2020 - Invercargill 'Wild South'
April 16th - 19th, Ascot Park Hotel
See this newsletter for futher details including pre and post tour.
2021 - Hamilton - our 50th conference so time to celebrate
May 6th - 9th, Novotel, Hamilton.
2022 - Timaru
In this issue:
Kapiti Field Trip
2020 Invercargill Conference and Pre/Post tours
Applications open for Four Pack 2020
Applications open for Western Exchange 2020
Taranaki Field Trip Report
2019 Conference Report
2019 International Tour report
2018 International Tour report - Part 2
2020 IPPS International Tour - Western Region
Plant Production Scholarships
New - IPPS Conference Scholarship
Scholarship reciepients
Newsletter Format
This newsletter is sent to all New Zealand IPPS members by email if we have your address or by post if you prefer. It's also available on our website - www.ipps.org.nz
Some members have experienced problems reading the email version and may prefer to receive a hard copy.
If you'd like to change the method by which we send your copy, please advise:
Shirley Ogilvy
Email shirley@bruntwoodnurseries.co.nz
Post 208 Narrows Rd, RD 2, Hamilton
Phone 07 843 4902
Fax 07 843 4396
Mobile 027 490 6010
The recent field trips to New Plymouth and Singapore were a real success. Many thanks to the organisers and all who attended. Both trips were fortunate with the weather and there was a fantastic range of visits to gardens and nurseries as well as to some iconic attractions. During the New Plymouth trip we were enticed to purchase a new section... for anyone considering a move to Taranaki! I heard that the week in Singapore was very well organised, with a great range of places visited.
Great to see members using the online form for registering for field trips. This makes it a much easier task for members running the trip because all the details are automatically collated. Next trip is to Kapiti Island, only 30 places so be quick.
Planning for next years conference is well underway with a great pre and post tour. Book your time off work now.
It's good to see more new members joining although we also have similar numbers moving on. Recruitment is an ongoing focus of the committee, and we do encourage ideas or suggestions around how we might continue to grow our membership.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Hopefully there's not too many irrigation leaks over the break.
Seek and Share
Richard
Welcome to new members
Full members Jane Dowle, Jamie van der Hoek, Andrew Anderson, Peter Waterhouse, Fran O'Key, Grant Eyre, Sam Berenji, Geoff Bone
Student members Saurev Ghimire, Gurpreet Singh, Katherine Knight, Joshua Hall, Matt Beuzenberg, Cam Barry, Sandra Pearce
The Top Seek and Share Recruiter!
This competition is open to all members.
The member who recruits the most paid full members in a conference to conference year wins free membership for the following year.
If it is a tie the best dressed at the conference themed dinner wins. (Or England wins ;))
8am - Leave Kapiti Boating Club
3pm - Return to Boating Club
There is an optional dinner at your own cost in the evening
The boat trip is 20 minutes from Paraparaumu Beach on a purpose built jet boat. You will need to bring a coat, as well as good walking shoes and togs if you want to swim. It is especially important that all food is in sealed bags/containers and all your gear/shoes are free from mud and seeds. As part of the Bio Hazard requirements your bags and boots and jackets will be checked for any hitchhikers such as ants, geckos, spiders, seeds etc. This will be done as part of our departure.
Once you are on Kapiti you can walk at your leisure, sit on the beach, swim and relax OR take a guided walk with one of the guides who will talk about the history, plants and ecological history of the Island.
Unfortunately, at times the operators are forced to cancel due to sea conditions. If so, we have an alternative: Visits to Nga Manu Bird Sanctuary, Southwards Car Museum and Gus Evans Nurseries.
A packed lunch will be provided, along with water and juice as part of your registration.
As the boat holds 30, we intend to limit it to this number. So get your registration in early!!
Registrations close 20th January 2020
GETTING TO PARAPARAUMU
Air Chathams flies into Paraparaumu (Kapiti Coast Airport) from Auckland. Check their website for further details www.airchathams.co.nz
Alternatively fly into Wellington Airport and Gus could pick people up, either at 10am or 2pm on Friday 14th.
