Resources: share and learn with others on social media!

Now that the Growing Illawarra Natives website is up and running, it seems somewhat redundant to post here about how to grow individual plant species. Regular posts on other topics will resume, covering garden inspiration, getting active, a few how-to guides and other resources. Now and then I'll highlight something that's already on the website.

For this post, I wanted to point to the Growing Illawarra Natives presence on social media, which allows for interaction in a way that the main website doesn't.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GrowingIllawarraNatives/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growingillawarranatives/

Recent discussion on Facebook has covered selection of street trees for Allen Park in Port Kembla, a UOW survey on mangroves, a new podcast from the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, plus collective efforts to identify several plant species. There's a regular Sunday Seedling ID Challenge and notifications of relevant events such as upcoming GreenPlan Sale Days

(https://wollongong.nsw.gov.au/botanicgarden/events/greenplan-plant-sales).

The Instagram feed generally features shots of recent interesting plant finds. Come and join the conversation!

Of course, social media has many, many other groups and individuals providing relevant information and advice. These are just the ones in the Growing Illawarra Natives stable.

A selection of local ferns growing by a track at Mount Kembla. The main species featured are Giant Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum formosum), in the foreground, and the very showy Jungle Brake (Pteris umbrosa). Both are rare in cultivation, but they're hardy, and if you can get hold of then, they're well worth growing.