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House.Land.Home.

Fossil sawfly discovery 16 million years in the making

02-11-2024

A team of Australian researchers has described a new species of now-extinct sawfly from an extremely well-preserved fossil found in central NSW. 

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Glen, about the house

28-10-2024

Healthy trees growing in their native habitat rarely suffer seriously from insect attack. The trees’ in-built defences and the insects’ natural enemies provide a balance.

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Creswick garden lovers’ weekend

26-10-2024

The Creswick Garden Lovers Weekend will be held on Saturday, November 9 from 9am to 5pm and Sunday, November 10 from 9am to 4pm.  

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Kingston garden to open for CFA fundraiser

24-10-2024

The upcoming opening of the old school house garden at Kingston to raise funds for the local CFA fire brigade represents an opportunity not to be missed. 

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Big Aussie bird count happening now

16-10-2024

The Big Aussie Bird Count is happening again and there's still time to be involved in the nation-wide citizen science event which helps gain a birds' eye view on how our feathered friends are faring.

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Glen, about the house…

13-10-2024

Hi Glen. My daff bulbs have been in the ground around 10 years. The garden faces east and  they are protected from westerly sun and wind. I don’t dig them up, rather twist the leaves  into a knot until they rot so that there is room for phlox, lavender shower, etc, but should I dig and divide them as there have been few flowers this year despite producing healthy  leaves? Your advice would be appreciated, please.  

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Castlemaine and district to host festival of gardens

12-10-2024

Garden lovers will have a superb opportunity to explore multiple stunning private gardens during the Castlemaine and District Festival of Gardens this November.

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Family pilgrimage

12-10-2024

In every community around the country there are a multitude of stories to be told. So many of those tales are ones of diaspora, of individuals and families from all backgrounds fleeing poverty, war and social upheaval and creating a new life.

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Glen, about the house

02-10-2024

Glen Heyne is the eldest fourth-generation member of Adelaide’s leading nursery, where he worked until his two younger brothers finished school.

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Redesdale to host three open gardens

29-09-2024

Redesdale plays host to three private country garden openings for Open Gardens Victoria on the weekend of October 19-20.

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Glen, about the house…

17-09-2024

Somewhere in every garden, no matter how large or small, there arises the need for a fence or screen.

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Pests, partnerships and people power at the biodiversity seminar

03-09-2024

There is still time to grab a ticket to the Wimmera Biodiversity seminar that is back for its 27th edition with the theme 'Pests, Partnerships and People Power'.

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Glen, about the house

03-09-2024

In the last issue I began what I thought was a brief summary of pruning a couple of favourite deciduous, backyard fruit trees that would fill my page nicely. But after some judicious word pruning and deciding that as apples and pears needed the same treatment as do peaches and nectarines, I think we need some more words on pruning. So, here we go again.  

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Tranquil Gibbards Crossing garden to open

27-08-2024

The tranquil private garden of Gibbards Crossing at Redesdale is opening this October as part of Open Gardens Victoria.

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Coliban Springs private garden to open

26-08-2024

The beautiful Coliban Springs private garden at Redesdale will open to the public over two days in October as part of the Open Gardens Victoria scheme.

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Talk, tour and tea at Clunes Presbytery house and garden

26-08-2024

Local garden lovers are girding themselves for a special Open Gardens Victoria event coming up next month on Saturday, September 28, at the historic Clunes Presbytery and Garden.

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Gardens historic ‘day basin’ transformation soon to start

23-08-2024

Work is soon to begin to renovate the historic day basin at Daylesford’s Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens.

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Hepburn Shire hands out $80,111 in grants for landcare, biodiversity

21-08-2024

The township of Trentham hosted a celebration late last week for recipients of grants aimed at improving biodiversity and environmental health throughout the Hepburn Shire.

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Glen, about the house

20-08-2024

What's all the fuss about pruning deciduous fruit trees each year? Well, the simple answer is almost all deciduous fruiting trees produce their flowers in early spring, which coincides with the awakening of various flying, nectar seeking, insects.

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Walks of the Central Highlands

18-08-2024

It’s curious how long you can live with an iconic slab of national mythology sitting on your doorstop and never actually go check it out.

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Celebrating Daylesford’s Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens

17-08-2024

The Friends of Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens were planning their annual Taylor and Sangster Lecture for 2024 when president Frank Page considered the possibility of growing that event into a full-blown celebration of the wintry gardens.

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Heritage application for Wombat Hill gardens proposal

04-08-2024

A number of early morning walkers in Daylesford will have seen the sign advertising an application to Heritage Victoria on behalf of Friends of Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens.

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Glen, about the house

04-08-2024

Last issue l tempted you (photographically) to venture into the world of vertical gardens - a place of many advantages and few, if any, disadvantages.

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Super cute additions at local wildlife park

31-07-2024

Keepers at the Ballarat Wildlife Park say they're delighted to welcome eight koala joeys this season.

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Wintery beauty celebrated in Daylesford events program

27-07-2024

Various local groups in Daylesford have joined together to celebrate the area's wintry pleasures while highlighting the beauty of Wombat Hill and Victoria’s historic Botanic Gardens.

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Glen, about the house

22-07-2024

Pruning, the better way  There's a perennial gardening question that usually arises at about this time of  year, that is after the “should we really get stuck into the tree with a saw and lop it  right back?”.

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Glen, about the house…

09-07-2024

A brief glimpse back into the growth of Australian nurseries - specifically South Australia and Victoria. I’m most familiar with those, having been born into one of the earliest and still thriving, nursery families in Adelaide.

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Ballarat intercultural garden work begins

02-07-2024

A prominent Ballarat corner is receiving a significant facelift celebrating cultural diversity.

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Glen, about the house…

25-06-2024

Hi Glen, I am sure you are the one who can tell me whether those beautiful moth orchids really do live and flower for years, and if so, what am I doing wrong?

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Planting seeds: a chat with Patrice O’Shea (OAM)

19-06-2024

Coomoora’s Patrice O’Shea recently received an Order of Australia Medal in the General Division for services to the environment and secondary education in the King’s Birthday Honours list.

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Gardening wonderland at Basalt

15-06-2024

Lily Langham, who has created a gardening wonderland with her husband Rodney on five acres in Basalt Rd, Basalt, was the guest speaker at the May meeting of the Daylesford & District Horticultural Society.

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Glen, about the house…

11-06-2024

You have probably taken cuttings or slips and been astonished, if not pleased, when you discover that some of them have “struck”.

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Something fine and fragrant: Glen, about the house

31-05-2024

Whenever the topic of bringing added fragrance to our gardens our thoughts go naturally to the old faithfuls - roses, daphne, lavender etc.

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Get buzzy: world bee day happens tomorrow

19-05-2024

Tomorrow, May 20, marks the seventh annual World Bee Day, and this year’s focus is on the vital role bees play in global food production.

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Glen, about the house…

15-05-2024

Shrubs can add beauty to your garden in so many different ways, be it colourful foliage, attractive flowers or habit of growth, but one of the most welcoming ways is in filling the air with waves of delicious perfume.

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Glen, about the house

04-05-2024

I’m sure I’m not the only one who makes a daily tour of our newly planted trees or shrubs, looking anxiously for any sign of new growth.

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Macedon Ranges gardens open to public

27-04-2024

Garden lovers are in for an Anzac Day weekend treat with the chance to visit two extraordinary private historic properties opening in the Macedon Ranges, with Open Gardens Victoria both today and tomorrow, April 27 and 28.

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Kyneton Horticultural Society hosts annual autumn flower show

19-04-2024

The Kyneton Horticultural Society is hosting its Annual Autumn Flower Show tomorrow Saturday April 20 from 1-4pm and Sunday April 21 from 10am – 4pm.

