CIVIC OWNERSHIP

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 6, 6 July 1935, Page 11

CIVIC OWNERSHIP

BEAUTIFYING WORK

CO-OPERATION OF PEOPLE

ESSENTIAL FACTOR

'if plans the.Wellington Beautifying Society has in,view are pushed ahead and the right amount of appreciation] and support is accorded them, they should do much, not only to give various parts of the city and its environs a more pleasing appearance, but also to* awaken in citizens a strong degree Df civic pride and remove any grounds for reproach by visitors. From time to time there has been criticism of Wellington's apparent lack of interest or, if the interest is there, the lack of a definite movement towards making the landscape in and around Wellington more attractive. Wellington, of course, is not blessed with a plenitude of flat land, but that, in the opinion of enthusiasts, is no obstacle in the way. They are convinced that something can be done, and anyone who will interest himself in the matter and who' at some time, though he may not be a keen gardener, has had brought home to him what can be achieved by decorative planting, will be prepared to admit that in Wellington there is much scope lor improvements of the kind suggested. A GROWING INTEREST? The' co-operation of citizens is an essential factor. All kinds of things have' been said in the past about Mr. and Mrs. Wellington's apparent indifference towards matters of this kind, but it would seem, from independent inquiries and observations, that there is a good deal in what Mr. R. 'L. Macalister said at the meeting held last night, at which the Wellington Beautifying Society was' born. • Mr. Macalister's comment was that in the last two months he. had found a remarkable interest on the part of citizens in beautifying work. There certainly does appear to be a growing interest by householders in gardening When a prominent horticulturist was approached on this aspect today, he agreed that there was more activity, and suggested that, as a result of reduced incomes, people were staying home rather more than they did when, motoring was all.the "go," and, with time on their hands were giving more attention to their gardens. Another factor may also be the cost of plants and shrubs nowadays. The position' seems to be that since the advent of shops (other than purely plant and seed shops) which stock among a host of lines a wide variety of garden requirements, the price of plants and shrubs has been brought more within the pockets of the suburban dweller. If, as has b^en suggested,' , there is greater interest in home gardening, the city as a whole may reap the benefit of it in the wider sphere the Wellington Beautifying Society is out to establish. In other words, the inspiration and. pleasure resulting from small well-cultivated plots in suburban gardens, where previously weeds 'wed an undisturbed life, may have a psychological effect of benefit to ths city. Another indication of a more lively interest in beautification work is : the desire on the part of residents in certain streets in some of the suburbs to Have trees planted on the xoad. reserve' in front of theif CI! houses. Requests have been received by the Reserves Department from residents in various suburbs,; such as Miramar and Khandallah, for trees to be planted in the streets in which they live, These requests have been taken up. trees having been planted or provided where it has been found the locality is suitable and the. applicants are prepared to look after them. THIEVING IN GARDENS. From past experience it is absolutely necessary in any beautification scheme that those.who interest themselves in the'matter should have the wholehearted co-operation of citizens. In all the city reserves there are notices asking citizens to protect their own property, but, from the thieving of flowers and plants that takes place, there are apparently some, individuals who feel that "they do not come within the terms of the injunction. More thieving has taken place in the Botanical Gardens, and is still going on there, than'pro-, bably anywhere else in Wellington. That this should be so is wicked. It has been necessary to plant beds in the gardens four and five times, owing to "the depredations that have taken place, and in some parts of the gardens the choicer varieties of plants are simply no longer put in. It is only sheer waste of time and money to. do so. When things like this happen they are apt to be discouraging. Most of the thieving is done at night arid it may be, unless there is an improvement, that serious consideration will have to be given to the question of closing the gardens at dusk, such as is done in Christchurch, Dunedin, and Oamara. Should this be done it would result in some hardship to people living in The Glen, Kelburn, who use the gardens as a ready means of access, but it really should not be necessary. IN OTHER CENTRES. Little trouble appears to be experienced in some of the other centres. It may be that a proportion of Wellington citizens have to be educated in the matter. Who knows? It might be achieved by the Wellington Beautifying Society, one of whose objects is the encouragement of civic pride and general ownership in Wellington and its environs. That result certainly is desirable and essential in the promotion of any beautifying plan.