Spring Seminar Series

Our remaining two seminars feature:

• Groundcovers - Tuesday, 23 September, at 4.30 pm. » Click for more details
• Grasses - Tuesday, 21 October, at 4.30 pm. » Click for more details

Please RSVP by the Friday prior to the seminar date. We'd hate to end up with too many visitors and too few refreshments!

WeedWise Nursery Award

August 26 was a busy day for us. As well as holding the first seminar of our Spring Series, we were also presented with the New Zealand Plant Protection Society's WeedWise Nursery Award.

Organised by the Council of Australasian Weed Societies (CAWS), this award is in its second year and recognises nurseries who:
• voluntarily remove invasive plants from their nursery and stock lists,
• sell indigenous flora,
• ensure that their stock is correctly labelled,
• participate in such schemes as "Plant Me Instead", and
• educate customers about environmental issues, especially about invasive plants.

Dr. Ruud Kleinpaste presented the award and spoke of the importance of biodiversity and biosecurity issues. Threatened plant research, conservation management and weed recognition were topics addressed by Dr. Peter de Lange, a DOC scientist who we are pleased to be able to assist in his work with threatened plants. Representatives from various local bodies who support such philosophies joined us for lunch and environmentally-friendly networking.

As we scanned the presentation area for the best place to take photographs, it occurred to us it is regrettable that ‘WeedWise' does not imply ‘WeedFree'! A wet winter plus warmer temperatures produces weeds no matter how ‘WeedWise' the nursery!

Join us on September 23 to learn how groundcovers can help minimise some of these weed challenges.

Regards
The Oratia Native Plant Nursery Team