ACCOMMODATION
Suggestions listed below. There are more, but these are the closest.
2020 IPPS New Zealand Region Conference 'Wild South'
16th - 19th April 2020
Ascot Park Hotel
'Wild South' is the theme for the 2020 IPPS New Zealand Regions conference being held in Invercargill. A warm welcome awaits in the deep south with plenty of southern hospitality. Mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt will open the conference on Friday morning
Field trip visits will include Hayes Wholesale Nurseries, Diacks Garden Centre, TNZ Growing Products, Triflor Tulip Farm and Templeton Heritage Flax Mill.
Speakers confirmed so far are:
Rachael Sagar (DOC) “Saving Auckland Island biodiversity from introduced pests”
Ed Morgan (PFR) “Breeding technologies into the future”
Murray Dawson (LCR) “Taking stock : Resolving New Zealand’s cultivated plants problem”
Bruce Smallfield (PFR) “Taramea & Tawiniwini novel crop opportunities from native alpine plants” Lisa Burton - Biosecurity - Who wants to be a millionaire
Chris Barnaby – PVR office – “New Plant Variety Rights Law, what is happening”
Plus further speakers to be confirmed in the coming weeks.
The Friday night will be the formal dinner, awards, auction and entertainment at the Ascot Park while Saturday night will be at a mystery venue - dress code camouflage.
Pre tour - Tuesday 14th - Thursday 16th April
The pre tour will be based at the Ascot Park Hotel and will travel each day for visits. Participants will need to arrange their own accommodation these days
Estimated Cost $250pp
Tuesday 14th: Catlins
Niagara Falls Cafe
Waikawa Museum
Cathedral Cove
McClean Falls
Curio Bay and Petrified Forest
Wednesday 15th: Gore/Tapanui
Southern Roses
Blue Mountain Nurseries
Hokonui Pioneer Village and Moonshine Museum
Thursday 16th: Invercargill/Maple Glen
Maple Glen Garden
Transport World
Queens Park
Post Tour - April 20th - 22nd to RakIura - Stewart Island
A unique opportunity to visit Stewart Island with IPPS. Estimated cost $1036pp
Monday 20th April
Transfer to Stewart Island by ferry
Tour of Oban and surrounds
Observation Rock
Tuesday 21st April
Ulva Island Bird Santuary
Botanic Gardens
Registration forms and further information should be out early in 2020 so keep an eye on your inboxes and at www.ipps.org.nz
Applications now open for Four Pack 2020
The IPPS New Zealand Region is seeking applications for its four pack at its 2020 conference from April 16th – 19th at the Ascot Park Hotel in Invercargill.
“We’re after four enthusiastic, passionate and motivated people to apply for this great opportunity” says Trevor Allan who along with Mark Seebeck co-ordinate the four pack scheme for the IPPS New Zealand region “If you have been in the industry less than five years and are studying, or have recently completed studying some form of horticulture, then get your application in today”.
The four pack will assist with the running of the conference and are introduced to IPPS. They also learn more about the industry and meet people involved in various aspects of the industry from around the world. “It’s a good thing to put on your CV” adds Trevor.
Successful applicants have their transport, accommodation and conference registration provided for free. They also get to keep their four pack clothing and also receive free membership to the IPPS New Zealand Region for the following year.
For further information or an application form, contact Trevor Allan 027 459 2126 email trevor@advancedmedia.co.nz or IPPS New Zealand Region Secretary Glenys Evans 04 293 2501 or email gus@gusevans.co.nz Applications close 31st January 2020.
Applications now open for IPPS Western Exchange 2020
The IPPS New Zealand Region is seeking applications for our 2020 exchange to the IPPS Western Region which covers the West Coast of the United States and Canada.
