Evergreen Garden For A.Z. House Planned

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30055, 13 February 1963, Page 9

Evergreen Garden For A.Z. House Planned

(Special Correspondent N Z.P.A.)

LONDON, February 12.

An evergreen garden docked almost entirely with New Zealand plants which are believed to be sufficiently hardy to live in Londons climate is to be a feature of New Zealand House, on the corner of Haymarket and Pall Mall.

The garden will be in a courtyard on the second floor and will have a background of blue brick and portland stone.

The plants will be selected from several “families" which thrive in New Zealand: hebes.

veronicas. senecios, and blechnum ferns. The ferns will be on the shady side of the courtyard, and it is hoped that a dicksonia tree fem will also find the atmosphere sufficiently congenial. The plants chosen, while evergreen, have a range of colours from deep green to silver grey, with some variations at flow’ering time. A tree is also to be planted outside a tall window on the second floor, and will be seen by many people from within the building and also by the passers-by in Pall Malt May Be Arbutus So far no New Zealand tree has been chosen as suitable, and it is likely that an arbutus. which remains evergreen, will be selected. The garden in the courtyard may be reached by the lift to the second floor and also by a free-standing reinforced concrete staircase reaching out from the third floor and descending to a wide landing over a rectangular pool. The plants will not only remind New Zealanders of home, they will also be of interest to many horticulturists in Britain.