Green Corner

Graham Robinson

2 June 2008:Each month University of Canberra grounds supervisor Greg Dowd will feature selected plants. He will describe each plant and its properties and advise whether it can be grown in a domestic garden.

Greg Dowd heads the grounds team with 15 years experience at the University. The team comprises of qualified Horticulturalists Daniel Stedford, Richard Carne and Mike Vanderzwart, Matthew Moore who is studying a certificate in Horticulture as well as Eric Warton, Graham Carpenter and Kim Koenig. All are involved in a variety of work on the campus including maintenance of irrigated turf, ovals, plants and trees and control of noxious weeds.

The University of Canberra has a commitment to sustainable plants on its campus which is achieved through the dedication of the University’s garden staff.

UC Gardening Staff

University grounds staff have taken pride in keeping the campus green during this time of drought due to the selection of native species of plants suitable to Canberra’s climate. The majority of the plants on campus have been propagated from existing plants with between two and three thousand propagated each year.

Recycling is also of paramount importance at the University and all plant material that needs to be removed is recycled through a wood chipper so that anything that comes out of the ground goes back in to the ground.

This month Greg Dowd features the following two Plants:

Crowea 'Festival'

This is a small compact plant with daisy like flowers in the colours of lilac, pink and blue. It will grow to 10cm high and spread to a width of about 40cm. It flowers for long periods from spring through to autumn and prefers good drainage plant in full sun for best results. In the garden it can be used as a ground cover or as a rockery plant and makes an attractive plant when used in a hanging basket.
 
Look for examples of this plant as you walk from the underground car park at Building 1 to the eastern entrance of the Refectory. 

Grevillea 'Deva Flame'

A useful groundcover that will spread to 60cm,It has dark green foliage with deep pink bell-shaped flowers that appear in autumn and continue through to spring. It will tolerate full sun, but performs best in a shaded moist position with good drainage. As with most Correa species it is attractive to honey eating birds. This is a very good winter flowering plant that can be used in the rockery or as a groundcover.
 
Look for these as you walk towards the Medical Centre in Building 1.

The University’s garden staff will be happy to answer any of your questions about the plants and tree’s on campus, just ask?