“In 2019, Andrew Anderson travelled to the IPPS Western Region as the recipient of the exchange and had a great time” says Jill Reader, the exchange co-ordinator for the IPPS New Zealand Region. “We’re now looking for applicants for the 2020 exchange which will include attendance at the Western Region’s conference in Bellingham, Washington from June 22nd - 27th 2020. The Western Region is also hosting the International tour so there will be a number of international delegates in attendance.
The scholarship is open to any IPPS member 21 or over, but is aimed more at younger members in the early stages of their careers and is a good incentive for people to join IPPS – see www.ipps.org.nz for details and a membership form.
In return if you are the successful applicant, you will be required to share your knowledge and experiences with IPPS members in New Zealand with a presentation at the annual conference and an article in the newsletter. Travel (including travel insurance), conference, and accommodation costs are covered
An application form can be downloaded below or at www.ipps.org.nz or contact Glenys Evans Phone 04 293 2501 Email gus@gusevans.co.nz for further information.
Applications close 31st March 2020
It was an ominous sign the night before the field trip began when torrential rain fell and left many of thinking we would be spending a couple of very wet days in the Taranaki. But as it does, the weather came right for the rest of the trip.
The first visit of the day was to Natural Fare who produces living herbs for supermarkets throughout New Zealand. Russel Johnson showed us around this operation which produces 750000 pots of herbs each year under 6500 square metres of glasshouse at Lepperton. Most propagation is done by seed with things like mint and rosemary done by cuttings. The growing houses are computer controlled and more and more is being mechanised to save on costs. This includes moving benches which cuts down how much is handled by staff. An impressive operation and a credit to Russel and his staff.
Vince and Ann Naus welcomed us to their garden where morning tea was served. Better known as owners of Big Jims Garden Centre, Vince and Ann’s love of plants extends to their garden which was started from scratch 16 years ago. The garden is divided up into a number of areas including a cottage garden, rose garden and a formal area with New Zealand natives. The garden borders the Mangaoraka Stream and there is a walk through New Zealand natives alongside it. It was a pleasure to walk around a garden with two passionate gardeners looking after it.
Woodleigh Nursery was the next stop where Janica Amoore spoke about the nursery, which she brought off Glyn Church and relocated to the current property in 2011. Hydrangeas are a speciality of Woodleigh and must have the largest selection in New Zealand with 250 varieties and species, also including close relatives like Dichroa. Plants are sent all around New Zealand by courier, mostly to home gardeners and landscapers. Woodleigh also took over the well known seedling business Phillips Native Seeds around five years ago and grows a range of native seedlings in trays, which are then dispatched to customers to prick out.
Lunch was at Tawa Glen Nursery which was followed by a tour of the nursery by Ian and Wendy Swan. The nursery specialises in Japanese maples, rhododendrons and deciduous azaleas with some other lines also grown. Propagation is all done on site with maples open ground and other lines in containers. Grafters were busy grafting maples when we visited. The nursery is very tidy and a credit to Ian and Wendy.
Photos Clockwise from top left
Natural Fare
Garden of Vince and Ann Naus
Acers at Tawa Glen
Hydrageas at Woodleigh
Legendary plant propagator Jim Rumbal, formerly of Duncan and Davies then welcomed everyone to his garden outside New Plymouth. Jim’s garden is full of treasures and he took great delight in pointing many out during the tour of his garden, one of them is his collection of dwarf conifers.
For something a bit different, the next stop was the newly open Hillsborough Holden Museum which houses the collection of Steve Fabish, a local Holden enthusiast who wishes to share his collection with visitors. A café and mini golf course with a Bathurst theme will make this a must visit attraction for the Taranaki.
The final visit of the day was to Slaters Orchids where Don Slater welcomed us to this specialist orchid grower. With 9500 square metres under production, it was an impressive sight with the orchids in bloom, although it is nearly towards the end of the season. 80% of the orchid blooms are exported, half of this to Japan with the other 20% sold locally including an on-site shop. Four colours are grown – white, green, pink and yellow with propagation done via an on-site tissue culture lab. A hybridising program has recently been started to develop new varieties.
