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Hi All, ***** (1) Pavilions at Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens being burnt down: So it's true? The Tecoma Pavilion wasn't burnt? Anyone been there to have a look-see since mid May? Even so, I'm thinking that the officially scheduled demand for Tecoma will shoot way up (for weddings, anniversaries, etc.) because the others were destroyed. Meaning (especially in winter) we'll probably be sitting around in the rain, looking at others who are under cover. ***** (2) A new (better) venue from now on: An alternative venue may be called for. Someplace cheap, not too far from the "centre" of Melbourne, with ample parking and weather cover. Glen Iris has been the "centre of population" for Melbourne since the 1990s (q.v. Wikipedia). The Monash Freeway, Metro stations, and bus lines are all close, and I'm sure the parking would be better. It seems the fairest and most democratic place to shoot for, and may result in an increased turnout. Anyone live in that local government area, and want to check out cheap meeting hall rentals? I'm happy to pay $2 to $5 for a warm dry place with a kettle. It's not like we get together all that often. (3) Next actual meeting: When ARE we gonna meet again? I really miss you guys. My propagation successes are still overwhelming the capacity of my garden, so I've got lots of established plants to give away. (4) A name: Maybe change our name from "the melbourne botanical garden ethnobotanical appreciation group" to something a bit less "botanical garden", and maybe with the word "growers" added? (We are uniquely interested in the practial aspects of cultivating and propagating very challenging species from all over the world.) Cheers, Old Man Carl