Time to reflect for gardeners

Press, 24 February 1984, Page 1

Time to reflect for gardeners

Vera Livingstone has always wanted to sit by her waterfall. Yesterday she and her husband, Gordon, got the chance. Sitting next to one of two linked falls designed by her husband, head gardener at the Sanitarium Health Food Company’s award-winning gardens in Papanui, Mrs Livingstone talked about their 15 years maintaining and developing the grounds. It has been a six-day-a-week job, especially during the planting season, with not much time for sitting. About four years ago, the Livingstones tried to retire. They came back a few weeks later, after the company had trouble finding a replacement who could do more than just keep a caretaker’s eye on things. Next month, their place will finally be taken by a husband and wife from Auckland. “That’s good," said Mrs Livingstone. “It needs the woman’s touch as well as the man’s.” The Livingstones came to

Christchurch after working at the Invercargill Botanical Gardens in Queens Park, where Mr Livingstone was in charge of the tree and shrub nursery. Since their “false” retirement, they have developed the Harewood Road frontage of the Sanitarium gardens and expanded the flowered part of the garden by about a third. Mr Livingstone designed the raised rockery with the double waterfall and stream running through it, where 34 cubic metres of water is pumped through the system each hour.

The Livingstones even chose the rocks and walkway slabs at Halswell Quarry. The expanded garden is a big change from

the lawn and two trees that once occupied the area. In the busy times, they arrive at work at daybreak and stay until dusk. “It is so good to see it coming on,” Mrs Livingstone said of the rockery and its surroundings. “We are glad we stayed.” They have never been away sick, and have taken holidays in the winter, when the garden can do without their constant attention.

They have about 20,000 annuals to plant each year —some 45 to 50 varieties. They constantly change the colour schemes, and somehow make it seem that no weed would dare show its face between the flowers.

The Livingstones have won 31 awards for the com-

pany, which started the garden in 1931, and two for themselves. Somehow, they have still fitted in some gardening at their Riecarton home.

“We have a nice garden at home,” said Mrs Livingstone. “We have to, because the neighbours know we are gardeners. “It’s a lovely occupation. Not only are you out working among Nature but you give so much pleasure to other people.” When a former company manager said that he wanted a water feature, a fountain was obviously too expensive.

They had a small photograph of a waterfall from a gardening magazine. “That gave us the idea, and we went from there,” said Mrs Livingstone, who is on the committee of the Floral Festival. She described herself as “the assistant gardener, until five o’clock.”

What happens then? “Look out, if he’s been hard on me,” she said.