Photos clockwise from top
Part of Jim Rumbals collection of dwarf conifers
Slaters Orchids
Jim Rumbal welcoming visitors to his garden
A visit to the world famous Pukeiti Rhododendron Gardens kicked off the second day of the trip. Now under the management of the Taranaki Regional Council, $6.5 million dollars has been invested into the gardens and more developments are planned in the coming years. Andrew Booker, previously Curator but now in a new role preserving and propagating rhododendrons. Pukeiti has 440 of the 1125 rhododendron species grown around the world in its collection and as Andrew says “we don’t want to loose any of them”. Four metres of rain a year also adds challenges especially with managing pests and diseases in the gardens.
Our next visit was to Tapuae Estate where John and Mary Washer spoke about this lifestyle estate less than 10 minutes from New Plymouth. The 30 sections are surrounded by farmland and native bush which also includes 44km of walkways and private access to a beach. 225000 plants have been planted mostly supplied by the on-site nursery. Pukekos and rabbits among other things have provided some challenges - 500 rabbits have been killed in the last 8 weeks.
The estate is certainly a credit to John & Mary and a number on the trip were hoping for a win in the Powerball so they could buy one of the remaining sections!
It was onto Lowlands Nursery where Ian Fankhauser welcomed everyone in true IPPS style with morning tea before a tour of the very tidy nursery. Ian grows 600000 growing on lines a year, mostly from cuttings of which Azaleas, Rhododendrons and Camelias are the main lines. Prior to our visit, the stock beds had been pruned, this is to encourage new, vigorous growth that will be taken for the next batch of cuttings. There is also an on-going program to renew stock bed plantings with new plantings as the cutting strike rate declines.
The final visit of the day was to Tikorangi, the garden of Mark and Abbie Jury. Although closed to the public, it is occasioned opened for groups such as ourselves so it was a real privilege to see this garden and all its treasures including many plants bred by Mark and his late father Felix Jury. Newer parts of the garden have been developed on the site of the old nursery area (closed 2007) including an interesting grass garden.
Photos clockwise from top left:
Pukeiti Rhodendron Gardens
Nursery at Tapuae Estate
New Grass Garden at Tikorangi
Lowlands
As I missed the last day, Ian Swan reports on the two visits made.
About 16 fit and able got up for the 9am Sunday start to climb the 150m pretty much vertical climb to the top of Paritutu. This rock and the surrounding islands are the remains of an extinct volcano from 1.75 million years ago with Paritutu thought to be a lava plug. The weather was stunning with no wind and views from Kawhia to the north and the stunning view of Mt. Taranaki/Egmont to the south and looking out over Port Taranaki and New Plymouth city.
The climbers made it to Pukekura Park to team up with the rest of the members and Ken Davey who took us into the park to be greeted by Donna the fernery coordinator. The fernery opened in 1926 and was built to house a collection of ferns. The fernery was formed by 3 swimming pool sized holes being dug into Taranaki clay soils and then connected by tunnels.
The original glasshouses have been replaced by modern taller and temperature controlled structures and many other plants added for interest with displays of orchids, begonia, maples and many more stunning plants on display in the heated top house.
In 2012-13 the nursery area was redeveloped with new propagating facilities added. The fernery maintains and grows the majority of the plants on display. One major problem is shading from the original 1876 planted trees behind the fernery area.
Thank you to the organisers for another great IPPS field trip and also to those who opened up their businesses and gardens for us to visit.
Photos
Left: Fern House at Pukekura Park
Right: View from Paritutu
IPPS Conference 2019 - Paper summaries
Editors note: As I was unable to attend the conference in Australia, I am most grateful for the editor of the IPPS Australia Newsletter Bruce Higgs for sending me articles from the Australian newsletter. The following is the first of the paper summaries from the conference with the rest to follow over future newsletters.
