October 20, 2009
If you want your weed identified or you’d like to dump a noxious specimen from your garden and swap it for a native plant, then you can hit up the Tamworth Regional Council tomorrow (Wed) as part of a weed busting campaign.
TRC has about 60 native seedlings to give away in a Grow Me Instead noxious plant swap – so the first lucky gardeners or green thumbs to bring in a noxious plant (and definitely with the roots attached) can exchange an ugly one for something much more environmentally friendly.
The community plant swap is in the forecourt of TRC’s Ray Walsh House in Peel St from 10am to 2pm.
TRC spokeswoman Natasha Soar says the council’s noxious weeds unit is encouraging the community to recognize Weedbuster Month this month – and dig out the noxious and go for natives instead.
As part of it, the unit will have some local natives like bottle brush, wattles, hakia, tea trees and honey myrtle seedlings to swap for some noxious specimens.
But take care - there’s no go if the weed’s not a nasty noxious either – so TRC cautions prospective clients to leave any privet or Paterson’s Curse out of it – they don’t count because they’re not declared noxious.
You can check the list of plants declared noxious in the TRC area with the council – there are about 95 of them, including African boxthorn, Bathurst burr, blackberry, fountain grass, green cestrum, mother of millions, oxalis and onion grass, prickly pear, St John’s wort and willow.
A limit of three seedlings is available per household. And if you have some strange specimens in your garden that you think shouldn’t be there – you can bring them along for a show and tell session - Ms Soar says weeds officers will also offer a weed ID service too.