APS Cardinia Region
MeetingsContacts & MembershipNewsletters
Meetings are usually held on the second Tuesday of the month from February until November. There is a winter recess (July) and some meetings may occur on Saturday afternoons, so best to view our latest newsletter for our program. Alternatively, contact the secretary for the current program at ap*********@***il.com
Doors open at 7:00pm for a 7:30pm start. Visitors welcome.
Venue: Pakenham Golf Club, 62 Cameron Way, Pakenham Google map link
Upcoming events for Cardinia Region
APS Cardinia Region Annual Native Plant Sale will be held Saturday, 5th of September 2026, between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm.
Phillip Johnson, Landscape Designer, will deliver a presentation on ‘Sustainable gardens using Australian native plants’ at 10:00 am.
Registration is required to attend this presentation. Click here to register
Further details to follow.
New Memberships page, Membership Renewal page
President: Vacant
Secretary: Fred Menk email
Treasurer: Marjanne Rook
Group Delegate: Circulated via Committee Members
Membership Officer: Role is open
| Edition | Contents |
| Aug 26 | August Topic ‘Colour your Garden with Australian Plants’ with Chloe Foster; Women in Horticulture; Colour and Pollinators; Book Review ‘Colour Your Garden with Australian Plants’ by Gwen Elliot; Stallholders at the APS-CR Plant Sale including Cardinia Environment Coalition (CEC), Glenice’s Grafted Grevilleas, Melaleuca Nursery, Mims Mints, Goldfields Revegetation Native Nursery, Green Circle Plant Nursery, Waterfall Gully Nursery, Gardens for Wildlife (G4W), Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater; National Tree Day; June Bench |
| Jul 26 | APS-CR 2026 program; Plant sale volunteers needed; Trees; Trees for suburban gardens; Book recommendations; Feedback on Saturday’s Mtg |
| Jun 26 | June Topic ‘The Changing Landscape of the Dandenongs’ with Anita Walker, Calendar and Events, Backhousia citriodora, O’Neill’s Correas and Grevilleas, May’s Topic Feedback and Flower Display Table |
| May 26 | May Topic ‘Creating Pollinator-Friendly Nature Strips with Emma Cutting, Events, April Cut Flower Bench, Insect-Attracting Plants, Indigenous Pollinator Groundcover Plants Suitable for Nature Strips in Cardinia-Casey Shires, Myrsine howittiana, Summary of April’s Presentation by Steve Meacher, Sir David Attenborough Turns 100, Acknowledgements – Growing Friends from the RBGV at Cranbourne |
| Apr 26 | April Topic Leadbeater’s Possum & the Great Forest National Park with Steve Meacher, Events, iNaturalist & Ptilotus, Neutrog & Phytophthora, February-March Flower Bench, Croweas, Ptilotus, MIFGS 2026, Keilor Plains – at MIFGS, Membership Changes (VIC Committee), Acknowledgements – Faceys Nursery |
| Mar 26 | 2026 Program, Local Events |
| Feb 26 | 2026 Program, Local Events, Members’ Night Outcomes, Emerald Lake Park, Nakari Open Garden, Blue Banded Bees, Pakenham Grasslands Reserve, Prunella vulgaris Weed, New Nature Laws, Saving Midge Orchids, Vale: Alvina Smith |
| Nov 25 | Local Events, Specimens that featured on the October Bench, Garden Visit to the O’Neill’s, Australian Wildlife Conservancy – Mallee Cliffs, The Wax Garden Conservation Reserve at St Arnaud, The Pomonal Flower Show, Coastal Palette Art Show, Cranbourne Friends Spring Plant Sale, Gazania Weeds, Native Bees |
| Oct 25 | Excursions, Local Events, Plants Sale Re-cap, National Climate Risk Assessment Report, Specimens that Featured on the September Bench, Book Review on the Great Forest Park Guide, Notes from David De Angelis’ talk on Frogs and Frog Friendly Gardens, APS Vic Calendar |
| Sep 25 | Excursions, Local Events, Garden Tips for September, Member’s Interest with Judy Millington, Update on Pakenham Grasslands Reserve, Specimens that Featured on the August Bench, Underground Atlas on Fungi, Book Review on Backyard Insects, Notes from Matthew Henderson’s talk on Plant Nomenclature, Pruning Workshop, APS Vic Calendar |
| Aug 25 | Local Events, Members’ Interest with Wally and Fred Menk, July Flower Display Table Specimens, Spotlight on Seeds, Chris Larkin’s Talk on Hakeas, Gardening for Birds, Garden Tips for August, Demystifying Plant Names, Nature Laws, APS Vic Calendar |
| Jul 25 | Local Events, Members Display Table, Karwarra Gardens and Nursery Visit, 25 Best Gardens You Must See, Underground ‘Traffic’ between Fungi and Plants, Update on the Helmeted Honeyeaters, Member Survey Results, Q&A with Marian Ashton, Garden Tips for July, Wildlife and Habitats (Leadbeater Possum), Review of ‘Big Ideas Rewilding Cities’ Podcast, Invasives and Substitutes, Summary of Ben Moore’s talk on Bees, Summary of Bec Moon and Nina Wright’s talk about Medicinal and Other Uses of Natives |
