Changes....

At the end of November, my contract with Australia's Virtual Herbarium at the National Herbarium of NSW expires as a result of that great constant in the world of science: funding running out. So I've been quietly hunting for new work, and verily, it has come to pass! Next year I'll be starting a job at Macquarie University as a part-time research assistant for six months or so, working with Associate Professor Brian Atwell of the Biology Department, who is doing research into Australian native rice (Oryza species).

It fits brilliantly with my plans: I'll be able to work in between lectures and pracs; it'll mean no more commuting to the city; it's hands-on work; it's potentially important research in terms of high protein crop development in a world of hungry people and changing climate; and best of all, I'll be doing Real Science!

But first, I have to finish this semester.... Exams loom. So excuse me if I continue to be a bit remiss in looking after this blog. See you when I come up for air again.

'O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' She chortled in her joy.

I just got great news---I've been offered the job I'd applied for at the Herbarium, working on bryophyte data for Australia's Virtual Herbarium! It starts early August, three days a week.

It's been such a dream of mine to work at the Herbarium, since I did the Internship there. That, and the part time science degree.... Excuse me while I do a few handstands.

*bounce*
*bounce*
*bounce*

Burgeoning!

Hi everyone!

Busy times. I've been working hard on the garden. The beds near the front verandah were full of nasty exotic things, and they're gone now. In their place I've put in lots of new things, a goodly array of small trees, shrubs, monocots and ground covers.



In this bed is an established Ceratopetalum gummiferum, a New South Wales Christmas Bush, which has magnificent red sepals in summer. Against the lattice, I've planted Pandorea pandorana (Wonga Wonga vine). In front of those is an Acacia terminalis and a Grevillea olivacea x preissii which I grew at TAFE as one of my propagation assignments, and there are a couple of Goodenia ovata (with yellow flowers), to match the Acacia. I've planted a few Lomandra longifolia and Lomandra fluviatilis here and there, and in the foreground is a Zieria prostrata. Throughout, I've sown Dichondra repens seed as a ground cover.




This bed is very floral. I've planted as centrepieces, an Acacia fimbriata, a hybrid Leptospermum and a Corymbia ficifllia x ptychocarpa--the latter two have deep pink flowers. As smaller shrubs, I've planted Lomatia silaifolia, Crowea saligna and Melaleuca thymifolia. For ground covers, I've put in Brachyscome formosa, Brachyscome angustifolia, Brachyscome multifida, Wahlenbergia stricta, Dampiera diversifolia, Chrysocephalum apiculatum which will hopefully create a carpet of pink, blue and yellow. To create textural contrast, I added a few Patersonia sericea.

Once these become established, spring will bring a mass of colour! In my not too modest opinion.

Speaking of a lack of modesty, last week I was presented with the Award for Outstanding Graduate for my TAFE horticulture course last year! I was chuffed, especially when I discovered it entailed a book voucher from the wonderful bookshop Floreligium. Today the books I ordered arrived: the latest edition of "Frogs and Reptiles of the Sydney Region" by Ken Griffiths, and "Mycelium Running: how mushrooms can help save the world". Gorgeous.

My science degree begins in July. The course I'm starting with is Foundations for Resource and Environmental Management. I'm lowering myself back into tertiary education gently, so I'm starting with one course only.

The backyard vegie patch is coming on apace. Photos soon. I've planted peas, silver beet, rocket and cabbage, as well as nasturtiums and marigolds as companion plants, and I've mulched and set up an irrigation system and a fence to keep out the wallabies. They're looking good so far: no pests.

But alas, the wallabies got to my lemon tree. Now it has no leaves and no fruit. Still, they were here first so I can't complain. I've planted a Feijoa tree, but I'm not letting any damned marsupial near it. It's thoroughly protected by a plastic guard.

And I've started work on the pond. This really excites me! My plan is to put a waterfallish thing above a crack between two sandstone platforms. The water will flow down to pond number 1, and from there into a larger pond.

Update: I've started a new section on my Growing Passion website, devoted to the construction of the pond. Please take a look. I'll update it frequently, as the work gets done.

The first stage is removing huge tracts of the bloody agapanthus some nong planted. The more established plants have extensive root systems, and the only way to remove them is with brute force and lots of sweat. Still, it's satisfying work. And it's nice to have help. Here's Martien, hard at it. What a fine lad.