Angus Stewart "What can plant propagators do for the world's environmental challenges?" Angus believes that the 21st century offers a golden opportunity for horticulture and plant propagators. He highlighted three areas where he saw great opportunities.
Revegetation industry - Australia is very biodiverse with something like 25000 species, many of which are struggling with urban encroachment, farming and mining. This presents opportunities for replanting as well as consulting, and involves site audits, seed collecting and plant propagation to maintain diversity. Long stem planting of eucalypts to stabilise river banks was also discussed.
Carbon sesquestration - long term tree plantings is one of the challenges for this century. Composting and especially of food waste was seen as one of the opportunities. Ozharvest are using food waste in composts for community gardens. Home and industrial scale worm farming were discussed, one cut flower grower was quoted as saving $70,000 per annum on fertiliser and chemicals with this approach.
Urban Farming - is happening in cities throughout the world. Angus feels that we as an industry need to raise the consumer awareness of the difficulty to produce fruit, vegetables and flowers in an environmentally acceptable way as we are all experiencing cost pressures. He discussed an urban farm project he has been involved in at Macquarie Harbour in Hobart using city waste, turning it into fertiliser and using it on raised wicking plant beds (Vegepod system). One of the new cost effective inventions being trialled at present is WaterUps from DownUnder wicking cells.
Dr. S. K. Unnikrishnan (Unni), presented "Current Trends In Propagation And Commercialisation Of Aquatic Plants". The aquatic plant business world- wide is worth about $400 million. Glass cased “gardens” are based on the use of home aquariums with plants of different size and form. Many terrestrial plants when grown underwater take on a different form, so the variety of plants that can be used is great. The talk emphasised the advancements in propagation including micropropagation and delivery of healthy, vigorous aquatic plants to the global market.See https://www.biotopeone.com/latest-trends-in- propagation-of-aquarium-plants/ also for a description.
Megan Robinson - from Headford Propagators in NZ gave a report on her 2018 Western Region exchange trip including the International Conference in Hawaii. At Hawaiian Sunshine Nursery she was amazed to see plants grown in volcanic rock. Walking around Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary was one of the highlights of attending the conference. From there she flew to San Jose in Southern California. Her first visit was to Four Winds Growers (citrus nursery) then onto Santa Cruz Arboretum (University of Calfornia). After some touring she went to Yamagami's Garden Center with a great range of plants. Her next visit was to the Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden with a great layout. At Cabrillo College in Aptos she saw an aquaponics lettuce crop. At Fresno she went to Taiko Nursery featuring an Elle Pot machine then onto Alta Nurseries who use Elle pots and do 9000 cuttings a day. At Olive Hall nursery (140 employees) all the 25 varieties of plants are grown indoors. She was amazed at what she saw each nursery could do at the International Floral Trade Center. At Jim Shearmans Nursery she not only saw plants but snakes, lizards and frogs. Western Cactus was another highlight with a great variety of plants.
Emily Teng - in her talk "Trading Gray Cubicles for Rainbow Skies: How I Changed Careers and Ended up Growing Plants in Hawaii" spoke about her career change into growing plants and her NZ exchange to Australia and NZ in the future.
Laura M. Miller from Texas spoke about their problems dealing with "Crapemyrtle bark scale (Acanthcoccus lagerstroemiae)". ( http://www.EDDMAPS.org/C
MBS/ has links to papers and fact sheets)
In the United States there are two main pests of Crape- myrtles (that we know as crepe myrtle): Crapemyrtle aphid (Sarucallis kahawaluo- kalani) a leaf pest native to southeast Asia, and Crapemyrtle bark scale (Kuwana) native to Asia. Kuwana is polyphagous and is really hard to control. Black sooty mould on the bark is an indicator, and it is morphologically nearly identical to azalea bark scale but genetically different. If you squash a bark scale on a Crapemyrtle and it is pink it is Kuwana. No resistant Crapemyrtle cultivars have been identified. Out of the insecticides trialled Neonic soil injections worked best to control the pest. However Crapemyrtles flower in August and produce lots of pollen and when beehives were inspected in Texas most of the pollen was from Crapemyrtle. Kuwana also appears to complete its lifecycle on a popular native plant: American beauty- berry (Callicarpa Americana). There are many other hosts, but these include Buxus microphylla, Malus domestica, Rubus sp., and Myrtus sp. (Myrtaceae). Lady beetles were found to be a natural enemy, so trials were undertaken to test the impact of insecticides on natural enemies. Oil sprays are not effective in the control of the scale, the Neonics are, and applications of the insect growth regulators Buprofezin or Pyriproxyfen were also effective.