| May – Jun 25 | Summary of Charles Hrubos’ presentation on Soil, Revisit of Bob and Dot’s Garden in 2019, Members’ Display Table, Building a Frog Pond, 2026 APS-CR Calendar Competition Contributions, Spotlight on Epacris impressa, Garden Tips for May, Book Review of “The Garden Against Time” by Olivia Laing, Wildlife and Habitats with Native Bees, Bees’ Quiz, Kids Activities on Pollination and Bees |
| Apr 25 | Recap of March “Book” Presentation by Bill Aitchison, Member Q&A with Christine Rayner, Members’ Interests, Peron’s Tree Frog, MIFGS and Propagation Workshop Highlights, Spotlight on Microcitrus Australasica, This Month’s Tips, Book Review on Australian Wildlife Conservancy: Celebrating the First 30 Years by Dr Hannah Sheppard Brennand, Wildlife and Habitats (Burrowing Beetongs, The Greater Bilby, The Malleefowl, Quiz, Invasives and Substitutes, APS Vic Calendar, Kids Activities, Photos from MIFGS |
| Mar 25 | CEC Nursery Tour, Member Q&A with Tracey Perrott, Native Calendar Competition, Spotlight on RJ Chambers Reserve, Review on “Two in the Bush” by Gerald Durrell, Wildlife and Habitats, Seed Collection Quiz, Invasives and Substitutes, APS Vic COMM November 2024 Re-cap, Kids Activities |
| Feb 25 | Member’s Display Table, Q&A with Glenice Robinson, Berwick’s Brachychiton discolor trees, 2025 Native Calendar Competition, How to Grow Davidson’s Plum in Berwick, Spotlight on Persoonia pinifolia, This Month’s Tips, “The Forest Wars” by David Lindenmayer Book Review, Field Excursion Using iNaturalist, Invasives and Substitutes, Kids Activities |
| Dec 24 | No Monthly Topic, Display Table Specimens, Q&A with Alan Robinson, Members’ Comments, Spotlight on Actinotus helianthi, This Month’s Tips, iNaturalist App, Quiz, Wildlife and Habitats, Invasive Verbena bonariensis and Substitutes, ANPSA Study Groups, Summation of Dr Gary Presland’s talk in November on “How nature has shaped the CBD and greater Melbourne”, Kids Activities |
| Nov 24 | Topic “How Nature has Shaped the CBD and Greater Melbourne” with Dr Gary Presland, snake photos, Pl@ntNet App, Q&A with new member Jackie Jensen, Resources for New Members, Spotlight on some of the Indigenous Plants of Cardinia Region, Book Review of “The Art of Healing: Australian Bush Medicine”, Australian Natives in California |
| Oct 24 | Topic “The Snakes that Move Through the Garden” with Pete Mantell (Mr Slytherin), Impressa Awards, farewell to Alex and Wendy Smart, Q&A with Jan Chisholm, Topics for 2025, Sourcing Information Online, Snake Quiz, Spotlight on Local Nature Reserves |
| Sep 24 | Topic “Planning for 2025” with Judy Millington (Member’s Night), New Officer Bearers Post AGM, Dry Shade, Q&A with Alex Smart, Love Creeper, Bob Brown’ Peppermint Tree, Spotlight on Acacias |
| Aug 24 | Topic “Plants for Dry Shade” with Chris Larkin, AGM, Invasive Weeds, Wendy Smart Q&A, 200,000 New Trees Needed in Melbourne, Naidoc Week at Pakenham Library, The Radio National Science Show |
| Jul 24 | Topic “Kulin Country: Indigenous Life and Culture in the Port Philip Region” with Dr Gary Presland, Andrews Foundation, Doryanthus palmeri (Spear Lily), Helen Young, “Village Bell”, The Secret History of the British Garden, Gardening Australian (June 21st) |
| Jun 24 | Topic “The Role of Mycorrhizae and Soil Biota in Australian Soil Health” with Dr Mary Cole, Famous Trees, Flowers for Mother’s Day, New Videos of Mt. Worth, Snow Gums, Endeavour Fern Gully Reopens, RBG Hobart, Revegetation Successes, Deep Creek Seedbank |
| May 24 | Topic “Permaculture with Natives” with Alison Chatfield and Judy Millington, The Rembrandt of Green Spaces, WA Forests Under Threat, Deep Creek Open Day, Euroa Arboretum, Wiry Buttons, Beaconsfield War Memorial |
| Apr 24 | Topic “The Cardinia Regional Parklands” with Ema Newton, Bunnings Under Fire, New Landcare Facilitator (Linda Sijpkes), Wallflower Poison, Native Ant Species, Creeping Boobialla, Interview with Steven Hopper |
| Mar 24 | Topic “East Gippsland and the Croajingalong National Park” with Monika and Rolf Herman, Trees in Trouble, Talking to the Trees, Harrod’s Honey, Feral Horses |
| Feb 24 | Topic “Holiday Adventures – Members Night”, Week in Wildlife Photos, From the ABC, Deep Creek News, Waterbird Survey at BNCR |
| Aug 22 | President’s Report |
| Jul 22 | A visit to Far North Queensland |
| May 22 | Our new home |