Agapanthus massacres are quite cathartic. During one I found a lone Epacris longiflora. It is looking rather sad, but now it's lost its competitors for space, light, nutrients and water, maybe it will be happier.

I also must tell you about the website of my friends, Stewart and Susie, on their swimming-pool-turned-into-pond: Pool to Pond. Stunning, huh? They're an inspiration. If you've a pool you don't want any more, forget about the expense of filling it in. This is the environmentally wonderful solution. Wouldn't you just love these plants and animals in your backyard?

Meanwhile, I'm continuing my volunteer work at the Herbarium's Plant Pathology Lab. Loving it to pieces. I'm even getting to do DNA extractions alone and without the aid of a net!

The closing date for applications for the Herbarium AVH position has ended. I've finished my application and mailed it off. It felt like a smallish novella. Please keep your fingers crossed for me.

Check out this gorgeous diamond python resident in the neighbours' roof! It vanished, apparently, during the bushfires, and rats invaded the roof. Now it's back and the rats are gone. I know which I'd prefer.




The other day, I saw a male Superb Lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae) in the garden, right next to the house. Wish I could have got a pic, but it ran away too quickly, alas. Damn but I love the wildlife here....

Oh, and we've got a new puppy--a border collie--Trillian, as a companion for Miepje. Isn't she beautiful? But naughty. Very, very naughty. Like Miepje, we got her from the RSPCA. Unlike Miepje, she's not in the least traumatised by her early experiences. She's ridiculously confident about the world. Smart as a button.

Back at the Blogface

Photo: a swamp wallaby in our new garden.

Finally, the prodigal blogger returns. Sorry about the delay. It's been quite a year and it's only April! First the Herbarium Plant Science Internship (details to come, I promise!), the slings and arrows of outrageous house purchasing, the move, the unpacking.... Photos of the house, both before and after the move, are here.

I've quit my horticulture course, somewhat alas. To be frank, the Internship thoroughly spoilt me, and horticulture just isn't enough any more. I'm studying to get ready for the science degree I mentioned last post, I'm working one day a week at the Botanic Gardens' Plant Disease Diagnostic Unit, and I am hoping to score a two day a week gig at the Herbarium working on Australia's Virtual Herbarium soon.

The Plant Path Lab is an utter wonder. I get to do wizzo things like examine nematodes from soil samples to check for the bad guys; prepare cultures of sundry microfungi and identify them under the microscope; and lately, even participate in polymerase chain reactions to do DNA identifications of fungi; and I'm shortly to go on field trips to National Parks with one of the Lab's scientists, collecting soil samples to search for phytophthera (an exceeding nasty micro-organism that attacks the roots of many native plants). I'll be doing the GPS measurements, drawing on one of the zillions of fascinating things I learned during the Internship. And I do some of the grunt work of labs: pouring out agar, doing the dishes, that sort of stuff. I'm working with some wonderful people, like Sue Bullock and Ed Liew. I am learning so much each week, my brain is bursting. Partly with joy.

And, of course, there is the new garden, which is filling me with bliss. Each day reveals a new delight. I keep finding tiny plants that aren't there because someone planted them. They just live there. And the animals! There are the swamp wallabies which visit daily (and have already eaten some of my newly planted seedlings. Grr.), and a boggling range of birds, including the Wonga pigeon, the Barking Owl, the Eastern Whipbird, the Spotted Pardalote, and a large range of parrots. And frogs! So many frogs. There are a couple of creeks behind our house that come alive with frog calls after rain. It'll be fascinating to see what moves into my new pond. When I've constructed it....

So far, the gardening has been limited to creating a vegie patch and planting a range of herbs (I'll start some pages with photos on my main website soon), and this weekend, we cleared out a garden bed in front of the verandah, removing various introduced species such as a large camellia and a hydrangea. I've planted Pandorea pandorana to grow up a trellis Martien made me, Acacia terminalis, Zieria prostrata (a threatened species) Lomandra fluviatilis (also a threatened species), Lomandra longifolia, Goodenia ovata, and sown Dichondra repens seed as a ground cover. Photos soon.

But I'm neglecting the gastropods here. Take a look at these gorgeous creatures: Triboniophorus graeffei. They're endemic to Australia and are, as you can see, quite remarkable. These two are engaged in humpy-bumpy. I guess it's pretty obvious why they might be called Red Triangle Slugs.




More soon!

Cheers,

Margaret