Sandon Adams from Oritain in his paper "Origin Finger- printing to Protect IP" explored the use of new technologies in IP protection by using an analysis of radioactive isotopes plant samples as "fingerprints" to trace the origins of plants to their growing source down to country, region or even nursery/orchard. Indictors analysed for include the isotopes 13C, 2H, and trace elements Li, Al, Pb, Cs, Rb and Sr content allow them to get down to farm location. As an origin system it has benefits over traceability systems in terms of forensics back to the origin. Multi-variate statistical models are used to analyse data to arrive at the "fingerprint" based on origin and detect fraudulent product that could damage brand reputation.
Dr. Puthiyaparambil C. Josekutty from Skybury Coffee Pty Ltd, (www.skybury.com.au ), has micro-propagated over 100 plant species and crop varieties from Australia, USA, New Zealand, Micronesia and India. His talk on "In Vitro Cloning of Avocado". Clonal rootstocks offer uniformity resulting in increased yields and reduced orchard management costs.
Currently they are produced through the troublesome and painstaking double grafting protocol (Frolich method) where plantlets are grafted onto sought after rootstock varieties that are difficult to root. Australia produced 77,000 tonnes of avocados in 2017/2018 of which 2.3% was exported. Queensland accounts for 62% of the production, and the major varieties are Hass (78%), and Shepard (19%). At present, there is no commercially available In Vitro protocol for any of the rootstocks. Some of the seedling rootstocks used in Australia are Zutano and Velvick, and Clonal rootstock examples are Dusa and Lata varieties. Jose is investigating micropropagation from apical/ axillary meristems introduced into culture medium with some success for Zutano. An unusual issue found was antibiotic resistant bacterial contamination in shoot culture. Rooting did not have sufficient root hairs though to form viable plants. Ex-vitro rooting of shoots under greenhouse conditions appears to be working on a small scale.
Dr David Elmouttie - Business Manager ANZ - BASF Professional & Specialty Solutions, spoke on "Introducing New Chemistry and Actives" especially the new Versys and Velifer Insecticides. One of the challenges happening today with legislation is consumer-driven change rather than science fact based. Another is the effect of court cases and insurance on the ability to use products into the future. Development of new chemistries is more difficult now than in the past. Versys is a synthetic insecticide derived from a natural fermentation process and a 9D insecticide working by disorienting aphids with good residual activity and short withholding periods. It has translaminar and acropetal mobility through leaves and to the tips, and of low impact with beneficial insects. Velifer (registration pending) is a contact fungal biological insecticide for thrips, whiteflies, aphids and two-spotted mites. It is claimed to be effective through egg, larva or nymph, pupa and adult life stages. The level of control is greater the earlier it is used as part of an IPM program. Late afternoon application with low UV levels is preferable.
James Altman from Biological Services presented "Optimising IPM Into the Future - Current Strategies and Challenges". New chemical products are becoming more specific, with lower residual life. They are typically IPM compatible, with lower environmental toxicity and are often microbial based. We can no longer rely on a continual supply of new chemistries. IPM relies on; clean nursery stock / seed; Quarantine / Exclusion/ Screening/ Trapping; Hygiene/ Sanitation/ Segregation; Biocontrols & Monitoring; Selective use of Chemicals; Residual Broad-spectrum Chemicals and Fumigation use restricted to last resort. Typical pests and appropriate biological controls for each were described. A number of new technologies and biological controls from various producers were discussed also.
