We have met in Manningham from February to June on a Wednesday night.  Members have decided to revert back to a Friday night meeting (which was not an available night at the RSL hall) and a new venue has been found.

The Maltese Guild Hall has been used as a meeting and sale venue by the Bromeliad Society successfully for many years.  We are now going to be meeting on the LAST FRIDAY of the MONTH from July until November 2022 at 6 Jeanes St Beverley.  There is good parking both onsite and on the street with no restrictions.  Easy access to the hall (level ground and no steps) and good heating and cooling.  The general meeting will be conducted in the main hall and the committee meeting will be held at 6pm in the side room.  There is also a large kitchen for us to use for supper preparation and serving with a cupboard being made available to store our supper supplies including cups.

The Model T Ford Clubrooms are going to be demolished and rebuilt - timeline unknown at this point and the design of the building is also not known.  If members are happy with the Maltese Guild Hall we will have the option of extending our lease beyond the end of the year (as long as they are happy with our tenancy).

We believe it could be an option for future fern sales also.  Please come along as soon as you are able to a meeting and provide the committee with feedback regarding the venue.  

There will be a surprise gift for an attendee on the first meeting night as well as the usual raffle prizes.  Hope to see you all there on 29th July.

2022 has begun with a lot of unwanted happenings in the public world of viruses, but we have to find a way not to become isolated and locked away from everyone.  Its not easy but it's important for our mental well-being to spend time with people and feel safe and valued.

The Fern Society has found a new meeting location for the first 6 months of 2022.  Not because we were unhappy with the Port Road location, but because the building has to undergo some unforeseen major repairs.  The Model T Ford Club has worked very hard to accommodate all of the hiring groups in the best possible way and they need to be complimented for all the hard work that has been put into sourcing a venue.  We met at the proposed location in the past week and have decided it is a good spot for us - it is bigger than the Model T Ford Clubrooms so the current requirement of 1 person per 4 square metres will allow us to have 50 people in attendance, there is ample parking, there is a kitchen we can use for providing tea, coffee etc and we are hoping that although for some of our regular attendees it is a little further to travel it will still be viable for them to come along.  The other change it has necessitated is a CHANGE OF MEETING DAY/NIGHT to the last Wednesday of the month which may even be better for some than a Friday night - we won't know until we get some feedback and see how attendance rates are.

Our first meeting will be held on Wednesday 23rd February (as the last Wednesday in January is a public holiday) at 7.30pm.  The display genus will be Platycerium and there will be a workshop run by Tate Hancox who joined the society in August 2021 and has a vast knowledge of a wide range of plant species and a love of Platyceriums.

We will hold our AGM on Wednesday 30th March and further details of that night will be posted in due time.  The January newsletter will be emailed and posted to members in the next week or two.

​Hope to see many of you on Wednesday 23rd February at 7.30pm.  Cheers Jill

Gosh, I hate technology sometimes, had almost finished the blog and somehow it disappeared!

The June meeting will bring something a little different to the Fern Society.  At the request of one of our committee members we are asking people to bring in their favourite shadehouse plant(s) for the display table.  Members present will be given one voting chip to vote on their favourite display plant.  Hopefully there will be lots of lovely ferns with a couple of other plants thrown in to compliment them

Discussion topic is "What grows in your shadehouse" with all members being asked to contribute at the meeting and also prior to send through photos so a powerpoint slideshow can be created in advance for all to enjoy.  

It was lovely to welcome 3 new members to our May meeting. Joy, Gloria & Mary came along to their first meeting and received their membership packs.  Hopefully they went away having gained some knowledge about ferns and with even more enthusiasm than they came with.

As the weather gets colder, especially at night don't be put off coming along as its warm and cosy inside and a night out with friends who all share a common interest is always good for the soul.

Hope to see lots of you on the 4th - if I can get there so can you!

There is no meeting in April as our date falls on Good Friday.
Come along to the Festival of Flowers on Saturday 24th April from 10am to 4pm or Sunday 25th April from 12noon to 4pm.  Venue is St Pauls College, 792 Grand Junction Road, Gilles Plains. There will be different fern growers there each day.
Other societies present are:
African Violets; Bromeliads; Cacti & Succulents; Cottage Plants; Carnivorous Plants; Fuschias; Geraniums; Salvias & Orchids.  Entry Fee is $3.00 and there is devonshire tea and sausage sizzle too.  A Monster Raffle which will be drawn on Sunday afternoon.  So plenty to spend your hard earned dollars on and enjoy.
The Fern Society committee will meet as usual on Tuesday 13th April and is open to any members to come along and observe.
Keep weeding and preparing your plants for the winter rest period.

