Friday 28th, Bright sun, 80°
We slept soundly last night, no surprise, and awoke early. The short drive to Auckland Botanic Garden south of the city was interrupted only once by a wrong turn, my fault, on the way. My excuse, Agapanthus planted in the median of the motorway in full bloom, stretching the better part of a mile.
Upon arrival I instinctively asked if there was any horticulture staff on duty that we calls speak to and sure enough, a section curator, Brooke Stark, was happy to speak with us.
A Canadian by birth, she had let Vancouver for Auckland and ended up at the garden. Very generously, she spent the better part of an hour with us giving an over view of the garden. Again people in the garden, kids, dogs, balls and bikes, but that’s how they do it here. Very well done, nice attention to detail good maintenance, free admission, part of the parks system of Auckland. Unfortunately the light was so bright that photography was tough, but we had work to do.
I was most taken by the native plant area, not in a composition of natural communities, but laid out stylistically, creatively. Close to that was the cultivar of natives’ area, again laid out with design in mind and an emphasis on color and texture.
There was a section devoted to rose trials, that was not akin to dental work, there were ongoing trials that upon passing a five year trial, was planted into and integrated or mixed landscape with other suitable plants not just rose. This also served as an example garden so the novices could begin to understand how to mix roses in their landscapes for aesthetic and cultural benefit.
A small landscape tree area featuring trees for the landscape as well as for street tree use in today’s smaller properties.
And a children’s garden that was planted nicely, and based on a Maori legend, interpreted by plants and was well done.
Several other areas of which we spent some time, but alas we were off to the next stop.
1 comment:
Wow. The agapanthus in that last shot are amazing! Were they in a raised bed or were they really that tall?
I also enjoyed the first shot--gorgeous building entrance. Do those cauldrons on the wall really hold live plants? Very cool. I also love the purple-leaved plants that flank the bridge.
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