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Glen, about the house …

14-04-2024

Despite popular belief, the practice of growing bonsai actually began, not in Japan, but in China when around the year 700, a group of avid gardeners began using special techniques to create miniaturised trees in small containers and so developed a practice called “pun-sai”.

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Glen, about the house …

03-04-2024

Hi Glen, I wonder if you could identify the plant in the photograph for me? I was told it was probably a Solomon’s Seal. I think it might be but it looks a little different to others I’ve seen. This one was flourishing in a large pot on a shaded porch. Thanks, an avid reader, Sheryl

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New soil health guide for local farmers and keen gardeners

02-04-2024

A new resource will serve as a one-stop-shop for farmers and gardeners keen to understand and improve their soil health.

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New master plan for Ballarat’s botanical gardens

25-03-2024

The City of Ballarat is developing a new master plan for its botanical gardens, to guide how it shapes the living attraction into the future. 

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Intercultural garden grows closer to reality

23-03-2024

A prominent new garden that will celebrate Ballarat's diverse cultural backgrounds has taken a major step towards completion.

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Glen, about the house

06-03-2024

In all the countless years that we Aussie gardeners have chosen to adorn our home landscape with true blue Aussie trees and shrubs, we seem to have overlooked the beauty and colour our own bulbous plants can bring to the garden.

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Begonia maze recalls early gardens feature

24-02-2024

This year’s Ballarat Begonia Festival will feature a novel throwback to the very early days of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens.

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Applications open for Ballarat’s nature stewards program

23-02-2024

Applications are now open for the City of Ballarat’s third Nature Stewards program, where community members can discover new exciting ways to learn and care for nature.

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Ballarat begonia festival to debut new begonia

19-02-2024

The City of Ballarat’s team behind the impressive begonia displays at the annual Ballarat Begonia Festival will debut a never-before-seen begonia flower at this years’ festival.

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Walks of the Central Highlands

17-02-2024

If there’s just one walk to take visitors on while in the Creswick area, this would have to be it.

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Program launched for Ballarat’s Begonia Festival

08-02-2024

Deputy Mayor Cr Peter Eddy, Board Chair of Central Highlands Regional Water Corporation Angeleen Jenkins, Cr Sam McIntosh and Mayor Cr Des Hudson.

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Kerbside food and garden organics service starts April

07-02-2024

Kerbside bin collection is set to change in townships in Hepburn Shire with the introduction of a weekly food and garden organics service (also called FOGO) from Monday April 8.

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Glen, about the house

07-02-2024

Among the multi-classified members of the plant world, one group, probably the largest, are the perennials. More than any other plant group they, in their thousand-plus forms, can offer a year-round rich palette of colour, fragrance and texture, either by their flowers or foliage.

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Keep encounters with flying-foxes fleeting this summer

08-01-2024

With Grey-headed Flying-foxes travelling great distances to find food, Victorians may be encountering these vulnerable visitors in backyards and public places, prompting some warnings from DEECA.

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Glen, about the house

06-01-2024

Hot, dry summers can play havoc with your garden but if proper precautions are taken during its establishment and early stages of development, the summer months should be pleasurable and present few problems.

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‘Become a nature steward’: council invites locals

05-01-2024

The Hepburn Shire Council is inviting local residents to participate in an upcoming Nature Stewards course.

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Fernery works at botanical gardens

30-12-2023

The first new ferns have been planted at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens Fernery.

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Glen, about the house

25-12-2023

Like puppies and kittens, they’re to keep and cherish for their lifetime. I’m talking about house plants, because with a little care and the right treatment and conditions they can be expected to last for years…especially if presented in an attractive, decorated pot.

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Win for conservation in the Wombat Forest

22-12-2023

Late last month the Victorian Supreme Court granted an injunction to stop VicForests timber harvesting operations in a coupe known as ‘Silver Queen’ in the Wombat State Forest. This replaces the interim injunction that has been in place since September.

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Glen, about the house

12-12-2023

How refreshing the mere sight and sound of water can be - whether it be a lake or stream, or even a small garden pond - the calming effect is always there.

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Walks of the Central Highlands…

10-12-2023

Today we’re tackling a short sharp little gem of a walk known as The Cork Oaks Track.

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Six years in the making: Trentham community garden opens for use

09-12-2023

The new Trentham Neighbourhood Centre Community Garden was officially opened on Saturday, November 18, after six years in concept and development phases.

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Glen, about the house…

28-11-2023

Having been previously rudely dumped from their nesting place in under the corrugated iron roof of our house by larger, rowdy striated pardalotes, our beloved ‘spotties’ have returned for the breeding season.

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Wildlife camera monitoring field day

22-11-2023

Keen local field naturalists, citizen scientists and anyoneone who appreciates getting out in the forest is being invited to join an upcoming wildlife monitoring event being hosted by the Victorian National Parks Association.

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Glen, about the house…

13-11-2023

Hey Glen, I have a batch of healthy young tomato seedlings, almost growing out of their pots. Now the weather has started to warm up, would it be safe to plant them out now? If not, then when? - David, Hepburn

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Garden lovers treats this weekend

10-11-2023

Garden lovers are in for a weekend treat, with the chance to visit three very different private garden openings in Castlemaine, Barkers Creek, and Flora Hill (Bendigo) with Open Gardens Victoria on November 11 and 12.

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Glen, about the house

29-10-2023

In normal years we usually expect days of rough and windy November weather. So who can tell what this year will bring? Apart from broken branches caused by the sheer force of the wind, many plants suffer splits and abrasions from being battered against buildings and fences.

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Secret is out as garden lovers weekend returns

25-10-2023

Garden lovers are in for a treat over the weekend over November 11-12 as Creswick Garden Club again stages the Creswick Garden Lovers’ weekend featuring top gardens in Creswick and surrounds.

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Glen, about the house…

16-10-2023

The pundits were right, El Niño is back, along with 'his' increased risk of drought, heatwaves, bushfires and coral bleaching.

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Glen, about the house…

02-10-2023

Reincarnation - hardly… But it is the story of revival of a long-discarded orchid. Some 11 years ago, we inherited several pot-bound cymbidium orchids. At that time, still busily re- establishing our newly acquired garden, I merely removed the dead growth and buried them in “the mosh pit” - a raised compost and peat moss etc-filled bed, under a shady, old rhododendron - destined to be our fernery.

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About to bloom: Musk gardens open day nears

28-09-2023

Two of the region’s premier gardens are preparing to open their gates to visitors for a fundraising picnic day on Saturday, November 18.

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Glen, about the house

19-09-2023

How sweet it is - daphne odora and odora alba. Although often considered tricky to grow, the supposedly finicky daphnes will certainly earn a place in your garden even if it's only for the sweet perfume or as a finishing touch to a bouquet or vase display.

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Glen, about the house

21-08-2023

Last issue I covered the winter pruning and tidying up of bush roses and, obviously those tall-stemmed standard ones. This time, we’ll have a look at your rampant climbers and naturally assume they are growing on a trellis or fence for support.

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The Block in Daylesford?

06-08-2023

A PLANNING application for five dwellings at 1 Raglan Street, Daylesford, has people wondering if it is the site of next year’s series of television show The Block.

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Glen, about the house…

23-07-2023

Gardening was far from the minds of the early European settlers of this wide brown land. Survival would most likely be the word as they broke their backs clearing and working their plots for sustenance.

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The Local Podcast July 17, 2023

16-07-2023

The Local crew talk about what to expect in the upcoming edition of The Local

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Glen, about the house

10-07-2023

Our 2008 move across town, from The Coach House to our present house, gave us the opportunity to restore a tired and drought-ridden, multi-level hillside property.

