Pittosporum: A menace, nipped in the bud

THE cluster of orange berries stands out from the shiny green foliage.

Thriving in many Melbourne parks, there’s nothing sweet about sweet pittosporum in this area. The berries drop and the noxious weed sprouts, overrunning and choking all locally indigenous vegetation.

I was perusing a copy of the Journal from October 1998 when an item about a group of local ‘weed busters’ caught my eye.

The Friends of the Dandenong Police Paddocks were planning to don their garden gloves to clean up their patch as part of Weedbuster Week. They were frustrated that the weeds had stifled native plants and wiped out habitats.

It’s a timely reminder for us to uproot this trespasser from our neighbourhood.

A tag of war

“Graffiti is not (though it can be) something to be defined via the same rules, parameters or considerations as other forms of art.

“There are many variations and interpretations. Ours is one. The beauty of graffiti is simultaneously elusive and immediately obvious, depending on your tastes.”

And so reads the artistic statement of an upcoming exhibition at Heritage Hill Museum and Historical Gardens.

Titled Easy Rider, it will depict graffiti at its eye-catching best.

The Easy Riders group will display illustrative works and sculptures that derive from aspects of graffiti.

The exhibition is on from March 8 to April 7. Heritage Hill is open from 10am-4pm Monday to Friday and noon-4pm on Sundays. For details, call 9793 4511 or visit heritagehill@cgd.vic.gov.au.

Storytime comes alive

Picture-books, fairytales and favourite characters … the popular storytime sessions for preschool-aged children are about to begin again in the City of Greater Dandenong.

The sessions at the Dandenong library in Stuart Street start on Monday and continue until December 9. The 9.45am session is for two- to three year olds and the 11am sessions for youngsters aged four and over.

At the Springvale library, the sessions start on Thursday, February 14, and continue until December 12.

The session times and age-groups will be the same as at Dandenong.

No bookings are necessary. Information: Dandenong library, 9238 1489; Springvale library, 9239 5398.

A Sunday outing

Residents and visitors alike are assured of a big day of fun in the sun at a family fun day from noon to 3pm on Sunday, February 24.

The event, featuring activities for children of all ages, is at Ross Reserve in Memorial Drive, Noble Park.

Do you have a milestone, memory or

question for Marg? Email marg@your

weekly.com.au or post submissions to

A Moment with Marg, c/o The Dandenong Journal, PO Box 318, Dandenong 3175.