tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025651162254792506.post5367432570961756597..comments2024-03-24T18:05:27.769+11:00Comments on Ian Fraser, talking naturally: An Australian Treasure; the National Botanic GardensIan Fraserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023900823785041354noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025651162254792506.post-24498588922189831072013-02-17T13:09:24.222+11:002013-02-17T13:09:24.222+11:00Yes, Biosecurity must make it a lot harder for col...Yes, Biosecurity must make it a lot harder for collectors these days! And I think that a butterfly net might get you into trouble there now... You've seen even more exciting developments there - 10 years worth - than I have!Ian Fraserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01023900823785041354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025651162254792506.post-38911157916451079162013-02-16T08:50:42.898+11:002013-02-16T08:50:42.898+11:00I began wandering the Gardens when I lived on comp...I began wandering the Gardens when I lived on compus at the ANU in the early 70s - lots of plants were being brought in and on more than one occasion the gardeners handed me some odd insect they'd found on a new shipment - I especially remember a huge green weevil from Qld, which was one of the stars of the insect collection I put together during my Entomology unit. (entomology students were pretty obvious, wandering around the ANBG with our little butterfly nets and notebooks!)<br />sandra hsandra hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01614915357771587818noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025651162254792506.post-10902542971734029592013-02-16T03:08:18.203+11:002013-02-16T03:08:18.203+11:00French beer is mostly dire, although there are mor...French beer is mostly dire, although there are more and more promising young microbrewers doing very drinkable stuff, including a couple near us. I'm afraid Little Creatures is at about the level of a serviceable British beer -- a bog standard Shepherds Neame or John Smith, that sort of thing, or the big commercial Belgians like Leffe. Of the big names in the UK I'm a big fan of Adnams and the Black Sheep range. Belgian beer is the best in the world though, with British a close second. Of the big name Belgians I like Westmalle the best.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06472449597146519943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025651162254792506.post-63638060120121866552013-02-15T20:51:18.941+11:002013-02-15T20:51:18.941+11:00Martin - very excited by the prospect of the small...Martin - very excited by the prospect of the small beer festival! Didn't know of it. <br />I'm an old mate of Judy West, so biased, but I agree the NBG has come through its bad patch of being under-resourced and -regarded.<br /><br />Susan. I look forward to your next posting. Isn't it strange how seemingly unlikely things become associated with something which should be utterly unconnected, by sheerest chance? I'm sorry that Eucryphias are tainted for you; I hope you're not put off leatherwood honey!<br />On that note, I empathise re the expat/wedding comment. I got to your sister's wedding, but a decade or so earlier missed both of my sisters', for similar reasons. (Had lunch with Kathy and John on Sunday actually.) And I reckon that there is some excellent small brewery Aust beer around now; though if you're not that impressed by Little Creature PA, I'd love to try the brew that comes between you and it! (French? or Belgian?)Ian Fraserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01023900823785041354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025651162254792506.post-11615988943186354722013-02-15T20:24:32.655+11:002013-02-15T20:24:32.655+11:00I agree -- the gardens are special, and I always m...I agree -- the gardens are special, and I always make sure to visit them at least once when I am in Canberra. My blog post for tomorrow is about a little incident I had in the garden late last year, as it happens. <br /><br />I also love Kew Gardens -- they are one of the most special places on earth, for me, and the conservation work they do worldwide is outstanding.<br /><br />Eucryphia's bring very mixed feelings for me. Although I love them, they are forever associated with the events of 11 Sept 2001 for me. I was discussing the Eucryphias in Nymans Garden with a curatorial colleague when my husband rang to say a plane had crashed into the World Trade Centre. Horrible.<br /><br />The wedding you refer to is a source of some regret over my non-attendence -- the inevitable guilt of the expat.<br /><br />Martin -- I assume by your enthusiasm there is a chance of decent beer being available in March? I keep being told that Australian beer has improved, but don't see much evidence of it getting really interesting. The best I have encountered was Little Creatures Pale Ale, which was good, but not so outstanding I'd make the trip to have it again.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06472449597146519943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025651162254792506.post-89490146207264990342013-02-15T16:09:35.316+11:002013-02-15T16:09:35.316+11:00Agree wholeheartedly with your comments. I was re...Agree wholeheartedly with your comments. I was really unhappy when the Gardens went through a bad patch a few years back but they are now back firing on all eight!<br /><br />I also feel they do a very good job in exposing the community to native plants through the Friends Concert series in Canberra. This has (possibly) got even better in my (impossibly) humble opinion with the announcement of a Small Brewers Beer Festival in March!<br /><br />MartinFlabmeisterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00934077052437339591noreply@blogger.com