WINTER WORK

Southland Times, Issue 25362, 14 August 1935, Page 4

WINTER WORK

GARDENS AND RESERVES SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT In his routine report to the City Council the Superintendent of Reserves (Mr B. P. Mansfield) stated that in recent weeks considerable progress had been made with all winter work. In Block I. a representative collection of native veronicas had been planted, 423 plants being used, of which 275 were added this season. In size they ranged from large bushes to small trailing plants; all were evergreen and some species, with ornamental foliage or flowers, added interest in. winter. The borders in front of the Central Tennis Club and on either side of the Women’s rest rooms had been thoroughly tile drained, dug and limed in preparation for planting. The soil in these borders had been very sick since the flooding with salt water early in the year. A few old-cupressus macrocarpa on the west side had been removed. . In Block 11. the new portion of the rockery had been planted, 550 alpine, rock and bedding plants, 570 anemones and muscari and 933 miscellaneous bulbs being used. Polyanthus in a bed north of the glasshouse had been mulched with manure, and 650 Iceland poppies had been planted in front of the herbaceous border and 300 stocks in a border facing east. In the glasshouse Primula sinensis, Robconica and P. malacoides, together with Cyclamen, were making a bright display. The Memorial grounds had received attention, beds cultivated, lawns cut and edged and large shrubs cut back. At the Georgetown tram terminus, depressions in the grass plots had been filled in to facilitate cutting with a hand machine. A bed of shrubby veronicas had been planted at the corner of Bluff Road and Dalrymple Road. Walks through the main gardens had been edged and trimmed. The asphalt path running through the old nursery (Rugby Park Gardens), which had been in a very bad state of repair for a long time, and in places quite dangerous, had been broken up ana removed. A. heavy coating of white gravel had been evenly distributed and rolled in, gravel recently thrown up from the bed of the creek at Eastend Park being used for the purpose. To complete a pleasant walk through the gardens from Clyde street to Rugby Park a footpath had been defined through Block IV., thus obviating the necessity of using Tyne street for a short cut. A hedge of -Cupressus macrocarpa on the East side of these gardens had been removed. In Queen’s Park tree planting was in progress. To date 2289 pinus ponderosa had been planted in specially prepared positions. Considerable progress had been made in the preparation of a roadway from the stable enclosure to Elies Road. The large plots outside the Feldwick Memorial Gates had been dug and manured in preparation for early planting. A further 2950 bulbs, received by donations, had been planted in the grass. The border surrounding the band rotunda had been attended to and 895 narcissi planted there. In the Rose Gardens the cutting of the large cupressus macrocarpa hedge on the west side was now completed. The annual overhaul of all beds had been commenced, old worn-out plants or varieties which had failed to thrive being discarded in favour of fresh, vigorous stock. Attention was being paid to seed sowing in preparation for spring and summer displays, cuttings of exotic and native plants and the preparation of pot plants. A total of 7500 small tulip bulbs had been planted up for growing on.