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A visit to a native nursery for Pomonal Primary

Landcare members are teaching local students to grow native wildflowers

8 November 2023

Pomonal Primary School is teaming up with local Jallukar Landcare Group (JLG) members, known for their award winning native grasslands propagation project, to teach students about what it takes to grow native wildflowers.

The school was successful in receiving a Junior Landcare grant for the 2023-2024 season to help them fund a series of workshops to train their students in native plant propagation, and plant more native species around their school. The hands-on skills the students develop will prepare them to become the next generation of passionate and skilled caretakers of the unique habitats and biodiversity of the Grampians/Gariwerd area.

This project kicked off last month with a field trip for the whole school to Jallukar Landcare's native nursery just down the road from the school, owned by Landcare member Phil Williams and maintained with weekly help from the Jallukar Landcare's Wednesday morning nursery working bee team. The students and teachers walked together to the nursery along wildflower drive, keeping an eye out for native flowers as we walked. It was getting a bit late in the season, though we did see some trigger plants in flower. It was a different story once we got to the nursery - there were still dozens of different species in flower to see! So the first order of business was an exploration through the garden.

Pomonal Primary students hiding in the grass trees at the Jallukar Landcare native nursery.
Pomonal Primary students hiding in the grass trees at the Jallukar Landcare native nursery.
Admiring the native flowers at the Jallukar Landcare nursery.
Admiring the native flowers at the Jallukar Landcare nursery.
Pomonal Primary students admiring a Banksia at the Jallukar Landcare native nursery garden.
Pomonal Primary students admiring a Banksia at the Jallukar Landcare native nursery garden.

Next the Jallukar team, including nursery owner Phil, as well as Anthea, John, Phill and Glenda, explained the propogation methods they use at the nursery. Anthea has prepared lovely little story books for the students to follow along in, as they shared the process of collecting native seeds and cuttings, and growing them into beautiful mature flowers. We had a look at some different species that the students would be able to grow themselves over the coming months, including chocolate lilies, bulbine lilies, and trigger plants.

Pomonal Primary students getting a lesson in native plant propagation at the Jallukar Landcare nursery.
Pomonal Primary students getting a lesson in native plant propagation at the Jallukar Landcare nursery.

Then it was time to head back to the school, but not before the students were invited to pick their favourite flowers from the garden to make little bouquets to bring back. Having a native nursery so close to the school opens up a very unique opportunity for the students. They can grow their own native flowers without the school requiring all the necessary infrastructure. Instead, the students are invited to keep their plants in the Jallukar nursery greenhouses, using its existing watering infrastructure. The students can then regularly visit the nursery to take care of their plants, with the help of the propagation working bee team, during their weekly school walks.

Making bouquets from native flowers collected at the Jallukar Landcare nursery.
Making bouquets from native flowers collected at the Jallukar Landcare nursery.

In the new year, the students will be back to the nursery to get started with seed planting!

Students having a look at bags of native wildflower seeds collected by Jallukar Landcare and ready for planting in the new year.
Students having a look at bags of native wildflower seeds collected by Jallukar Landcare and ready for planting in the new year.
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Elia Pirtle

Landcare Facilitator and Communications Officer