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Glen, about the house…

26-06-2023

romeliad is a familial name encompassing a somewhat endless plethora of colourful, mostly bullet-proof, house plants - all with their own specific botanical names.

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Glen about the house…

13-06-2023

The autumn-flowering sasanqua camellias, such as the beautiful pink Hiryu (pictured), have seemed to be overshadowed by their larger, bolder camellia japonica cousins. It’s unfortunate that a plant, to some extent, seems to be judged by its name, or perhaps, appearance.

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Glen, about the house…

29-05-2023

Hi Glen, I’ve just been reading your article in The Local regarding indoor plants in winter. Our ficus has been slowly taking over the corner of our lounge room...

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Help save the critically endangered Plains-wanderer

21-05-2023

Volunteers are needed for the Plains-wanderer song meter program and while Hepburn Shire locals do not live in its habitat they're being invited to get involved to help save the critically endangered species.

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Glen, about the house…

17-05-2023

Many gardeners who have started a collection of indoor plants - like the philodendron scandens, birds nest fern asplenium nidus and fiddle leaf ficus lyrata - and done well with them through summer, could be disappointed whenthey suffer quite badly once the chills of winter are upon us.

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Foraging free: where the wild food is found

12-05-2023

Fancy a wild pine mushroom risotto? A crisp dandelion and wild brassica salad? Or an elderberry cocktail perhaps?

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Glen, about the house

02-05-2023

To many, the most beautiful time of the garden year is spring, the season of re-birth, when trees and shrubs burst forth with fresh new growth, flowers are blooming everywhere and air is fresh with their scent and the promise of bright new things to come.

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Bloomin’ beautiful

29-04-2023

FLOWERS are good for the soul. So says Lyonville’s Janae Paquin-Bowden. And she should know.

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One million homes target not looking so good

18-04-2023

The federal government is set to fall well short of its goal of building one million homes over five years according a report from the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation, says Tim Reardon, Housing Industry Association’s chief economist.

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Glen, about the house…

18-04-2023

From the time Peta and I took over the drought-ridden property that became our home, we were determined to “practise what I preached” in all my writings and broadcasts - throw away those chemicals and let nature take its course.

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Two gardens open their gates in Trentham

14-04-2023

Two private Trentham gardens will open their gates on Saturday, April 15 and Sunday, April 16 as part of the Open Gardens Victoria scheme.

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Landcare And Junior Landcare grants up for grabs

06-04-2023

A total of $4.4 million in grants is on offer to help volunteers and the next generation of Victorians in caring for the state’s precious environment and biodiversity.

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Glen, about the house…

04-04-2023

All foot and stomach... If any zoological name was totally descriptive ‘gastropod’ (stomach foot) surelysums up the gardener’s oldest foe - snails and slugs - undoubtedly among the oldest of the common garden pests.

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Magical birds, joyful singing & art exhibits

31-03-2023

DAYLESFORD artist and musician Vanessa Craven has just published a children’s colour picture song book, Birds in My Tree: The Magic of Birds and the Joy of Singing.

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‘Citizen scientists’ sought as hunt for shark egg cases launches in Australia

28-03-2023

Australia’s national science agency, the CSIRO, is calling on citizen scientists to find and record egg cases washing up on Australian coasts so researchers can better understand egg-laying sharks, skates and chimaeras.

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Glen, about the house

21-03-2023

For love of a rose The incredible story of the creation of a magnificent hybrid rose that brought love to its creators, peace and new life to a war-torn world and, ultimately gave inspiration for Antonia Ridge’s heartwarming novel...

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Gorgeous gardens set to open at Clunes over Booktown weekend

16-03-2023

Open Gardens Victoria will open the Presbytery at Clunes and the Vale Hill House in nearby Ullina on the weekend of March 25 and 26...

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Glen, about the house…

05-03-2023

One of the joys of having a fully organic, chemical-free garden is the amazing number of wildlife, both avian and and microscopic.

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Stronger El Niño could cause irreversible melting of Antarctica

26-02-2023

New research led by scientists at CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, has shown that future increases in the strength of El Niño may accelerate the irreversible melting of ice shelves and ice sheets in Antarctica. 

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Glen, about the house …

19-02-2023

And so the La Niña blues roll on And you thought (hoped)! we had seen the last ...

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Glen, about the house

08-02-2023

La Niña - there’s that fearsome name again. La Niña is certainly...

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Those bloomin’ beautiful begonias

08-02-2023

For the third year, the Tuberous Begonia Garden in Ashbourne is open in February and March for its annual Tuberous Begonia and Fuchsia Show.

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The Tree Da Vinci now in Hepburn Shire

Arboricultural business The Tree Da Vinci has expanded its service and is now available to those living in Hepburn Shire and surrounds as well as the Macedon Ranges and Mount Alexander shires.

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That’s a wrap: a regional wrap-up from the REIV

05-02-2023

Alongside the usual peaks and troughs, in 2022 the Victorian property market experienced eight interest rate rises and a confluence of pressures from the rental market.

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The French House sets a sales record for Trentham

04-02-2023

A CUSTOM-built house set on grounds of just under an acre has set a new residential sales record for Trentham, selling for $2.2 million in recent weeks

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Best astronomy image yet of supernova remnants

27-01-2023

Led by researchers at Macquarie University and Italy’s National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF), a portion of our Galaxy has been imaged in detail so great, we may be able to answer long-standing questions about the Milky Way’s stars.

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Glen, about the house…

23-01-2023

Some like it cool. La Niña! I can scarcely say the name without ...

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Carol calls time on her Lavandula property

20-01-2023

CAROL White is calling time on Lavandula Swiss Italian Farm, putting the historic Shepherds Flat property up for sale.

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Plastic munching microbes may help solve our recycling riddles

17-01-2023

Microbial communities already treat the food waste in your compost bin. In the future, could they treat your plastic waste too? A new article released by the CSIRO suggests they may well.

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Farewell La Nina …

14-01-2023

Climate models indicate La Niña is on the way out, with El Niño conditions expected later this year

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Get your creative on, Gisborne writing and illustration challenge

09-01-2023

Gisborne Library and the Gisborne Gazette are calling for entries into the Gisborne Writing and Illustration Challenge.

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Take a tilt at the Mulga Bill Writing Award

09-01-2023

The Goldfields Libraries and Eaglehawk Festivals Inc. are calling for entries from writers all over Australia for the annual Mulga Bill Writing Award.

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Chance to discover ‘The Real Gardens of Lyonville’

28-12-2022

The Real Gardens of Lyonville is an event to gladen the heart of all who appreciate good gardens and gardening - and it's set for Sunday, March 26 2023 from 10am – 4pm.

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Glen, about the house

27-12-2022

These beautifully foliaged plants, always a great addition to any shaded windowsill, porch or shaded corner of the garden, are making a welcome comeback.

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Scientists discover shark graveyard at the bottom of the ocean

20-12-2022

Scientists on CSIRO research vessel (RV) Investigator have made some exciting finds during recent voyages, including collecting a specimen of a new species of shark and discovering a shark graveyard in the deep ocean.

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Glen, about the house

11-12-2022

If you have thoughts of taking advantage of this, our first post-Covid summer break and are not certain who could take care of your garden while you are away, here are a few precautions to take before you leave to keep it in good shape for your return.

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REIV property update

09-12-2022

THE property market has finally normalised after a roller coaster ride with not only Covid but also unpredicted interest rate hikes, Real Estate Institute of Victoria president Andrew Meehan, pictured, says.

