Wanted: One very large plot of level, fenced, vacant land somewhere in the Mid Mountains. Desperately sought by Blue Mountains Conservation Society.
The society’s old nursery at Lawson closed in August after the lease ran out. Since then the vital work of propagating new plants for sale has been shoe-horned into a small site in Blackheath behind the National Parks offices and sheds.
Not only is the space too small to allow full-scale propagation, it’s too cold, according to nursery manager Sue Nicol.
The day the Gazette visited was a case in point. Beanies and gloves were essential under the shade cloth as the wind howled through the gum trees.
Marginally warmer inside a draughty shed were half a dozen devoted volunteers, happily plucking out tiny seedlings and potting them on into bigger pots.
The nursery’s only sales points at the moment are at the monthly Lawson and Blackheath markets.
Ms Nicol said they had been looking all through the Mid Mountains and had found an old Water Board site in Hazelbrook which had potential. They have held preliminary talks to see if it might be suitable.
The nursery used to be open to the public at Lawson but there isn’t room at Blackheath.
This also makes it difficult to fill the large orders which come in from some of the bigger property owners in the Mountains, as well as council, National Parks and the RMS (although this has eased off since the highway work was finished).
“Apart from the subscriptions and the odd donation, this is the main fundraiser for the society,” Ms Nicol said.
“We need a home, space for the plants to grow and space for the customers to come.”
The Mid Mountains is ideal because of the weather conditions – so much milder than Blackheath.
Although there are some heated seed beds, the little cuttings eventually have to be exposed to the cold of the shade house.
“But the plants we left in there over the winter didn’t do anything. They hunkered down and look sick. They’ve got a lot to cope with if they’re left there.”
Negotiations over the Water Board site are in very early stages and “it could all come to nothing,” Ms Nicol said.
So she would be very happy to hear from anyone who might know of a possible site for the nursery.
The society can be contacted via email at bmcs@bluemountains.org.au or a message left on 4757 1872.
