Frog Blog

 

2011

1st March 2011 - Summer Review
This has been a very wet Summer, so that means some good news and some bad.... The good news is most new and past plantings have thrived in the warm wet soil, but sadly some were just too wet and so we had some losses. Still, a good season all round, and a great start for most 2010 plantings. As we head into Autumn already we are busy planning the next round of trees to be planted this winter, so the Arboretum is starting to take shape! Such an interesting thing to walk around with our vision and thoughts half in the "present" and half many years in the future.....

2010

28th October 2010 - Spring is Here!
The sun is shining and everything is growing. New leaves are sprouting on all the new and established trees, and we have been busy with all the usual spring tasks, including weeding, mulching, fertilising etc.
We are also buys preparing for our Open Day Picnic on Sunday 21st November. We would love to see you here, as it is a rare chance for you to check it all out for yourself. Pack a picnic and come see the trees. All details are on the Open Day page. 

23rd September 2010 - Planting Continues
Since July we have planted most of the remainder of our 2010 tree list. As well as the trees mentioned below in Julys entry, we also planted a grove of 14 Heritage Apples. The variety "Court of Wick" dates from 1790 and is an extremely hardy juicy sweet dessert red apple. Here is a fantastic quote about the Apple tree written in 1240 AD-

'Malus the Appyll tree is a tree yt bereth apples and is a grete tree in itself. . . it is more short than other trees of the wood wyth knottes and rinelyd Rynde. And makyth shadowe wythe thicke bowes and branches: and fayr with dyurs blossomes, and floures of swetnesse and Iykynge: with goode fruyte and noble. And is gracious in syght and in taste and vertuous in medecyne . . . some beryth sourysh fruyte and harde, and some ryght soure and some ryght swete, with a good savoure and mery.'

Bartholomeus Anglicus (Bartholomew of England) Author of On the Properties of Things (De proprietatibus rerum),

Spring is beginning to show here with new buds swelling and some leaves already shooting away, it will be an exciting Summer with so many trees now planted! We will have news soon about an Open Day in late Spring, so you can come and see for yourself!
If you would like to be notified by email about the Open Day just join the Friends of Frogwood email list.

20th July 2010 - Winter Planting
This winter we have planted lots of trees, and still have more to come.  Planted so far are:
15 Golden Wattle -Acacia pycnantha
10 Smooth Apple Gum -Angophora costata 
13 Illawarra Flame Tree -Brachychiton acerifolius 
18 Dawn Redwood -Metasequoia glyptroboides
17 Bull Bay Magnolia -Magnolia grandiflora
12 Algerian Oak -Quercus canariensis

PLUS, to be planted in the coming weeks are:
13 Sugar Maple -Acer saccharum 
10 Queensland Bottle Tree -Brachychiton rupestris
15 Indian Bean Tree -Catalpa bignonioides 
19 Turkish Hazel -Corylus colurna
2 Fig -Ficus carica 
1 Morton Bay Fig -Ficus macrophylla
3 Monterey Pine -Pinus radiata
1 Oriental Plant Tree -Platanus orientalis 
30 Pin Oak -Quercus palustris
17 Red Oak -Quercus rubra

Photo updates coming soon!

A bridge has also been put in this year to allow access to the other side of the creek, where the "Land of the Giants" will be planted. 

 

2009

14th October 2009 - Spring Planting
A bit late due to being busy in the creek, but we have planted a grove of 21 Lebanese Cedars -Cedrus libani. Located near the gates to the hothouse, you can watch these grow as you drive past Deans Marsh, they look like lots of little christmas trees!
Also planted were 4 Pear trees -Pyrus communis v.beurre bosc. These are planted right next to 2 huge existing Pear trees which are well over 100 years old, to form the new Pear grove. Situated next to one of the dams, it will make a lovely place for a picnic in years to come. And finally the remaining 4 Date Palms -Phoenix dacterlifera were planted at the southern terminus of the Avenue and the Loop, one for each corner of the crossroad.