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Glen, about the house

29-11-2022

My all-time favourite rose rosa mutabilis has finally reached maturity as a small tree and with its first full crop of ever-changing coloured, butterfly-like blooms.

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Prime chance to unearth some garden design insights

19-11-2022

This weekend offers garden lovers a rare opportunity to visit professionally designed private gardens in the Macedon Ranges during Garden DesignFest

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Census time for Australian pollinators, but they need our help

18-11-2022

It’s census time for Australian pollinators, but they need our help

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Travels with, and without, our vase by Jeff Glorfeld

15-11-2022

MOST everyone has antiques of some kind in and around their home, and by antique I don’t mean beat-up old slobs like me.

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Glen, about the house

14-11-2022

My wise old grandfather once told this doting young six-year-old that he would rather put a sixpenny plant into a ten-shilling hole than a ten-shilling plant into a sixpenny hole.

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Shed shots: style & history

With nice little sheds, you see individual style and history come together.

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Cafs needs your help this Christmas

09-11-2022

This Christmas the need for support across the Central Highlands has never been greater and Cafs (Child and Family Services) is working harder than ever to support families in need.

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Pick me, pick me!

14-11-2022

Hi. I’m Bella and I’m a desexed female tri-colour kelpie-border collie cross.

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Students go cutting-edge

31-10-2022

A group of Daylesford College students recently celebrated the launch of a cutting-edge gardening program.

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Inside the garden gates: a weekend for garden lovers

29-10-2022

SHARING their own private garden with others is a source of joy for Creswick couple, Claire and Clive Chadder.

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Mwerre products on sale at Opera House

15-10-2022

IT WAS probably a bit of a “pinch me” moment. Liz Liddle had been running a soap making/bath products business for about five years when she saw a callout for Uncovered at the Sydney Opera House.

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Glen, about the house

14-10-2022

One of the most exciting successes in gardening is creating a new plant from a small growth taken from a favourite tree or shrub.

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Glen, about the house

30-08-2022

Winter's over (almost) I know. Spring has barely had time to sweep away the dark clouds, pack up, turn on the sunlight, but I’m sure, like me, you’ve had your share of the dark and dingy and can’t wait to spend some time in the great outdoors.

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Glen, about the house

17-08-2022

Strange fruit - and perhaps a little fear of the unknown How many of us can honestly say they have never flinched at, or even refused to sample, an unknown, or suspicious looking food item, even if it was eaten with relish by many.

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The Pollinator Project – Seed Balls

12-08-2022

Seed balls consist of the seed of one species or a variety of different species rolled within a ball of clay. For the Pollinator Project, we have chosen to add a native plant soil and compost mix to the clay providing nutrients and protection for the seed during throwing and sowing!!!

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Open Garden

04-08-2022

Garden expert, radio personality and nurseryman Stephen Ryan will open his private garden, Tugurium, Macedon as part of Open Gardens Victoria on Saturday, August 27 and Sunday, August 28.

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Glen, about the house

02-08-2022

If you share in the pleasures of a hanging garden, you won’t be desperate for garden space or need the expense of a greenhouse, unless you try your hand with a few exotics. Hanging plants take up little precious space, in fact you will enjoy the bargain of an extra layer in the garden.

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Big houseing building blitz

29-07-2022

The State Government has hit the halfway milestone in its unprecedented Big Housing Build, delivering more social and affordable homes to those who need it most right across the state.

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Spring flower show

24-07-2022

After an absence of nearly three years, the Kyneton Horticultural Society will host its Spring Flower Show at the Watts Pavilion, Kyneton Showgrounds on Saturday, September 4 from 1pm to 4pm and Sunday, September 5 from 10am to 4pm.

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Sell The Rex: Council

23-07-2022

Hepburn Matters is calling on the Hepburn Shire Council to hold off on any decision to sell The Rex until the end of November and “commit in principle to a co-design process between the council and community, to explore and reach mutually satisfactory outcomes”.

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Glen, about the house

22-07-2022

ld King Nebuchadnezzar II and his Babylonians certainly started something when they draped their multi-tiered citadels with lush greenery. They would, no doubt, have found success with quite a few plant species that would have barely survived out in the harsh desert below. For a start, they would certainly have faced less trouble with water supplies and maintenance of soil quality.

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Successful raffle

09-07-2022

The Friends of Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, Daylesford are delighted with the success of their recent Autumn Raffle. Launched on March 20 at our Gardens Celebration Tea Party it was drawn at our Taylor and Sangster Lecture on June 17.

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Glen around the house

08-07-2022

The prices keep rising and there’s no end in sight. If there was ever a time to head to the gardening section - it’s right now.

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More trees for Riddells Creek

27-06-2022

Approximately 400 new trees will be planted on nature strips in Riddells Creek in the coming months as part of Council’s annual tree-planting program.

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Glen, about the hose

23-06-2022

In keeping with this edition's theme of travel, here's my take on Singapore’s breathtakingly spectacular Gardens by the Bay, a 101-hectare botanical, national icon.

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Bonsai Society celebrations

23-06-2022

Goldfields Bonsai Society will celebrate its 20th anniversary with an exhibition at the Daylesford Town Hall on Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26 from 10am to 4pm.

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Glen, About the House

09-06-2022

June is bustin' out all over Well it certainly is - but not in the joyous manner Rodgers & Hammerstein envisaged when they created Carousel way back in 1945.

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Wombat Hill lecture

26-05-2022

THE Taylor and Sangster Lecture will be held by the Friends of Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, Daylesford at Stanbridge Hall, Daylesford on Friday, June 17 at 7.30pm.

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Glen about the house

26-05-2022

Winter proof your precious house plants

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Viva! A precious slice of Italy is born again

24-05-2022

THE year 1859 was amazing. Among inventions patented that year were the paper bag, electric range, lifts and rechargeable batteries. A Tale of Two Cities was published by Charles Dickens, as was Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species. Big Ben began ticking in London and the French acrobat Blondin crossed Niagara Falls.

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Glen about the house

09-05-2022

There are many garden plants, especially vegetables and fruits, with either an interesting history concerning how they came to be grown in our own backyards or, more importantly, how they found their way into our kitchens.

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Easter musings from St Andrews Creswick

08-05-2022

Easter musings from St Andrews Creswick

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Fun autumn challenge with Parks Victoria

19-04-2022

As the seasons change and autumn brings fresh air and an explosion of warm colour to the Victorian landscape, now is the perfect time to get outdoors and discover new experiences across the state.

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Landscaping courses

18-04-2022

An Australian-first TAFE course for landscape designers will boost the profession and better connecting it with other Victorian industries.

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Helping Victorians buy their first home

18-04-2022

Victorian first-home buyers are being supported with millions of dollars in grants and concessions each week to help them realise their dreams.

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Glen, about the house

16-04-2022

Glen, about the house

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Glen, About the House

01-04-2022

If you are fortunate enough to share in this year’s crop of berries, or have managed to bulk buy at the right price, make the most of them by freezing the surplus fruits and enjoy the results for the rest of the year.

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Glen, About the house

17-03-2022

Even if you look at your plants every day you more than likely feel that there is almost no movement in them - save the rustling of leaves in the wind.

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Regional sales supercharged by Covid

04-03-2022

REIV president Adam Docking says Covid-19 has just “supercharged” the move for many to the regions. “Over the past few years (pre-Covid) we were seeing more of a focus on people moving to the regions because of the internet, infrastructure and technology, and realising they don’t have to work in a concrete jungle.

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All things botanical

04-03-2022

JOHN Beetham is a pretty laid-back bloke but don’t get between him and a rare tree, or a garden in need of a design hand.

