The Friends newsletter Fronds is published three times a year in April, August and December. All members receive a free copy by post. A website version appears soon after publication.
Regular content includes:
- Articles about plants and gardens and the people who work with them, primarily on the development, collections and scientific research at the ANBG
- Garden Shorts – an update on projects in the ANBG
- Friends Briefs – all the news on Friends events, projects and people
- Regular updates on the work of Growing Friends and their plant sales, Botanic Art Groups and their exhibitions, the Guides and the Botanical Resource Centre, all illustrated with photos from the Photographic Group
- Book reviews
- ‘What’s On’ – a comprehensive listing of Thursday talks and other events organised by the Friends and the Gardens for the next four months.
Contributions
Contributed articles and photos for inclusion in Fronds are always welcome. See the inside cover of each edition for details. Email newsletter@friendsanbg.org.au for information or to discuss requirements for contributions.
In the latest issue
Fronds 86 August 2017 (PDF format; 1.57 MB)
- Public Art: the new Treehouse
- Golden Wattle in the Capital on National Wattle Day
- Partnerships, projects & collaboration on rare Pomaderris
- The challenge of improving ex situ collections for threatened plants
- ClimateWatch in the ANBG
- Friendly Chatter:
- Photographic Group
- Gardens Guides
- Australasian Botanic Gardens Volunteer Guides Conference
- Growing Friends
- Plant Science Group
- Documenting Nancy’s photos
- The biggest bee in the Gardens
Download previous issues
All archived issues are in PDF format.
| Year | Issue 1 | Issue 2 | Issue 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | April | August | |
| 2016 | April | August | December |
| 2015 | April | August | December |
| 2014 | April | August | December |
| 2013 | April | August | December |
| 2012 | April | August | December |
| 2011 | April | August | December |
| 2010 | April | August | December |
| 2009 | March | August | December |
| 2008 | March | July | November |
| 2007 | March | July | November |
| 2006 | March | July | November |
Extracts from some earlier newsletters back to August 2000 are available.
What's in a Name? articles
The series What's in a Name? written by the late Bernard Fennessy appeared in the Friends newsletter up to 2006. The articles are gems of botanical writing that combine interesting research and lively humour.
In 2005 the Friends published the 25 articles about plant names as a single PDF file (2,105 KB).
Bernard also wrote four articles about people after whom ANBG buildings and facilities have been named:
The Bernard Fenessy What's in a Name? Award for botanical writing
Following Bernard's death in August 2006 the Friends instituted an annual award for a Newsletter article in the style of Bernard's What's in a Name? articles. The award ran between 2007 and 2010. Award winners were:
| 2007 | winners | Sue and Byron Serjeantson, Boronia molloyae (Tall Boronia) |
| joint runners-up |
June Foster, Eucalyptus flindersii Edwin Rice, Acacia maidenii |
|
| 2008 | winner | John Turnbull, Eucalyptus cloeziana (Gympie Messmate) |
| runner-up | Liz Baker, Swainsona formosa | |
| 2009 |
joint winners |
Peter Davidson, Backhousia citriodora June Foster, Wilga (Geijera parviflora): Family Rutaceae |
| 2010 | winner | John Turnbull, Eucalyptus globulus |
The annual award has been discontinued, but the editors of Fronds intend to commission similar articles in future. The editors are keen to talk to anyone who would like to write such an article. The email address for the newsletter is newsletter@friendsanbg.org.au.
