DUNEDIN GARDENING CLUB

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23516, 2 June 1938, Page 5

DUNEDIN GARDENING CLUB

ADDRESS BY MR TANNOCK The Dunedin Gardening Club held its opening meeting for the year on Tuesday evening when Mr D. Tannock gave an interesting address on “Autumn Tints and Berrying Shrubs,” and showed specimens of the most useful and ornamental trees and shrubs for either large or small gardens. Mr Tannock said that ornamental shrubs provided the maximum result with the minimum of labour. They would grow in grass, although they preferred to have cultivated soil around their roots, and they required very little attention, except pruning. In the spring they were gay with blossom and their autumn tints provided a welcome contrast to the evergreen foliage of the native plants. Where there was room for a large tree, which would not develop too quickly, the English beech or the silver beech might be planted. The scarlet oaks and Japanese maples would occupy less space and the branches could be cut for foliage when the trees were established. Among other beautiful trees both in spring and autumn were the prunus, flowering cherries and mountain ash, while the climbing vines, which would grow either on a wall or through trees, provided rich touches of colour in autumn. Prominent among the specimens of the fruiting trees mentioned by Mr Tannock was the flowering apple. Gorgeous, the branches of which were laden with bright red crab apples. The hawthorns, cotoneasters, berberis, coprosma and myrtles were all laden wito their distinctive fruits, which provided welcome food for many kinds of birds in winter. The birds, in return, helped to clear insect pests from the trees and gardens. Mr Passmore proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Tannock.