The next Fern Society general meeting is on Friday 7th May.

The Fern Society committee has booked a new venue for the beginning of 2021.  It will enable us to have meetings in an environment which is less susceptible to last minute change and cancellations.
We have booked the Model T Ford Clubrooms which are located in the median strip of Port Road (450 metres west of South Road).  The carpark is accessible from King Street which intersects the median strip and can be accessed when travelling west or east on Port Road.
Members are encouraged to come along and see the venue first hand and provide us with feedback regarding the ongoing use of the site.  We have booked it for February and March with a tentative booking for ongoing use on the 1st Friday of the month as that was the available date.
Its a change of venue and change of date from the 4th Friday of the month to the 1st Friday of the month.  The use of the school is always subject to the possibility of a last minute cancellation if there are COVID concerns whereas the new venue does not have the overriding issue of safety for students and staff.  The other benefit is a larger carpark where we are the only users and not competing with sporting groups or other school users, also the venue is booked exclusively to us so we won't arrive and find its being used for another purpose and have to re-organise our evening.
COVID check-in is required either by scanning the QR code or signing in on a paper list before entering the room.  Supper will be provided in a COVID safe manner.  Program details for the February meeting will be in the January newsletter.  

2020 has been nothing but unexpected on so many levels.  
I sincerely hope that everyone has found some joy in the year and am sure should give themselves a reward of some kind for the things that they have achieved, even if it is coming to the end of the year with a sense of marvel in what you have managed to survive and the small goals you have ticked along the way.

It certainly has been a good year for gardeners who have had more time, even if it was enforced, at home to spend in the garden than they normally would have.  The nursery industry seems to have grown and flourished from this event.  Most places have had some rain, even here in the driest state in the Australia we have had some nice rain events and hopefully will have more coming our way throughout the summer months.

Thankyou to everyone who came along to the Begonia & Fern Sale last Saturday and patiently waited to enter the hall and then to pay for their purchases in a COVID safe way.  Thanks also to the workers who helped people with their purchases on the day and to the growers who have lovingly nurtured their plants for others to enjoy.

We are hopeful that in April 2021 we will be able to host our Annual Fern Sale.  When we are closer to the time and can clearly see a way forward we will advertise the date and time of this event.

Keep smiling, keep gardening and keep well.
​

After an enjoyable lunch time get together at The Rex Hotel in August it was decided to suspend all general meetings until January 2021.

The Begonia & Fern Sale is being held on Saturday 24th October from 10am to 3pm at the Klemzig Community Hall, 242 North East Road.  Admission $2.  This is the only opportunity for members to sell this year and for members of the public to purchase locally grown ferns and seek advice directly from the growers.

A COVID safe plan is in place and members of the public are asked to support this event and support the safety measures that we have all been so good at adapting to in 2020 to keep us all healthy and well.

The Fern Society will have another luncheon at The Rex Hotel in November in lieu of a Christmas function.  The monthly newsletter continues to be published and distributed to all members as per normal.

After such a 'dry July' weather wise its been great to have some rains in South Australia in August for both the garden lovers and the farmers.  We are about to move into the repotting season for ferns and many are starting to show signs on new growth as the days become warmer.  There is a great article in this months newsletter regarding Adiantums (Maidenhair ferns) and how to care for them.  If you're not a member and would like to become more knowledgeable about growing ferns of many varieties consider joining us.

2020 started off with the AGM in February.
Wayne Richard returned as President, Lyn Collins was elected Vice President and Trevor Norman took on the role of Treasurer.  Jill Richard continued in the role of Secretary.
The committee comprises Bob Smith, Phil Tavender, Julie Meyer, Coralie Hime, Tony Gee, Tony Squire, Margaret Reedman, Mel Sage.
Fees remained unchanged from 2019 and several new members were welcomed.  The Annual Sale planning was proceeding with a planned date of April 18th. 
Then the world was turned upside down with a new virus emanating from China which very quickly became declared a pandemic - Covid-19.  The world as we knew came to a STOP.  Planes ceased to fly, borders within countries were closed and people were no longer free to travel.  "Social Isolation" became the norm for people in Australia and in many countries worldwide.   The Fern Society like all other organisations has had to cancel all meetings until the government mandates that it is safe to resume. 
Australia seems to be leading the way with high rates of testing for people who are showing signs of respiratory illness and anyone who has been in contact with people who have been confirmed as having the illness.  Scientists worldwide are cooperating and working together to find a vaccine and a cure.
One amazing thing that has happened is the improvement in the quality of the air and waterways with the lack of pollution emanating from man made sources.  I am sure the plants are enjoying the atmospheric changes and the greater attention they are receiving from their housebound humans.
I, for one, am finding the withdrawal of opportunities to socialise with friends and groups which I would normally attend for various activities very difficult to adjust to even though I always thought I was happy with my own company - lesson learnt!

