FESTIVE GARB

Southland Times, Issue 22201, 19 December 1933, Page 3

FESTIVE GARB

PUBLIC GARDENS

MANY ATTRACTIVE ROSES.

In keeping with this festive season the public gardens are gay with colours and visitors and holiday-makers should be able to spend many pleasant hours in Queen’s Park, the central blocks or the beautiful scenic reserves at Waihopai and Seaward Bush. In spite of the early frost and the succeeding cold winds and dry weather, the roses in Queen’s Park are very attractive. The season has been a most unsatisfactory one for the growth and blooming of roses in Southland, but the care and foresight exercised by the reserves department has brought results which are surprisingly good in the circumstances. Not only are the teas and hybrid teas flowering freely, but new polyantha and rambling and climbing roses are to be seen in a brave array. Beneath the rose bushes the ground is carpeted with a vast quantity of blue gem nemesias. while the violas planted there will provide a wealth of blossom from early autumn onwards Across the main drive in the lake a number of water lilies are to be seen developing their pan-shaped leaves and along the track leading to St. Andrew street is a magnificent display of Sweet William in breaks of many colours. The stately trees in the park and the neatly kept lawns provide an admirable setting for the wealth of bloom to be seen in the various beds. In the central blocks the effect of the early planting of so many annuals is already being seen, an extremely rich and colourful display being foreshadowed. In front of the women’s rest room a large round bed of nemesias has excited much favourable comment, as has another bed in this block containing star of the veldt underplanted with a new African daisy of sunflower yellow. The band rotunda in number two block is surrounded with orange blooms and the rock garden has not lost the brightness which it has worn for so many months, and which by judicious planting it will continue to wear for many more months. Outstanding in this attractive corner of the gardens is that most striking African plant introduced by the present superintendent —the Livingstone daisy (mesembryanthemum criniflorum) The long herbaceous border running parallel with Otepuni creek is resplendent with colours of all hues. The Iceland poppies, though past their peak, are still a joyous sight, and breaks of nemesias and other favourite bedding plants make a pretty foreground for the taller delphiniums, lupins, dahlias and Michaelmas daisies which are blooming, or will shortly bloom, near the holly hedge. In one section of the border 400 blue butterfly delphiniums have been planted and their dainty flowers should create considerable interest. Other borders have been planted with dahlias and phlox drummondi, while a long row of sweet peas promises to be a magnificent sight in a few weeks.

The greenhouse will this morning present a totally different appearance from yesterday, for the schizanthus which has filled the northern half of the house with its delicate yet prolific blossom has been replaced by pelargoniums. In number three block there is much more colour than in former years, with some pretty beds of nemesias and an unusual bed of fuchsias and the new marigold guinea gold. “How has the weather affected the general display?” the reporter who had been making a tour of inspection asked the superintendent. "The long dry spell has considerably retarded and restricted the growth,” was the reply. “There have been too many drying winds. It is most unfortunate that there has not been a good 24 hours light, warm rain. Had we even experienced a little moisture it would have made a great difference to the growth of plants in the gardens and to the Christmas display Nevertheless we are well pleased with the development and the promise of the vast quantities of plants embedded this year” ________