A Visit to the Domain

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23169, 15 October 1938, Page 8 (Supplement)

A Visit to the Domain

t»y Patricia Millier (18), Mount Eden.

TJEAK A>\\~E SHIBLKY.- One Saturday afternoon recently we went up to the Domain. We walked over Grafton Bridge, whence we had a lovely view of Bangitoto, North Head and the islands of the Hauraki Gulf, standing out against a calm blue sea. Behind Bangi, the Little Barrier loomed, only a shade more blue than the sky and sea. Past the hospital Ave went, and across the Domain, where some small bft.vs were playing cricket with much yelling and phouting. In the water-lily ponds at the Winter Gardens, we heard a frog croaking rather huskily as though he had a cold ; The water-lilies are not out yet, but round the ponds are beds of tulips, thrusting their richly-coloured cups out of carpets of purple violas, which show off the tulip leaves of grey-green to great advantage. Oh! What a gorgeous sight met our eyes as we entered one of the glasshouses. Primulas of all colours, from

palest pink to crimson, stood in little pots r.inid masses of ferns, maidenhair, asparagus, and many other kinds. Down the centre of the building was a "bed" of cinerarias, in pots, huge flowers, three inches across many of them, all shades of blue, purple, pink and red. Some had white centres and a nnvr of white round the outer edge, but I did not like this Kind s.> much as the single-coloured blooms. One particularly took my fancy, being pale pink with delicately grooved petals that curled under at'>lie tips. Next we came to the cyclamens, and never have I seen such huge blooms, deep red, rose madder with deeper centres, mauve, white with magenta centres, and pure white without a blemish. There were many other colours that I cannot describe, and massed together thev made a wonderful picture. Here and there at the back of these smaller plants wcr© scliizanthus, or butterfly flowers, in pots, these plants being trained up long sticks till they were at least four feet high, with a head of dainty mottled flowers at the top. All these lovely flowers seen against a background of trailing greenery made a most beautiful sight. 1 am afraid I have not done it justice. . . .