Well, we all must soldier on and hopefully come out of this time wiser and stronger and with a greater appreciation for one another and the world.

All being well we are hoping to hold the 2020 Annual Fern Sale in September/October term break.

Stay well, stay safe and keep smiling.  

On Friday night we saw a slideshow presented by one of our Queensland members of his work and travels in northern Australia.  Thank you Brad and we look forward to your next presentation.

The AGM was held and the new President is Wayne Richard, returning from his year off, with Julie Meyer taking over the reigns of Treasurer.  Lyn Collins is a very welcome addition to the committee with her many years of experience and expertise within the Fern Society (Lyn is a Life Member and was also presented with her 30 year badge on Friday night).

We welcomed 5 new Life Members: Kaye & Peter Gutschmidt who have served the Fern Society for 30 years in many roles; committee members, host/hostess, Kaye as Vice President & Secretary and many other roles throughout their 30 years of membership.  Phil & Barb Tavender who have served the Fern Society for 30 years also.  Phil having been President & Vice President - currently & for various tenures; 'hall organiser', auctioneer and whatever else he is called upon to do; Barb as host for 10 years, raffle ticket seller for 18 years, willing assistant at Fern Sales and committee member.  Trevor Norman, who was unable to attend on the night, has been a member since 1983, treasurer for 5 years, more recently taken on the role of Auditor, developed new varieties with tissue culture and supported the Society in numerous ways.  
Thanks to Life Member Bob Smith for presenting these awards.
In celebration of years of service the following badges were presented also:
30 years
Rod Pattison - QLD
John Robertson - QLD
Keith Rogers - absent
Lyn Collins
Val Slater - absent
Peter Gutschmidt
Kaye Gutschmidt
Phil Tavender
Barb Tavender
presented by Life Member Denise Stapp, 
10 years
Kylie Stocks - NSW
Shirley Hooper
Gaynor Power
Nicky Fidler (2015) - absent
presented by Life Member Audrey Denis
Thankyou to Denise & Audrey for presenting these awards.
The display of Drynaria, Pseudodrynaria and Huperzia (Tassel) Ferns was magnificent.  Congratulations to Julieanne for her winning specimen.
The AGM was followed by the general meeting for the month of February.
Membership fees have stayed the same as in 2018.
​Hope everyone has a cool spot to hide from the 'hopefully' last burst of summer weather this coming week and we will not be too far from receiving some autumn rain.......

Finally some rain
​

Friday night promises to be some fun with an interactive Road Rules Quiz being presented by the RAA.

The display genus are Davallia, Humata & Scyphularia.  If you aren't sure what these are come along and have a look and learn some more about these ferns.

The fern sale was a great day with 5 people winning membership for the 2019/20 year and some new members joining the Society.  Will be great to get to know these people and in turn help them learn more about the growing and collecting of ferns in South Australia.  It was wonderful to see some of the members who are unable to attend meetings regularly at the sale and renew acquaintances.

Lots of members worked hard to make sure the sale was a success and it was appreciated by their fellow members and the general public.

Arrangements are in their final stages for the 40th Birthday celebrations on 30th June.  Invitations have been sent out, a caterer has been engaged and some surprises are being planned for attendees.  All members are encouraged to bring along their favourite fern to share and show off to their fellow fernies.  We are hoping our Life Members will show up in force and all will enjoy meeting those who have been members since the inception of the Society in 1979.

Guest speakers have been engaged for August, October and January.  September is our Auction night with members bringing along a vast array of gardening gear, plants and books for auction with all proceeds going to the Fern Society.

We have been having some lovely autumn sunshine with some rain too.  A couple of cold days and some chilly nights with more to come.

On a sad note, we mourn the passing of Ray Applebee who was a stalwart of the society from 2003 until 2017.  Ray was Minute Secretary from 2005 until 2017 and Treasurer from 2006 until 2017.  He is survived by his lovely wife Marcelle who was a committee member and fulfilled many other roles whilst a member of the Society and his children and grandchildren.  We farewell Ray on Tuesday 21st May 2019 at 10.30am at Mattiske Funeral Parlour in Salisbury. 
Vale Ray.