Queen of Flowers

Hutt News, Volume 20, Issue 15, 3 April 1946, Page 10

Queen of Flowers

hose gardens in hutt The rose beds and pergola in Riddiford Gardens were wrecked by winds of gale force about a year ago, leaving the main garden roseless, except that Paul’s Scarlet Climber at the entrance to the baths still delights the eye. To make amends, perhaps, the Superintendent of Reserves has designed and made a very complete, if small rose garden at the Massey Avenue plantation. In its lirst flowering season this has attracted much attention. Although some thief lifted seven or eight plants the flowering was very satisfactory and no further loss occurred. The design is attractive and practical, a bed for each variety, and they have been well looked after. There are about 200 plants, which have bloomed from November and are still making a lovely show. The roses grown are all popular varieties —the now first favourite red, Crimson Glory, giving a liberal crop of delightfully scented blooms; Golden Dawn, perhaps first favourite in yellow; the well-known Shot Silk; the beautiful Comtesse Vandal, Betty Uprichard and Elizabeth of York. In the centre of the circled bed is a standard Mervrow van Straaten van Ness, to give it its somewhat alphabetical name. It is known, however, as “Permanent Wave.” This garden is well situated and nicely sheltered. New Rose Garden at Hospital. The big event in roses this season is the beautiful* new rose garden at the Lower Hutt Hospital. From what was a year ago a heap of rubble and gorse has emerged a rose garden in the quadrangle at the Nurses’ Home. This attractive and well designed garden of roses will enhance the reputation of Lower Hutt as a “garden city.” Here can be seen many of the latest roses and most of the older varieties: there are over 600 plants of the queen 'of flowers. It was not possible to secure sufficient plants of named varieties to make mass displays in the separate beds, but for the first season, considering the late planting, very good flowering resulted. When a few ‘misses’ have been replaced and after general pruning in winter the rose garden at the Nurses’ Home will become very popular with nurses, patients, and visitors. , Mr. Purcell, secretary-accountant of the hospital, has taken great interest in beautifying the surrounding grounds of the hospital. The designing and lay-out of the new rose garden was undertaken by Mr. E. Hutt, superintendent of reserves to the Lower Hutt City Council. So well thought of is the design of the new rose garden that, the National Rose Society of New Zealand has asked for photographs for reproduction in the Australian and New Zealand Rose Annual.