MINUTES – UPPER YARRA VALLEY GARDEN CLUB MEMBERS’ MEETING
MONDAY 19th FEBRUARY 2024
GOLF CLUB, WARBURTON
OPEN MEETING: 7.30PM
1 Attendance
President welcomed including new members and visitors Ta Menkens, Kim Linssen, Ivor Wolstonecroft, Gladys Nooke, Debbie from Perth, John Zigmantas (new member), Lynda Barendregt, Kate Blanchard, Derry Talvainn, Peter Marshall, George de Bourk, Danny Kurka and Patrick Joseph. She gave a special welcome to our guest speaker, David de Angelis. David is a naturalist, environmental educator and zoological consultant with particular interests in the conservation and biology of frogs and reptiles.
Apologies: as recorded in the attendance book.
All members were reminded to:
- sign the attendance book
- wear their name tags
- buy raffle tickets. Note that we now have the capacity to accept cards for payment.
- vote at the Popular Vote table
2 Stewards
SUPPER STEWARDS: volunteers
WELCOME STEWARDS: Bea Wicks-Kaandorp, Gillian Brown
RAFFLE TICKETS: Ashleigh Hall
3 Guest Speaker
David de Angelis gave a very entertaining talk on frog-friendly gardening in the Upper Yarra Valley.
Main points:
- Each description of the various local frogs was accompanied by a photograph and a recording of its conspicuous call; many of these calls are familiar to us all but the frogs themselves are rarely seen. Only males make these calls, which can be biphasic. One part of the call is to attract females and the other to keep other males away.
- Local frogs don’t need indigenous vegetation to thrive; their main diet is insects
- The vast majority of local frogs need to lay their eggs – and the tadpoles need to develop – in standing water, whether this be a pond, an old bathtub, a half-filled watering can or something similar.
- Frog species in the Yarra Ranges: The commonest frog here – and Victoria generally – is the common froglet. This species only requires 6 weeks to develop from egg to frog, so can breed in temporary water. It has therefore managed to survive droughts. This is the case also for the spotted marsh frog. Other species, such as the Victorian smooth froglet and the Southern toadlet, have not been so lucky; they need the water to persist for about 6 months for the tadpoles to complete their development. For this reason, their main calling season is in the autumn ahead of the winter rains. These two species are less common in the Upper Yarra Valley, although not yet regarded as threatened. The Southern banjo frog or pobblebonk is well known. An interesting feature of its call is that the three syllables are actually the call of three different banjo frogs. Much rarer is the growling grass frog which has been found in only two locations in the Yarra Valley. It is very susceptible to chytrid fungus.
- Pond /wetland conditions:
- The type of vegetation seems to be less important for breeding than the presence of water, as long as there is adequate cover. This applies to submerged vegetation and plants growing on land, both of which are important for frog habitat.
- There is a huge range of plants to choose from. Best plants for pond edges are strappy-leaved plants (e.g. irises, junca, lamandra) and emergent plants such as water milfoil, water plantain, marshflower, knotweed, buttercup. These provide places for frogs to lay their eggs.
- Submerged plants for oxygenation and shelter include valisneria.
- Beware of floating plants such as duckweed which can spread rapidly and over-shade the pond surface.
- Choose a sunny location to provide optimum growing conditions for submerged vegetation. A warmer pond also inhibits the growth of chytrid fungus, which is lethal for frogs.
- About 50% of the water surface should be free of any floating vegetation (submerged vegetation is OK)
- Some bare rocks are advisable to keep the pond warmer, inhibit chytrid fungus and provide possible habitat for the growling grass frog. Also have some rocks under water.
- Make sure there are differing water depths in the pond, both shallow and deep, to provide a range of differing temperatures.
- Algae can be controlled by the use of barley straw. Algicides labelled as safe for fish are probably OK for frogs too.
- Mosquitoes: Tadpoles make pond conditions less amenable for mosquito larvae as they keep the water moving. Some small native fish are OK for mosquito control, but avoid goldfish at all costs!
4 Supper break
5 Minutes of previous meetInG
Motion: That the minutes of the meeting on Monday 20th November 2023 be confirmed.
Moved: Mavis Clifford Seconded: Grace Keck
Carried.
6 Secretary’s report
Correspondence in:
| DATE | FROM | ABOUT |
| January 2024 | Creswick Garden Club | Enquiring about a bus trip to the Yarra Valley to visit some of our gardens in October 2024 |
Correspondence out:
| DATE | TO | ABOUT |
| 8th February 2024 | Doris Weigert’s family | Condolence card and flowers |
Motion: That the Secretary’s report be accepted.
Moved: Kelly Frost Seconded: Janet Sowden
7 Treasurer’s report
As approved by the Committee at its last meeting, a report of our income and expenditure for the month ending 31st January 2024 is appended.
Motion: That the Treasurer’s report be accepted.
Moved: Eric Felber Seconded: Shirley Lahtinen
8 Membership Report
We have 103 financial members. Tonight’s meeting was very well attended, probably a record number.
9 Autumn flower show, 18th March
Shirley Lahtinen presented the revised schedule and procedures, which were emailed to members on 15th February. She reported that the Committee is considering opening the show next year to the general public including other garden clubs and schools.
10 Our 40th anniversary celebrations
The Club will be 40 years old in July 2024. We are planning a celebration luncheon on Saturday 13th July at Oscar’s. It will be subsidized for members; drinks at bar prices. Partners and past members will also be invited. Stay tuned!
11 Garden walks programme for 2024
- We need to compile a new list from May onwards. Members who had previously volunteered to host a garden walk for this year were requested to tell Kelly Frost again.
- Next garden walk will be an evening picnic on Monday 26th February at Ashleigh and Lyndal Hall’s garden, 105 Railway Parade Wesburn, from 5.30 pm. BYO food, drinks and chair. Tea and coffee supplied.
12 Welcome stewards
We need some volunteers to be Welcome Stewards from May onwards. Please see Jan Hince if you can help.
13 Spending some of our funds
Our financial position has improved a bit since Covid. We would like to give something back to the local communities with the aim of fostering the appreciation and practice of horticulture. Suggestions so far are:
- Donation to Warburton Primary School’s Garden,
- Financing a public garden show in 2025, with entries sought from other garden clubs, community gardens and schools,
- Contributing to the construction of a garden shed in the Warburton community garden.
President called for any other suggestions.
14 Raffle draw
Winners were Gladys Nooke, Trevor Hince, Bella Le Tet, Penny Murphy,
15 Popular vote
Winner was Kerry Kurka
16 Members’ draw
Winner of the $50 prize was Lynn Davis
17 Other business
MEETING CLOSED:
…………………………………………Lynn Davis, president
………………………………………………date
Upper Yarra Valley Garden Club Inc 