James Gardner from Organic Crop Protectants spoke about "OCP - Insecticides". Points raised were that you need to be proactive in your pest and disease control, and adapt your production system to suit. Knowing and monitoring pests and recording and reporting were emphasised. James then spoke about Neem oils, and AzaMax action on insect life stages. ApisBloom is a new pheromone for attracting bees. The use of bees to control crop Botrytis by using Trichoderma at the hive was also discussed.
Dr Reyhaneh Pordel is an Agronomist Representative from Garden City Plastics, and spoke about "plant enhancement and disease improvement". With heightened public concern about the use of pesticides in our environment, there is a need for us to optimise the management of pesticide and fertilizer use. This is particularly important in greenhouse environments where we control airflow, temperature, humidity, media, temperature, pH, nutrition and watering. Resistant crops will reduce the need for pathogen control. Reyaneh initially focussed on Smokemaster (improved seed germination), Smoke- water (germination and soil treatment) and Shield (liverwort control and plant health) from the Grayson range. She then discussed the role of nutrients in plant- disease interaction and the use of various controlled-release fertilisers from ICL.
Peter Lewis gave us insights into the "Beijing Horticultural Expo '19" to be held from May to October '19 in the Tanqing region on 550 hectares ( http://www.horti-expo2019.org ) about two hours travel north of Beijing and near the Great Wall. There are 110 countries and associations represented and they expect 16 million visitors. Australia is well represented, as is South Africa, Germany and many small nations such as Kyrgyzystan and Nepal. The provinces of China are also well represented.
IPPS International Tour 2019
'Its all in the Latitude'
The recent 2019 conference marked the Australian regions turn to host the IPPS International tour. A group of 53 enthusiastic plant people from 8 countries gathered in Cairns to tour down the East Coast, finishing in Twin Waters for the conference. Covering about 2500 km, and no less than 57 towns, we were treated to some of the world’s most beautiful scenery, and its most interesting tropical horticulture. A brief summary of some of the many highlights of the tour is presented here.
Flecker Botanical Gardens, Cairns:
Flecker Garden epitomises the diversity of tropical flora that can be found across the world's tropical regions including plants from South East Asia, South America, Africa and of course Tropical North Queensland. The Watkins Munro Martin Conservatory houses some of the Gardens' most valuable and tender plants and a collection of local butterflies. Inside the Conservatory, are carefully landscaped botanical displays featuring aroids - including the Gardens’ significant amorphophallus collection - as well as bromeliads, tillandsias, carnivorous plants, cycads, ferns, palms, orchids and tassel ferns. The Gondwanan Heritage Garden is a garden tracing the evolution of plants from the first photosynthetic bacteria to the modern flowering plants. Emphasis is placed on the Gondwanan component of the plant kingdom and in particular the development of the distinctive Australian Wet Tropics flora.
Whyanbeel Arboretum:
Peter Sargent showed us around the property he and his family have spent a lifetime developing into a botanical collection of international significance. Nestled in the hills north of Port Douglas, Queensland, it showcases rare tropical fruit trees, palms and flowering plants useful for food, fiber and floriculture. Peters passion is evident in his tour. His knowledge is extensive, and he is only too willing to share it!
We had already visited some of the best green spaces New York had to offer, but several more iconic places in Manhattan were due a visit before we bid farewell to the Big Apple and headed out into the Beyond.
No trip to this city would be complete without a visit to Central Park, a National Historic Landmark of 843 acres sandwiched in between some very famous Manhattan streets (Fifth Avenue, 59th Street….) and probably one of the most famous parks in the world. There was no way we could walk around the entire park during our visit, so the bus dropped us off at Strawberry Fields, the memorial to John Lennon, and we walked to the lake that features in many movie scenes. At no stage did the park seem overcrowded, the busiest place that morning by far was the dog park. There are an estimated 37 million visitors to the park each year, so we must have struck a very quiet time.
