RIDDIFORD PARK

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 50, 27 August 1938, Page 7

RIDDIFORD PARK

IMPROVEMENT WORK

Mr. E. Hutt. Superintendent of Parks and Reserves, Lower Hutt, is at present engaged in remodelling the eastern end of Riddiford Park. The rock garden has been entirely overhauled, and Mr. T. W. Attwood, the director of the rock garden, is at present engaged in replanting the rocker y. When the eastern end of the park was changed some years ago from a swampy morass into lawns and garden, the subsoil was in an unstable condition and subsidences have taken place, making the lawns uneven. Mr. Hutt has now had the whole dug up and regraded. The stream, which runs on the boundary between the park and the Hutt Bowling Club's property, has been cleaned out and the steep bank on the far side replanted with trees and shrubs, chiefly of Australian origin, several waratahs being included. The far bank has been built up to above water level with rocks and the near bank, which was subject to damage by children playing along the edge, has been reinforced with strong wirenetting, which will disappear behind a coating of grass when growth commences. If the weather is fine the lawns will be resown next week, and within a few weeks will once more be b carpet of green. The hydrangea garden, which was a feature of this portion of the park, is being renewed. The old plants, which a year or tw v o ago were considered to be the finest procurable, are being replaced with the latest importations from England. With the exception of those grown in the garden of the estate of the late Mr. C. Archibold at Day's Bay, the ones now being planted in Riddiford Park will probably be the finest in the Dominion. A large number of tree ferns will be planted along the edge of the stream and space is being reserved for the planting of English trees, probably horse chestnuts, by their Excellencies Lord and Lady Gal way, who will visit the park in October. The lilies in the lily pond are being, renewed, and a number of the new Austrian varieties, noted for their colourings, are being introduced. One will be a deep scarlet colour. ' When the ground was first laid out provision was made for an ornamental waterfall, but arrangements were never completed. This will now be done and the overflow passing into the lily pond will keep the water at a higher level. Mr. Hutt states that in order to give the grass in the new lawns a chance to come away, it will be necessary to close the Laings Road entrance as well as the western approach to this portion of the park for a week or two. j