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Heading into autumn – Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens

02-03-2022

MANY people feel that autumn is the best month for mild, golden days and for beautiful gardens. While it might not have the glorious variety of spring planting, the soft luxuriance and vivid colour that we enjoy up here make autumn a very special time, especially on Wombat Hill.

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Glen, about the house

01-03-2022

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and ThymeNo, I'm not about to sing this popular medieval song, it’s merely to point out that herbs have graced the kitchen gardens and apothecarian cabinets since time immemorial and, I suppose, sort of sing their praises.

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Glen, about the house

18-02-2022

Whether it be a waterlily- and reed-filled patio tub on the terrace, a washed stone pebble fountain in a quiet corner or a formal fully-grown pond in the lawn, a water feature of any shape or size will add a new dimension to your garden.

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Awards for real estate

17-02-2022

RateMyAgent has announced Belle Property Daylesford & Trentham Office’s as the winner of its 2022 Agency Awards.

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Improving lives and livelihoods

14-02-2022

The State Government is providing a boost for regional builders during the pandemic through public housing works that have created thousands of local jobs right across the state.

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New homes and jobs for Victoria

13-02-2022

The State Government is providing new grants to local councils that will speed up the delivery of residential land − driving urban growth, jobs and development.

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Glen, about the house

09-02-2022

Water features

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Begonias on show

08-02-2022

IF YOU'VE ever visited the Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens glasshouse, you will have seen the amazing tuberous begonias, flamboyant, colourful and huge - but only viewed from behind the glass walls.

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Breakfast with the Birds

31-01-2022

North Central Catchment Management Authority’s Breakfast with the Birds is back for another year.

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Just sayin’…

27-01-2022

THIS edition is all about looking back so I thought I would take a stroll down memory lane, to my "born and bred" town of Frankston.

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Gardening with Glen

27-01-2022

Orchids - always precious - occasionally precocious Once considered an expensive and highy technical hobby, the pleasures of growing beautiful orchids are now open to us all.

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Glen, about the house

18-01-2022

Last issue I mentioned that succulent plants weren’t just a group of weird little sun-loving plants that stored water on their swollen stems, leaves and sometimes, roots.

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Looking back at 2021: June

17-01-2022

In our June 21, 2021 edition we looked at the storm damage from the June 8/9 storm that wreaked devastation across the region. Images courtesy of Daylesford Spa Country Railway and Sandy Scheltema.

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In Design with Indre – Merch’n dise

02-01-2022

Customers eat first with their eyes. You have three seconds to be recognised, to state what your business does and to appeal.

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Boosting social housing in Central Victoria

31-12-2021

The State Government is providing safe and affordable housing for vulnerable, ageing Victorians at risk of homelessness in regional Victoria.

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One million fish bound for Lake Eppalock

31-12-2021

Recreational anglers will soon have one million chances to reel in a fish at Lake Eppalock with a record stocking for the waterway in the coming months.

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Recreational fishing tourism strategy

30-12-2021

The State Government has released its Victorian Recreational Fishing Tourism Strategy showcasing the diverse, year-round fishing opportunities on offer across the state.

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state-of-the-art mushroom farm

29-12-2021

The State Government is putting the safety of workers first, with new support for automated technology at a state-of-the-art mushroom farm at the Parwan Employment Precinct.

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Victorian Landcare awards

28-12-2021

Victoria’s dedicated Landcare and environmental volunteering champions were celebrated at the 2021 Victorian Landcare Awards ceremony for their outstanding work in caring for the state’s environment and biodiversity.

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New heights to attract tourists

28-12-2021

The State Government is transforming Bacchus Marsh into a bigger, better and more accessible location for visitors with the development of a destination park and new trail.

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Glen, about the house- Fine feathered friends

25-12-2021

To my great delight, my birdbath’s daily clientele has recently been boosted by “foreigners”

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Shire Hall returns to former Glory

25-12-2021

The eight month restoration of the historic Kyneton Shire Hall, funded jointly by the Federal Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program and Macedon Ranges Shire Council is set to be completed in December.

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Around the house with Glen

22-12-2021

A gift that keeps on giving

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BASKETBALL BONANZA

17-12-2021

More basketball games are bouncing into regional Victoria in January 2022 as part of a festival of women’s basketball, with seven additional WNBL fixtures confirmed for Ballarat and Traralgon.

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Responding locally to climate change

17-12-2021

The Victorian Government is empowering the Macedon electorate to prepare and adapt to the impacts of climate change following the development of a new community-led adaptation strategy.

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BRIGHT FUTURE FOR SOCIAL HOUSING IN BALLARAT

16-12-2021

More Victorians will have a place to call home thanks to the State Government’s social housing investment in the Ballarat and wider Grampians area.

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Ballarat Health Services partner project receives $9 million research project grant

16-12-2021

Ballarat Health Services will deliver enhanced healthcare at home for older people in rural and regional Western Victoria through a project in partnership with the Western Alliance Academic Health Science Centre (Western Alliance).

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Money with Matt – Negative gearing is a positive thing. Yeah?

15-12-2021

Negative gearing – “the practice of investing borrowed money in such a way as to result in a loss that can be claimed as a tax deduction”

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Design with Indre Kisonas -Innovation Nation

15-12-2021

Australians have always been leaders and pioneers when it comes to invention.

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Top tips for a safe home

15-12-2001

MOST burglaries are committed by amateur burglars looking for an easy target.

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Pathway to sustainability

15-12-2001

A LANDMARK new plan sets out a practical pathway for transforming Australian homes.

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Bushfire support

07-12-2021

BEYOND Blue, Australia’s largest mental health organisation, has a dedicated service to help people manage the stresses and apprehension before, during and after the bushfire season.

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In your local garden with Glen Heyne Gardens: Summer friends or foe?

20-01-2020

Will our garden shield our homes or turn against us in times of bushfires?

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Design with Indre – Community driving change

27-01-2020

Community campaigns seem to be the power that will direct change in the new year of 2020.

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Launch of the Grampians Community Power Hub

26-11-2021

The Grampians Community Power Hub, led by BREAZE Inc, was officially launched on Friday bringing together community members, those working on the hub and the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Lily D’Ambrosio.

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Hepburn Hub project scrapped, Rex for sale

05-12-2021

THE controversial Hepburn Hub at The Rex project has been scrapped.

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ELECTIVE SURGERY INCREASES FOR REGIONAL AND PRIVATE HOSPITALS

02-12-2021

Public hospitals in Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton and the Latrobe Valley can resume up to 50 per cent of normal elective surgery from Monday 29 November, as Victoria continues to safely manage COVID-19 hospital admissions.

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Six-month anniversary for storm recovery

01-12-2021

Macedon Ranges Shire Council invites residents to join Dr Rob Gordon for a lunchtime webinar reflecting on the six months since the 9 June storm, and the reactions that people may still be experiencing.

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Glen, about the house

28-11-2021

Bees, a disappearing race? If you think you’ve noticed the absence of bees, especially the little native types in your garden of late, you may be right. It could be that this unusually fearsome spring weather has kept them indoors but recent disturbing agricultural and horticultural news reports indicate a disturbing lack of activity on the bee front during the critical spring blossoming season.

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Six-month anniversary storm recovery session

28-11-2021

Macedon Ranges Shire Council invites residents to join Dr Rob Gordon for a lunchtime webinar reflecting on the six months since the 9 June storm, and the reactions that people may still be experiencing.

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Landmark changes improving access to life saving cervical screenings

25-11-2021

As we mark the start of Cervical Cancer Awareness Week, the Morrison Government is ensuring all people eligible for a cervical screening test will be able to collect their own sample from 1 July 2022.

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Recycle soft plastics at your local transfer station

23-11-2021

Macedon Ranges Shire Council is conducting a six month soft plastics recycling trial with local recycling company, Victorian Regional Recyclers.

