Native plants encourage native wildlife

“The showcase is an event where we display plants and flowers that have grown in our gardens, from our members’ gardens,” Australian Plants Society Echuca president Sue Robertson said.

“Last year we had over 300 different specimens, there were 300 different flowers of all sorts of different native plants that you can grow in the area.

“Whether it’s plants from Western Australia or all over Australia really, that will actually grow in the area they will be on display here.”

A member of the chapter will have a display of their paintings of native flowers.

“We have Heather Turner from Rochester coming to do a basket weaving display, she was here last year and does a magnificent job,” Mrs Robertson said.

“She weaves baskets using native grass.

“We have a display of grassland grasses and a few plants and flowers that grow in the grasslands, out towards Mount Terrick.

“When you have native flowers in the garden, it attracts native bees, which are good pollinators for all different types of plants.

“It is really important to grow our native plants for our wildlife and habitat for things like frogs and lizards.

“We would like people to come along to see what is able to be grown in the gardens and encourage people to grow native plants.”

Entry to the showcase is $5 which includes a cup of tea or coffee and a biscuit.

To meet your need to take plants home with you, four nurseries will be there with plant sales.

These include Ironstone Park nursery, Goldfields Revegetation, Rochester Nursery and Russell Wait who is an eremophila specialist.

Australian Plants Society Echuca Moama native flower showcase is at Echuca Masonic Lodge, 426 High St, Echuca, on Saturday, October 7, from 9am to 4pm.