721 Tess Weber (Flower care) 028-3122189 Vivian White (strong-arm brigade)028-3140171

DID YOU KNOW?

A members' special is in place at the Fernkloof nursery. You will be given a 10% discount on all purchases so get there quickly! In Fernkloof we have a fragrance garden, an aloe garden - and now a 'search and rescue' garden. It is a haven for plants under bulldozer threat and consists, at present, mainly of small restios and ericas taken from the alien forest area where the golf course development presumably one day will be established. Fynbos does not transplant easily but hopefully winter rains and careful planting will give us some success. With the new emphasis on paths and gardens in the parkland area, we might one day be lucky enough to have a coffee shop with million-dollar mountain and sea views… Please take note that some of our Friday evening talks will now take place on a Thursday to enable more people to attend. The Mossel River mid-winter has been running unusually low The monthly photographic flower column 'What's Flowering' in the Visitors' Centre is the work of Christine Wakfer, our Fernkloof website photographer. Congratulations are due to our chairman, David Beattie, who was nominated for the mayor's environmental conservation award last month for his role with the Cliff Path Management Group. The beautiful fynbos arrangements at the Botanical Centre on that occasion were the work of Margaret de Villiers. Latest upgrade on the CPMG menu is an 88-metre stretch West Cliff way which will enable residents of Huis Lettie Theron to wheel their way to the Cliff Path if necessary. Think twice before you reach up to pat the nearest Fernkloof tree. Jack found he had his hand on a large lively boomslang the other day - and it was early July when all good snakes should be sleeping. Fernkloof staff have been busy - counting cars and people visiting the reserve during the last week of the school holidays, plus collecting comments. Plant water stress experiments are being conducted from tagged specimens near the Botanical Centre. The cycle trail opposite the Centre is looking pristine now that alien myrtle, gum, port jackson and rooikrantz have been removed from the dense stands of flowering proteas lining some of the path . Thanks to lone ranger Bob Hill who lost a lens and cutters in the process.

PROGRAMME

HACKING MEETS :	08:00	September - March
	08:30	April - August

Tuesdays (third of each month) :	August 17
	September 21 ( Show permitting )
	October 19
	November 16

For further information contact Bob Hill

028-3121463

 

OTHER SOCIAL EVENTS :

August 21	08:30	DAY WALK : Heuningberg, Bredasdorp
September 13-15		EXCURSION : The Baths, Citrusdal
September 23-26		FERNKLOOF: Wildflower festival
October 8	20:00	FERNKLOOF : Dr John Manning, Crompton Herbarium: Cape bulbs
October 18	8:30	DAYWALK : Gansbaai to Kleinbaai
November 9-11		EXCURSION : Victoria Bay
November 11    NB: Thursday	20:00	FERNKLOOF : Pierre le Roux & Barend le Roux - BAG ( Baboon Action Group ) discussion
December 16	18:00	Chairman's walk. Bring picnic supper
January 22, 2005	08:00	DAY WALK : Harold Porter Botanical Gardens, Betty's Bay : Disas

For further information re walks please contact Piet Joubert

tel 028-3140264

Published by Hermanus Botanical Society, PO Box 208, Hermanus 7200 Editor: GERALDINE GARDINER - Fax (028) 3130617