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Megan and Tom excited to take on The Guilly

22-11-2021

THERE is a real vibe happening at Guildford. And driving around you get the feeling it’s about to boom.

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Help shape the future of biosecurity in Victoria

22-11-2021

Victorians are being called on to take the lead in strengthening their state’s biosecurity system by nominating to join Victoria’s Biosecurity Reference Group.

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AWARD WINNING WORK IN VICTORIAN BIOSECURITY

21-11-2021

Agriculture Victoria has been recognised at the 2021 Australian Biosecurity Awards for its outstanding work in biosecurity.

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New financial counselling support for storm affected residents

20-11-2021

Macedon Ranges Shire Council has welcomed the announcement from Bushfire Recovery Victoria of a Storm and Flood Financial Counselling Program.

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Feedback sought on Nature Strip Landscaping Policy

Macedon Ranges Shire Council is reviewing its Nature Strip Landscaping Policy and seeking your feedback.

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WORLD-CLASS TAFE PRECINCT UNVEILED IN THE HEART OF BENDIGO

The State Government’s huge redevelopment of Bendigo TAFE has been unveiled, giving local jobseekers in the growing regional city more opportunities to get the skills they need for the jobs of the future.

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Lockdown pests, weeds and diseases this harvest

The pandemic has taught people more about biosecurity with measures such as movement restrictions, contact tracing, and proof of vaccination to reduce the transmission of the virus.

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RECOGNISING VICTORIA’S OUTSTANDING SENIORS

17-11-2021

Ballarat dementia advocate Anne Tudor OAM has received the 2021 Premier’s Award for Victorian Senior of the Year for her tireless work campaigning for dementia awareness and inclusive aged care services for the LGBTIQ+ community.

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FREE GREEN WASTE DISPOSAL

15-11-2021

Residents can dispose of green waste for free at our three transfer stations in Creswick, Trentham and Daylesford throughout November

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MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR

14-11-2021

This month marks a year since the new Council was sworn in.

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Stories of the Storm

14-11-2021

SANDY Scheltema's Stories of the Storm series is supported by Hepburn Shire Council, Trentham & Districts Community Bank and the Trentham Lions Club. The series showcases stories of courage, tenacity, bravery and resilience within the community from people who experienced the terrifying storm of June 10, 2021.

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Power lines jeopardise World Heritage bid

13-11-2021

Power lines jeopardise World Heritage bid

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CresFest 2022 will be a joyful celebration of music and dance

13-11-2021

CresFest 2022 will be a joyful celebration of music and dance

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Hepburn Shire Council has begun distributing free firewood

13-11-2021

Hepburn Shire Council has begun distributing free firewood

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Macedon Ranges Shire Council is hosting free online training

13-11-2021

Macedon Ranges Shire Council is hosting free online training

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The 2021 Macedon Ranges Youth Award winners have been announced.

12-11-2021

They are Willpower – Lara Vicente, Nicely played – Hugo Lobb, Good deeds – Siena Payne, Skilling it – Gisborne Family Dental trainee dental nurses: Melanie Horvath, Lorissa Koleceg and Abbey Raynor, Well aware – Molly Consiglio and Pure imagination – Mount Players Youth Theatre Leadership Group. The awards are available to watch on Macedon Ranges Youth Facebook and council’s website at mrsc.vic.gov.au/youth

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The Good Grub Club: Sharing food and love

12-11-2021

WE MIGHT be seen as the wellness, spa and foodie capital of Victoria, but behind closed doors many people continue to be supported each week thanks to the efforts of Daylesford's Good Grub Club volunteers and community support.

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Glen About the house

12-11-2021

Space invaders? Maybe not.

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Kate Taylor imagines no more disability tropes

12-11-2021

IMAGINE there’s no disability tropes. I wonder if you can.

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Hepburn House residents out and about

11-11-2021

IF YOU think it's been a long 20 months or so, put yourself in the shoes of the residents of Hepburn House.

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Toys and vouchers needed for Christmas

11-11-2021

EVERY year Hepburn Regional Community Cheer collects toys and gift vouchers to make sure every child receives a toy for Christmas.

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Flowers of joy

08-11-2021

THE shopfronts of Daylesford and surrounds will come alive later this month with 120 beautiful floral installations designed to celebrate spring and move towards a better future.

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Celebrating five years at STIHL Shop Daylesford

08-11-2021

AS A youngster Dave Osborn would spend time with his grandfather who was in the logging trade. He learnt how to use a chainsaw and a passion for power garden tools, and particularly the STIHL brand, started to grow.

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Daylesford Bowling Club holds open day

DAYLESFORD Bowling Club held its open day for the 2021/2022 season on Saturday, November 6.

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More footage from June 2021 storm-affected properties

03-11-2021

Over the past few months, Bushfire Recovery Victoria has been capturing video footage from June 2021 storm-affected properties which have registered with BRV’s clean-up program. They include Diana and Shane who took over the Jubilee Lake Caravan Park just two months earlier.

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footage from June 2021 storm-affected properties

03-11-2021

Over the past few months, Bushfire Recovery Victoria has been capturing video footage from June 2021 storm-affected properties which have registered with BRV’s clean-up program. They include Central Highland local Paul Ulrik.

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Glen, About the House

25-10-2021

I’m sure that, like me, you have a dark, shady corner of the garden where the hardy sunlovers just simply can’t do their best. Fortunately, there’s an equal number of beautiful shade-seeking plants of all kinds just itching to strut their stuff. These plants, although preferring cool, moist conditions in the warmer months, are just as dependent on good drainage and rich, friable soil. Many shade-loving plants also prefer an acidic soil, so this must also be taken into consideration when preparing the bed.

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Glen, About the house

11-10-2021

Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs It may be no fairy story, but it could mean a few garden dreams can come true. There are so many times, especially at this time of bountiful blooms, that you may wish you could find space for yet another flowering tree such as the spectacular snow white flowering cherry, pictured here. Or, perhaps one of the many acacias, rhododendrons, camellias or even a free- flowering magnolia. But you can’t really find the space for yet another large tree.

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Just sayin’… By Donna Kelly

YOU will find it hard to believe but I get annoyed at times. Yep, kind, placid me. If you really want proof, just ask Kyle. Maybe don't.

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Take a bow, young writers and dreamers

THIS is the second in The Local's series of primary students tackling the topic My Dream and secondary students on The Stranger for the Words in Winter festival.

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Take a bow, young writers and dreamers

THIS is the second in The Local's series of primary students tackling the topic My Dream and secondary students on The Stranger for the Words in Winter festival.

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Take a bow, young writers and dreamers

The Stranger for the Words in Winter festival.

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Sports boost

HE Trentham Sportsground Reserve Pavilion has been given a $2M funding boost from the second round of the state government's Community Sports Infrastructure Stimulus Program.

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Joe Camilleri: Country life, music and gardens

HE IS one of Australia’s favourite rockers, an ARIA Hall of Famer and together with The Black Sorrows he’s sold more than two million albums.

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Hey honey!

KYNETON resident, and founder and CEO of Sweet Justice, Claire Moore, has received the inaugural Rotary Melbourne Environmental Sustainability Award in recognition of her work to support and protect the honey bee population.

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Water future

WORK is under way on the next Central Highlands Water Urban Water Strategy.

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Glen, about the house

SPRING persists, even if it’s only vacillating between icy rain and those fleeting wind-cooled sunny spells.

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Japanese artists’ connection with Trentham

VISUAL artists Akiko Nagino and Takahiko Sugawara met in 2006 and they are still together, travelling and making works. Growing up in Tōhoku the remote and scenic north east region of Honshu, Japan's largest island, they both completed studies at Tōhoku University of Art and Design in the city of Yamagata.

