HUTT VALLEY NEWS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 59, 7 September 1938, Page 16

HUTT VALLEY NEWS

"LANDSCAPE GARDENING"

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

"The title of 'Landscape Gardening envisages gardens of • many lands," said Mr. E. Hutt, Superintendent of Parks and Reserves, ■ Lower Hutt, in his address to the Garden Circle of the Hutt Valley Horticultural Society on Monday evening. "But, though we may admire these several kinds, it is the typical English garden which makes the widest appeal to our hearts."

After sketching the history of English gardens, Mr. Hutt said that during the last few years landscape gardeners there had made enormous strides and everyone, even to the flat-dwellers with their roof gardens and window boxes, seemed to take an interest in gardens. . Generally speaking, the greatest amount of landscape planning in New Zealand had been done in public gardens and the open spaces controlled by local bodies, both of which offered tremendous scope, and often required, in addition to beautiful vistas, facilities for children's games and croquet lawns. Although, [he said, the Latin countries, Italy, France, and Spain were the pioneers of gardening in Europe, the Chinese were the first real landscape gardeners in the world, the Japanese copying their style and introducing it into their own country over two thousand years ago. He then gave some valuable information regarding' the use of special sites. The vote of thanks to the speaker was heartily endorsed by the very large gathering present, who also applauded the presentation of A medal to Mrs. King, convener of the Garden Circle stands at the Horticultural Society's shows during the past year. Women's Guild. A most enjoyable afternoon was spent by the members of St. Stephen's Women's Guild yesterday in . St. Stephen's schoolroom, Woburn Road, which was charmingly decorated with spring* flowers in gold and * orange tones. The hostesses, Miss E. Steele (convener), Mesdames J. Thompson, A. Wilson, McCurtrie, Sinclair, G. S. Young, and Miss *'B. * Allen, had arranged several interesting competitions, the first being for the cakemakers. In the decorated section, Miss W. Feist was awarded the prize, and in the novelty class the award went to Miss B: Allen's miniature cottage, which surpassed the wellknown "gingerbread house" of. the story-books in its white iced walls, complete with doors and windows and deep-caved marzipan roof covered with chocolate thatch. This competition was judged by Miss M. Williams, and the mnay beautiful cakes which, were donated to the. guild. for- sale found ready buyers. Two brackets of contralto solos were delightfully sung by Miss Elsie Jones, who with' Miss Williams received • posies. Following the tea interval, va literary competition was keenly contested, . the winner being Mrs. A. E. Milne. Mrs.. J. B. McCallum presided and* was' assisted by Mrs. A. Marshall (secretary) and Mrs. L. W. Ferguson (treasurer).