August Lilygram

Friends of Brisbane Botanic Gardens & Sherwood Arboretum — “Connect • Promote • Protect” — August 2025

Contact: fbbgsa.org.au • events@fbbgsa.org.au
FBBGSA PO Box 39 Sherwood QLD 4075 • ACN: 607 589 873 • ABN: 20 607 589 873

Annual General Meeting

When: Wednesday 17 September 2025
Time: 5.30pm – 9.00pm
Venue: Auditorium, Mt Coot-tha

Agenda

• Welcome and any apologies
• Short talk by Russell Bull on Birdwing Butterfly Vine (plants may be available for sale)
• Confirm minutes of previous AGM January 2025 (approve) and business arising
• President’s/Director’s Report including next year’s plans (& approve)
• Treasurer’s Report including Audit for next year (& approve & appoint)
• Introduction to the concept of Teams reporting to 3 Board Members
• Election of Office Bearers – President/Director; Secretary; Treasurer
• General Business
• Close by 9.00pm
• Tea & Coffee available

RSVP: Secretary@fbbgsa.org.au
Zoom: Meeting ID 881 3868 7426 • Passcode 1St2Eg

Want to join an FBBGSA Team? Here is your opportunity

By Julie

At the recent General Meeting held on Wednesday 6 August, not only did we change the Constitution to be able to continue our application for tax deductible donations, the group discussed the roles of President/Director, Secretary and Treasurer.

These roles are made up of many different activities and this allows opportunities for people to take on a project they would like without having the full role of President/Director, Secretary and Treasurer.

Examples of role components

• Collating Lilygram articles for Dave Duke, our Lilygram IT expert, to upload on the 10th day of each month
• Greenhouse coordinator (supplies, opening/closing sessions; Tuesdays)
• Speakers & events coordination (bookings, invites with photos)
• Online shop merchandise/photos/pricing/click & collect; postage & dispatch
• Stripe payment system oversight and related finance record maintenance
• Membership details update and monitoring
• Grant applications and reconciliation

Approximate time requirements

• Lilygram – up to 2 days per month
• Greenhouse – 4 hours each Tuesday
• Events – 1–2 hours per month
• Online shop – about 1 day per month (depends on demand)
• Stripe – about 1 hour per day
• Membership – about 1 hour per week
• Grants – ad hoc

Interested? Email secretary@fbbgsa.org.au to express interest.

Travelling to Taiwan — Visiting the Taipei Botanic Gardens

By Robin Mills

In October 2023, I visited Taiwan to cycle the east coast, and of course I visited the capital’s botanic garden. The Taipei Botanical Garden was originally established during Japanese rule in 1896 as a nursery and officially renamed the Taihoku Botanical Garden in 1921. It is currently maintained by the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute and has over 2,000 species of plants.

There are various specialty gardens and collections and nine ponds designed to grow different plants. The Qing Dynasty-era Guest House of Imperial Envoys, built in 1888, was relocated to the garden in 1933 and is the only office of that dynasty remaining in Taiwan.

The grounds are also archaeologically significant as one of the earliest sites of human settlement in Taiwan. A statue honours Father Urbain Jean Faurie (1847–1915), a French missionary and botanist known for extensive plant specimen collections.

Highlights included Lespedeza bicolor (“Today, I am the Best!”), the spectacular Clerodendrum paniculatum (“pagoda flower”), and views to the National Museum of History. The Australian flora section included eucalypts, callistemon and melaleuca.

Recipe — Energy Balls (from 365 Nature by Anna Carlile, p.33)

Great for a bush walk (like Monday mornings with FBBGSA!), after a morning of gardening, or during a guided tour.

Fig & Pistachio

100g rolled oats • 100g dried figs • 90g sultanas • 60g pistachios • ½ tsp cinnamon • 1 tsp vanilla • 60ml tahini • 2 tbsp apple juice • 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 tbsp sesame seeds • ¼ tsp salt

Blend all ingredients in a processor until finely chopped and well combined (blend longer for easier binding; or blend half and leave half chunky). Form tightly packed 3 cm balls. Dust with cinnamon or roll in sesame.

Cocoa, Chia & Coconut

100g almond meal • 30g raw cocoa powder • 30g maca powder • 185g medjool dates (pitted, chopped) • 2 tsp chia seeds • 1 tsp vanilla • 2 tsp maple syrup • 3 tbsp melted coconut oil • ¼ tsp salt

Process as above. Makes 10–16 balls depending on size. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.

FBBGSA at the EKKA

By Julie

2025 is the 149th year of the Ekka and FBBGSA has a presence this year with a static display. Approval to include bonsai from the Brisbane Botanic Gardens collection was pivotal. Thanks to Curator Prue McGruther, Gardens Supervisor Perry Naumann and Chris (Gardener), and to Bimer Bonsai Group members for watering. Bonsai will be changed every 3–4 days to protect growth.

Ikebana arrangements from garden materials accompany the display (thanks to Fay Stutt). Nicole Cresswell from the Herbarium provided framed herbarium-type prints and promotes her Council drawing courses via QR codes.

Behind the scenes, thanks to Ros Laundon for easels and to the Board for purchasing stools to secure the bonsai. Please promote the display so we can build energy around the Botanic Gardens!

Kitchen Garden

By Patty

Six volunteers gardened today on a beautiful sunny morning. Vegetables (silver beet, radishes, bok choy, etc.) are growing well and are covered each evening to keep out ducks and scrub turkeys. Beds were prepared and planted with turmeric, tomatoes, peas and other vegetables, then watered and protected. Another enjoyable day in the Kitchen Garden.

Solutions to Scrub Turkeys

Scrub Turkeys are busy nesting and maintaining specific egg temperatures. If you see mounds, check for eggs. Long-time member Elizabeth Grigg writes:

“I remember an ABC Gardening segment where a staff member used a motion-activated watering system, and the turkeys definitely didn’t like that—kept well away! Maybe that might help others.”

Have ideas? Please share them!

Casual Walks

By Helen

Join a casual one-hour walk at Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens. Meet at 9.00 am at the Birdwing Vine Room (next to the vehicle access gates between the Planetarium and the Herbarium). Walk starts 9.05 am sharp and finishes at the Café. No RSVP needed; goes ahead even if raining.

Monday Nature Walks

By Anne Elliot

Recent visits:

• Plunkett Conservation Park — striking sandstone rocks and caves, Casuarinas in heavy flower (male and female), Pultenaea in flower
• Wacol Bushland Reserve — large scribbly gums along Bullock Head Creek; lots of Acacia in flower, including Acacia maidenii and A. leiocalyx, plus Melaleucas
• Bayview Conservation Area — huge old tallowwoods; stringybark (Eucalyptus planchoniana); flowering Pultenaea villosa and other blooms including Boronia rosmarinifolia

As winter moves towards spring, heath shrubs and other small flowering plants are appearing, as well as Xanthorroeas and Banksias. Different habitats and soils mean different plants across greater Brisbane.

We meet Mondays around 9.00 am and finish around 12 noon, with a coffee break and chat. Car-sharing available. More info: see the FBBGSA website, or contact Anne on 0408 093 307 or aelliott@powerup.com.au.

Happy International Owl Awareness Day 2025!

Archived from the August Lilygram email campaign.