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GDTA guidebook for walks and bike rides

MOST people heading out into the bush for a walk or a mountain bike ride don’t have all day, so the Great Dividing Trail Association has produced a new guidebook, consisting of walks and bike rides within the Daylesford region, all short enough to complete in four hours.

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Supporting events for young Victorians

The Victorian Government is providing a significant funding boost for youth programs, offering more opportunities for young people to reconnect with their community as pandemic restrictions ease.

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Tutor program to continue

The Victorian Government will make sure that not one school student is left behind in the wake of the pandemic, with the state’s extraordinarily successful tutor program to continue until the end of 2022.

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New female-friendly pavilion at Hepburn

The Hepburn Burras Football and Netball Club and Hepburn Cricket Club now have more room to grow, with the completion of their new, female-friendly pavilion at Laurie Sullivan Reserve.

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Have your say on dogs and cats in the Macedon Ranges

Macedon Ranges Shire Council is calling on residents with and without pets to help shape its new Domestic Animal Management Plan.

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Social and affordable housing

The Victorian Government is calling on all developers and landowners in regional Victoria to put forward any developments or vacant land that could be turned into social or affordable housing.

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Business recovery support for agriculture industry

The Victorian Government is fast-tracking the road to recovery for agriculture and food supply chain businesses in rural and regional Victoria.

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Creswick trails update

The planning work is continuing on the Creswick Trails Network, a project which will see delivery of 60km of mountain bike paths and a trailhead at Creswick, with council expecting to begin works next year.

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Proposed renaming of Jim Crow Creek

Hepburn Shire Council is working with project partners, Mount Alexander Shire Council, North Central Catchment Management Authority and Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation trading as DJAARA, on the proposed renaming of Jim Crow Creek to Larni Barramal Yaluk. 

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Celebrating Macedon Ranges Seniors

The Victorian Seniors Festival Reimagined is back in 2021 and to celebrate, Macedon Ranges Shire Council will deliver 'celebration boxes' to 30 older residents who have made significant contributions to the Macedon Ranges community. Council’s Corporate and Community acting director Gina Lyons said this year’s festival theme of ‘keep’n on’ recognised the resilience of older people and the many different ways they contribute to our community.

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Stories of the Storm

SANDY Scheltema's Stories of the Storm series is supported by Hepburn Shire Council, Trentham & Districts Community Bank and the Trentham Lions Club. The series aims to showcase stories of courage, tenacity, bravery and resilience within the community from people who experienced the terrifying storm of June 10, 2021.

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BlazeAid: Ready to help but hit by red tape

WHEN the Black Saturday Fires ripped through Kevin and Rhonda Butler’s farm at East Kilmore in 2009, their immediate concern was the safety of their sheep.

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The Lighthouse

The waving line between shore and sea dissolves footprints like friendship and time The way ahead is dark and uncertain A lighthouse on the cliff illumines the black sea where white birds hover as heralds.

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16-08-2021

Let's celebrate the return of Wattle Day Glenlyon has revisited and revitalised the celebration of Wattle Day, once an annual one-day salute to our national floral emblem, the wattle, but this year it is embraced in a week long feast of poetry and art commencing on August 8.

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Embracing the six seasons of our land

07-06-2021

A TRADITIONAL smoking ceremony, community elders, a didgeridoo performance and a captivated audience of school children, set the scene for the unveiling of an amazing indigenous mural depicting the six main seasons of Djandak.

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Rush to buy regional double-edged sword

05-06-2021

ALL tiers of government need to think and act faster with Covid leading more and more people to regional lives, says REIV president Leah Calnan.

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Design with Indre

12-04-2021

CALLED the Cathedral of the Wimmera, the Stick Shed is certainly impressive and well worth a drive to Murtoa, whose indigenous name means land of the lizard.

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Glen, about the house

12-04-2021

The good, the bad & the hungry!

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European wasps on the wane, or are they?

29-03-2021

ONE of the more pleasant things about autumn, once the crowds have evaporated after ChillOut, is taking advantage of the remaining few weeks of daylight saving to head into town in the cool of the evening for a wander.

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Design with Indre

29-03-2021

Warmth by fire Stoking the fire the other night actually made me sad that winter is rolling around already after a very brief and cool summer, but then I remembered, it is arguably the best time of the year.

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Glen: About the house

29-03-2021

Shoo fly - Part 2 (As promised last time - dealing with the loathsome fruit fly…)

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Glen, about the house

15-03-2021

Shoo fly!

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Beautiful blooming begonias…and bees

15-03-2021

BEGONIAS have captured the imagination of flower lovers for hundreds of years with their almost quirky and often flamboyant offerings.

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Glen, About the house

08-02-2021

It's all about the birds and the bees

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Design with Indre

15-02-2021

Bench parking

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Glen, Around the house

15-02-2021

Then the rains came down…

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Glen, about the house

25-01-2021

Making the most of a fruit harvest - Take 2

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Design with Indre

18-01-2021

Colour forecasts

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Around the house with Glen

18-01-2021

Making the most of a fruit harvest If you are among the lucky ones with a good home crop or access to lots of stone fruit this season, there are more ways than making jam to preserve them for long-term use.

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Glen about the house – A waterlogged garden?

23-12-2021

We could be faced with the double-edged benefits of that long-awaited wet Winter.

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Glen, about the house

21-12-2020

2020 - Groundhog Day revisited

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Glen, about the house

07-12-2020

"Oh, Christmas tree - Oh, Christmas tree."

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About the house with Glen

30-11-2020

Not so welcome guests This recent burst of warm Spring weather, alternating with days of heavy rain storms has brought about great bursts of strong growth and crowds of colourful flowers in gardens everywhere. But, like all good stories, there has to be a downside - in this case also armies of aphids, snails and other plant-chewing or sucking pests.

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Ray Spencer – Creswick’s own forestry pioneer

23-11-2020

DR RAY Spencer has worn many hats over the years. A Creswick local, he travelled the world as a forestry and urban planning professional with his young family and later as an internationally renowned forest industry expert.

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Glen, about the house

16-11-2020

Underground networks There’s a lot more going on under the mulch than you probably realise, and not all of it necessarily good.

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Glen, Man about the house

09-11-2020

The answer's a lemon! Well, not really, it’s about citrus trees in general…Springtime is an important clean-up and feeding time for citrus - the time to remove weak, spindly growth and dead wood. If your lemon tree is looking as yellow and hang-dog as mine at present, it can’t be a minute too soon.

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Glen, about the house

02-11-2020

Going to pot Gazing at the glorious specimen of aucuba japonica (Japanese laurel) you would hardly believe it was once the pathetic decapitated specimen in the other photo.

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Design with Indre

02-11-2020

Shell-lac Shellac refers to all forms of purified shell-lac. That is, the secreted resin of the lac beetles.

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Finally, it’s time to smell (and taste) the roses

02-11-2020

MARCH 18, 2020. This date is stamped into many people’s memories as the day everything shut. Among them is Lauren Richardson, grower of edible flowers in Glenlyon.

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Floral feast

MARCH 18, 2020. This date is stamped into many people’s memories as the day everything shut. Among them is Lauren Richardson, grower of edible flowers in Glenlyon.

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Glen, About The House

26-10-2020

Treasures from the past Pondering over the photograph of my friend’s recently restored Tasmanian colonial house and garden (Issue 202) made me reflect on our own home.

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Design with Indre

26-10-2020

Making new old again Recently we spoke about things to look out for when buying an old home to renovate or restore.