19th August 2009 - Creek Planting
This year has more of a focus on getting the creek zone replanted with indigenous species, July saw over 5000 plants put into carefully selected areas specific to each species growth habits and requirements.

The planting team



Keeping up the supply of plants is hard work!

 

1st August 2009 - Planting Yew Trees in Pivot
The circular hedge of Yew Trees -Taxus baccata has been replanted after the "Pivot" was re-built to have formal brickworks done in a perfect circle, with drainage for the Yews and compacted gravel put in a pathway around the outside, and inside the circle. A gathering of over 100 people came to see the special planting by local women, all mothers to symbolise growth and nurturing, and was followed by a massive bonfire, with BBQ provided by Otway Prime, and firetwirling by the local group Southern Elements and friends.

 

 

"The yew trees we have planted together here at the pivot symbolise growth and long life. Both Druids with their belief in reincarnation, and later Christians with their teaching of the resurrection, regarded it as a natural emblem of everlasting life. Its capacity for great age has enriched its wonderful symbolic value.  

So the yew has always been a symbol of death and rebirth, the new that springs out of the old, and a fitting tree for the heart of Frogwood Arboretum. We mothers and grandmothers of Deans Marsh bless these 12 yew trees and affirm our hope for the future, that they may grow and flourish for many hundreds of years, bringing strength, heart and sustainability to this magical forest of the future ….."

23rd March 2009 - Pivot Construction
In the centre of the English Oak Grove -Quercus robur we have constructed a central pivot with bricked edging circular bed, gravel centre, and entry points at North, South, East and West compass points. This will be planted with Yew Trees -Taxus baccata in a circular hedge soon.

6th January 2009 - Willow Removal
Beginning of the removal of over 200 Willows from the Creek by contractors funded by the CCMA.

 

20th September 2008 - Open Day
We enjoyed meeting many people who came to see Frogwood for themselves, and see the progress made, with the new Avenue trees planted. Everyone took a turn at laying a brick into the diamond lawn edging.

23rd July 2008 - Winter Arboretum Planting
In the middle of July a small group gathered together on a misty winter morning to start the planting of the trees for 2008.

The majority of the trees were planted down the "Avenue" (see Mud Map) and positions had been carefully marked out using surveyors equipment. The soil had been ripped a month previously to loosen and encourage the rains down into the soil, as we had had a very dry Autumn. Planting had actually been delayed a month because it was so dry, but finally the rain came, the trees were delivered and we got them planted, mulched and fertilised, tree guarded and watered. 

• Small Leafed Linden -Tilia cordata
• European Beech -Fagus sylvatica
• Sweet Chestnut -Castanea sativa
• Liquidambar -Liquidambar styraciflua
• Ginkgo -Ginkgo biloba a 3/4 circular grove of 43 trees at the very end of the main Avenue.
• Olive -Olea europea a separate small avenue.

Also planted were 4 female fruiting Date Palms -Phoenix dactelifera, otherwise known as the "Tree of Life" at the beginning of the Avenue.

James planting the first tree of the avenue "Tilia cordata"                                          James in the Gator

Madeleine and Tashikur placing on a tree guard.   Deb and Louise planting a Tilia cordata in the Avenue.

James and Marina planting the Olive Avenue.    James and "Little Oak" in its final!! position surrounded by Ginkgos at the terminus.

  
A Ginkgo biloba planted within a "greenwell" and a tree guard.




View north across the Ginkgo grove, the "Terminus" with "Little Oak" in its centre, and down the Avenue planted with Liquidambars. Can you imagine 50 years from now.....

  
Olea europa

23rd June 2007 - Open Day
Our Open Day was held in mid winter, where all who gathered helped to plant over 85 English Oak -Quercus robur, in a large circle grove at the heart of the property. Inside the Oak grove was also planted a circular hedge of English Yews -Taxus bacata, with an entrance at the North, East, South and West compass points. A huge bonfire was lit on dark.

Planting of "Little Oak", an English Oak -Quercus robur, which had a difficult start to life but was re-located to Frogwood as the official 'First Tree" on the first Open Day. This is the fourth, and hopefully the last!, time "Little Oak" has been moved.