National Arboretum, Canberra - Succulent Garden

The Society also works with the National Arboretum to promote the use of cacti and succulents in Canberra.

In 2016, the National Arboretum, Canberra (NAC) and the Society agreed to develop a cactus and succulent bed in NAC's Discovery Garden, near the Visitor’s Centre. Members of the Society donated some wonderful examples of plants that do well in this area, and maintain and improve the bed still. Growing succulents and cacti in an area where temperatures drop well below zero in winter, but can get higher than 40 degrees over summer, can be challenging. But success starts with choosing plants that can manage the conditions.

(plant lists to come)

Each month, members tend to the Discovery Garden for a couple of hours, proving it is a low-maintenance garden.

National Arboretum, Canberra - Discovery Garden

Meetings

We usually meet at 10.30 am on the third Sunday of each month. Visitors and non-members are always welcome at public meetings. If you wish, email us beforehand for details.

We hold outdoor meetings in January to April and November.

These are at members' gardens and are for Members Only.

In other months, we meet indoors at the Holt Community Hall.

This is behind 80 Beaurepaire Cres, Holt, ACT.

Meetings include talks and demonstrations. Members share their knowledge, ideas and experience of growing cacti and succulents in the Canberra climate. Refreshments are provided and members may borrow books and journals from the library. Books, plants and pots are often available for sale at meetings. We have lucky door prizes, and show-and-tell. Bring your flowering succulent, we'd love to see it.

Miniature Succulent Garden Competition (2021)

The Society has held this competition several times. It has been a chance to show off our favourite potted succulent or cactus - or even pot. Many members showed decorated pots, some with miniature garden tools. One even had a miniature Capital Cactus magazine.

How it will work:

This is a friendly, informal, open competition for fun.
Plants in the garden need to have succulent qualities although non-succulent plants can be included for effect.
Containers (pots, bowls) for the garden need to be easily transportable to the meeting room. (ie not too heavy nor too large).
Containers (pots, bowls) for the garden can be of any material (plastic, terracotta, metal etc).
Plants need to be established in their containers, be free of pests and diseases, and not be watered for 48 hours prior to judging. (This makes them easier to move and less likely to wet the floor.)
Please write a short description of you garden. Mention your inspiration, types of plants used, and anything special about the garden or pot.
Only one entry per person/family.
Members present at the Meeting will judge the entries.
Please bring a piggy-bank or similar opaque container for voting tokens.
To vote for an entry, Members will have two tokens to put in the containers for the mini-garden that they consider are the best.
Members are not to vote for their own entry.
The Member that tallies the most tokens will receive a prize.
Remember #1 above.

Photo Competition

The society held a photo competition for it members in 2013, 2015, 2018 & 2020. The next one will be in 2022.

In 2020, we received over 130 entries.

Entries covered a range of pictures of single and group cacti and succulent plants in habitat or cultivation, as well as creative photos and of people with cacti and other succulents. All these entries help build up our local photo library, and are a valuable resource for us.

Other Activities

Activities members enjoy include visits to collections of local members, interstate societies and public cactus and succulent gardens and nurseries. Over the years we have participated in community days at Civic and Floriade and other venues around Canberra, offering cactus and succulent plants for sale and giving cultural advice.

In 2011, the ACT society hosted a Get-Together conference, which was attended by members of Cactus and Succulent Societies over Australia. The Get-Together included presentations, plant sales and tours of Canberra gardens. Proceedings of the event were compiled and provide a record for participants and others interested in it.

Members of the society continually look for plants which grow well in this region. Here are links to short lists of Cacti and Succulents which are recommended for Canberra, but there are many others. We plan to supplement these lists with samples of photos of plants grown by members.

Potting Mix Day

Once a year, we order a cubic metre of sand and another of good quality potting mix, add Zeolite, Vermiculite and Pumice. We shred and filter the potting mix. Then, using two cement mixers, we create wonderful silky growing media. Our expert mixers 'tune' the mix to match the type of plants we grow. Succulents can use one mix, and cacti the other. All this for very little money and with a lot of joy.

Events