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Simple life and ethical farming

26-10-2020

WIFE and husband farming team Catherine Taumoefolau-Evans and Bohdan Evans with their three children Angus, Hepi and Leon, have returned to a simpler life.

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Restoring Park Lake to its former glory

19-10-2020

CRESWICK’S Park Lake Botanical Reserve turns 160 this year, but celebrations are on hold until April 18, 2021.

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A life-saving project within your back fence

19-10-2020

A LONG road for a pair of former journalists runs from country Queensland to a nursery at Tylden.

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Glen, about the house

05-10-2020

The Local 200 issues old?

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Design with The Local

05-10-2020

LOCAL being the operative word. It goes with other words such as care, support, friendship, interest, meaningful, current, conscientious, convenient and beneficial.

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Design with Indre

28-09-2020

Buying old and preloved

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Glen, About the house

28-09-2020

Horti-culture shock

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Snakes on the move

28-09-2020

AS THE days become warmer, snakes are starting to emerge from their winter hibernation to bask in the sun and search for food and a mate. Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Senior Wildlife Management officer Belinda Cant said sunny weather also meant it was more likely people would encounter a snake.

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Glen, About the house

21-09-2020

“The spring is sprung, the grass is riz. I wonder where the boidies is. They say the boidie’s on the wing. But that’s absoid. The wing is on the bird.”

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Glen, About the house

14-09-2020

The Good Earth

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Creswick rental market booming in COVID

14-09-2020

BIGGIN & Scott's Creswick property manager Melissa Johnson said she was finding it hard to keep up with rental enquiries, with a lot coming from Melbourne.

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Glen, about the house

07-09-2020

Going to pot. Last week I left a cryptic message re saving the cardboard centres of your toilet roll and paper towel for this week…Here’s the answer!

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Come for the house, stay for the community

07-09-2020

ANGELA Flowers says, with a laugh, that when you buy in Clunes you don't just get a house, you get a community.

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Village or suburb? The great real estate debate

07-09-2020

THE much-anticipated after-COVID boom in country living is being seen as both an economic boon and a potential spoiling of the rural joys of places such as Daylesford.

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Glen, about the house

31-08-2020

Spring plantings - Following on from last week’s column about raising vegetables from seed.

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Real estate records smashed by keen buyers

31-08-2020

MELBOURNE’S top end is moving to Central Victoria, according to Kim McQueen of McQueen Broadhurst real estate.

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Design with Indre

24-08-2020

Cork it!

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Glen about the house

24-08-2020

Everything old is new again - Digging in to our heritage!

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Melbourne buyers on their way

24-08-2020

MELBOURNE residents, tired of lockdown and now realising they can work from home, are beating a path to the Central Highlands, real estate agents have told The Local.

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Loss of land use rights concerns residents

24-08-2020

A GROUP of residents are concerned that a Hepburn Shire planning scheme amendment will remove their rights in terms of land use and development.

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Tradie Torque

17-08-2020

CHRIS Kendall has been painting houses for 19 years now and still enjoys his work – just don’t ask him for a really early start, like 3am. The Bullarto resident tried his hand as an apprentice baker for about six months after high school but didn’t like the early hours. Bricklaying was also not his thing.

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Glen about the house

17-08-2020

Divide and prosper

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Plan now for a bumper Spring crop

10-08-2020

What a wonderful year for our gardens, with bounteous Autumn and Winter rains and a promise of more to come. It may be a little early for any planting but it's certainly right to plan ahead and prepare the beds, especially if you’re thinking of enriching the soil with organic fertiliser or compost.

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Nature Diary with Tanya Loos

10-08-2020

IN THE higher altitude foothill forests, the local wattles usually flower in late August and September.

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Bonsai – miniature magic

03-08-2020

This centuries-old practice of miniaturising trees and shrubs can be a fascinating hobby the whole family can enjoy. But first let’s get one important fact straight - it’s the creation of the appearance of age and wear that is important, not their actual age in years.

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Network protesters urged to use their voice

03-08-2020

RESIDENTS protesting the proposed Western Victorian Transmission Network have been urged to voice their concerns directly to the State Planning Minister and put pressure on the Victorian Government to insist on an Environmental Effects Statement.

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Up in the air with epiphytes – a whole new world of gardening

29-06-2020

Epihpytes are those plants whose roots are literally "up in the air".

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Nature Diary with Tanya Loos

22-06-2020

IT REALLY is a wonderful fungi season in central Victoria

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Glen about the house -Orchids for all

22-06-2020

It was once considered that growing the prized gem of the tropical forests, the orchid, was only for the very wealthy.

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Design with Indre Kisonas – Pulling of the heartstrings

22-06-2020

Mementos hold an emotional story that is often personal.

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Rent reduction query

15-06-2020

THE REIV requests an urgent change to the process that is currently in place for a commercial landlord to receive the coronavirus land tax relief.

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From an old potting shed

15-06-2020

It’s funny how the sight of something familiar can bring memories of a long- distant past, flooding back.

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Construction grants

08-06-2020

THE Federal Government is supporting jobs in the residential construction sector with the introduction of the new HomeBuilder program.

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Glen, about the house -Moving experience

08-06-2020

Sometimes trees and shrubs may need to be moved to another part of the garden, or perhaps even to another garden.

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Design with Indre – Looking through the lens

08-06-2020

To gain mastery you must have passion

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Money with Matt

01-06-2020

THE Australian housing market is a hot topic of conversation at the best of times, let alone in the midst of a pandemic.

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Glen, about the house -Bugged about the house

01-06-2020

I should have known I would start something when I made mention of building a “bug hotel”...

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Real estate holding up

25-05-2020

REAL Estate Institute of Victoria president Leah Calnan has said Victoria’s property market seems to be holding its ground.

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Glen, about the house – It’s only natural to care (cont’d)

11-05-2020

Last week, I espoused the benefits of the absolute need for us to find ways to protect our gardens from pests and diseases.

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Regional real estate

04-05-2020

THE Victorian Government is extending the $20,000 First Home Owner Grant for people buying or building a new home.

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Glen about the house – It’s only natural to care about your garden and its inhabitants!

04-05-2020

In your desire to protect your plants from the many pest attacks, it's easy to overlook the many other inhabitants of your garden.

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Glen, about the house Idle times – idle hands…

30-03-2020

Last issue I gave you some clues for putting this current free time into enhancing your garden.

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Manteau Noir finalist

30-03-2020

MANTEAU Noir in Daylesford has been shortlisted as a finalist for a national design awards

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In Your Local Garden with Gen Heyne Gardens: A viral retreat

23-03-2020

The prospect of long-term solitary confinement for however long it takes for the accursed COVID-19 to leave our shores is daunting.

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Real estate marches on

23-03-2020

AS COVID-19 continues an infectious journey around the globe, the Victorian real estate sector surges on.

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Design with Indre Kisonas -Building to brief

23-03-2020

Every client likes to get what they asked for. Whether they know what they asked for is a different story because often a good designer.

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Regional renting

24-02-2020

RENTING in Victoria remains tough, following another month of low vacancy rates, says the REIV.

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Great time to sell

24-02-2020

VICTORIA'S property market is humming along with multiple quarters of sustained growth.

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Local Gardens of Note

24-02-2020

Oak & Monkey Puzzle, Ballan-Daylesford Road, Spargo Creek.

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Nature Diary with Tanya Loos

10-02-2020

THIS summer has seen a spectacular flowering of sweet bursaria.

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In Your Local Garden – With Glen Heyne

10-02-2020

On the cusp time of Summer's almost over but Autumn isn’t quite here yet.

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REIV regional insight

27-01-2020

REIV president Leah Calnan said the Victorian property market continued its strong run.

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