AT THE GARDENS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19964, 4 December 1926, Page 3

AT THE GARDENS.

CHANGING SCENES OF BEAUTY. THE CHARM OF uffi GREENHOUSES. There may be otuers, but there is at least one person in Dunedin who is not hoard uttering harsh complaints against the weatlier tins season, burprisnig as it may seem that person is Mr O. i annock, superintendent ot the city gardens and reserves. Ho oheorlully finds the correspoi ding compensation in all tho vagaries of the weather. If for instance, the Iresh flowers are slow in coming on, notice how wonderfully the older ones are lasting i,ais cold, damp season! And how splendidly the conditions suit all the alpinos in die rockery. And what ,a great season it has been tor trees, both young and old. VV ere there ever so few losses in tho nursery, and did ever the leaves of tho great old English trees look more exuberantly healthy? How wonderfully dark and shiny are the leaves of the copper beech and other dark foliaged trees as a result of, the frequent cold and wet 1 Near the mam entrance to the Gardens tho ribbon border is settling down niceiy, and hero and there there is a tiny touch of colour to suggest the flowers that the future holds iu store. There are many tine rhododendrons in flower at tho back of the ribbon border. The rock garden generally speaking, continues to do well, and it 'is still bright with many patches of colour. Chinese primulas in remarkable variety are taking a prominent part in the display, and so are the alpine {links and asters. Scottish bluebells are rioting in profusion, and some new Himalayan pop pies which at first were somewhat disappointing in colour are now showing a pretty purple. Gentians are making strong growth at the present time, and every nook and cranny in the long rockery has its own appropriate little plant cheerfully adapting its form to the spot in which it has been placed. Opposite the rockery and lower clown the stream a be dof lupines of varied tints m full bloom make a beautiful sight. Some day doubtless the sandhills at the Ocean Beach will be glorious for miles’ with their colours. In the meantime the only thing that prevents this is the selfish, thoughtless vandalism of people who cannot see a beautiful flower without wanting to pluck and destroy it, and so it may be some time yet before the Domain Board has succeeded in establishing these beautiful lupines in any quantity. _ t The delicate blooms of tho iris in their beds round near the Castle street entrance have suffered not a little from the recent hailstorms, nut there ' are always fresh flowers opening out, and perhaps the hailstorms are over in the meantime. The peony roses are well budded and will make a fine sight when they open up in the course of a day or two. Del phiniums safely sheltered from the prevail mg winds are coming on well, and the acquilegia beds are still beautiful. The roses, with wise '■ instinct, are carefully delaying their appearance, and they are not to be seen in the mass as yet. Mr lannock calculates that it will be about Christmas time before they appear in their fun glory. In tho greenhouse of the Winter Gardens primulas, calceolarias, geraniums, and pelar goniums, and fuchsias hanging from the roof make a rich and wondrous harmony ol colour quite defying description. The calceolarias in particular excel in tho endless variety of their rich hues. Several red lilies are now out in tho water lily pond Among the orchids there are some magnificent blooms to be enjoyed, notably some of the cattleya and the phaius varieties. Streptocarpus con tinue to occupy with striking effect two of tho benches in one part of tho orchid house. Among them should be noted the wonderful Hogarthi with its one huge horizontal loaf from a point within which shoot up the tall, fine flower stems. In the old rockery masses of schizanthus and pelargoniums banked back from the pathway make a glorious display. A number of obstructing pipes have been cut away, and doors will soon be opened through this house and into the new fernery. Rapid progress has been made in the fernery and the superintendent anticipates having it all ready to open before Christmas. The work of fixing the tanks for the aquarium is well on towards com pletion, and everywhere fresh planted ferns are settling down to their new surround ings. Several of tho cactus flowers housed in the porch off the palm house are now in bloom. It so happens that these zerpphytes are the only group of plants (or which special pro vision has not so far been made at the Gardens. Mr Tannock, however, has a plan for remedying that, and shortly hopes to have a cactus house arranged for and on view. The Rhodohendron Dell recently described in these columns continues to offer a dis play which no visitor to the Gardens can afford to miss.