Central Park is maintained by the Central Park Conservancy, run as a not-for-profit organisation much like other public gardens here, and it even has its own police precinct.
The Central Park Conservatory Garden is a 6 acre corner of Central Park that can be accessed on Fifth avenue through the massive ornate Vanderbilt Gate. The name Conservatory Garden hints at its past, as many years ago there were large Victorian glasshouses on the site. The glasshouses fell out of favour, and in 1934 an urban planner named Robert Moses had them all pulled down to be replaced by gardens planted in 3 styles: English, French and Italian. By the 1970s these gardens also came into disrepair, before the Central Park Conservancy stepped in and restored them to their former glory. Nowadays there are a handful of staff and many volunteers who faithfully maintain the gardens. One of our tour group, Ellen Shapiro, was happy to see a Colocasia that had been named after her in one of the English garden borders. Colocasia esculenta ‘Elena’ is a sport of C. ‘Chicago Harlequin’ found in Alan and Ellen Shapiro’s nursery a few years ago.
The small number of staff and the many volunteers at the Conservatory Garden are kept busy planting out 50,000 bulbs annually along with various other annual plantings to give year-round interest for visitors. The entire Garden is a Designated Quiet Zone, a lovely place to visit.
Did you know IPPS New Zealand offers Plant Production Scholarships? Each year, up to three scholarships, worth up to $1600 each may be awarded for the following purposes:
Creating a video interview of an IPPS member
Studying a programme or courses relevant to plant production
Undertaking a research project relating to plant production
Gaining relevant plant production experience in New Zealand or overseas.
Further information and an application form can be downloaded below or click here for information on the IPPS New Zealand website.
The IPPS New Zealand Region has introduced a conference scholarship to financially support a member to attend an IPPS New Zealand conference or a field trip.
Each year one scholarship may be awarded that will cover the conference registration fee of an IPPS conference in New Zealand (excluding accommodation, travel, and non-conference meals). Please note the scholarship for the 2020 conference has been awarded.
Each year one scholarship per field trip may be awarded that will cover the field tripregistration fee and other trip costs up to a value of $150, for an IPPS field trip in New Zealand.
Further information and an application form can be downloaded below or click here for information on the IPPS New Zealand website.
2020 IPPS International Tour Hosted by the IPPS Western Region
June 13th - 22nd 2020
Start off in Vancouver, Canada and end in Bellingham, Washington in time for the IPPS Western Regions Conference being held from June 22nd - 27th.
Further details will be future newsletters and at www.ipps.org
Important change regarding the Black Book
From this year, the Black Book will no longer be produced in hard copy which has been communicated through previous newsletters. The New Zealand Region is looking into producing its own copies which would be made available to members at cost.
Using the IPPS logo
IPPS members and all companies and institutions that actively support the Society, are welcome to use the IPPS logo. Use it anywhere you wish showing your affiliation to IPPS, e.g. your business card, company letterhead, catalogue or any other marketing material.
If you use the logo and are a member in good standing, you may ad the designation "Member, IPPS" and if your company or institution supports the Society in anyway, please ad "Supporting IPPS".
IPPS Membership
Do you know of anyone who would be interested in joining IPPS? The best method of recruiting new members is by word of mouth by existing members. Download the membership form below and see who in your organisation or local area might be interested in joining.
Don't forget to mention some of the great benefits of joining IPPS including:
The New Zealand Board has decided to introduce free student memberships as a way of attracting younger members into IPPS New Zealand.
Student Membership will be free and each membership will be for two years, with one right of renewal for a maximum of a further two years. The criteria for recognition as a student will be set by the New Zealand IPPS Board and is as follows:
The individual must provide proof of enrollment in any NZQA approved program of study to qualify for Student Membership
The individual should provide details of a contact person from their education institution/training provider who is able to confirm their student status
Student Membership will apply whether someone is studying full time or part time.
If you know of anyone who would be interested, download the application form below to apply for this membership option.
