SPRING - A BUSY TIME OF YEAR

Spring is always busy.  Old vegetable beds to be cleared out and replanted, winter flowering plants to be cut back or removed.  Here, in the north of New Zealand, everything keeps on growing so we don't actually have a winter rest period.  Although the grass grows more slowly, it still grows and needs mowing and most plants keep on growing.

Apart from this general maintenance Doug decided that the edging of the flower bed along the drive needed replacing.  He built it in 2009 just after he moved here.  This is the flower bed earlier in the month before the old edging was removed.

This is the new edging.  Doug cuts each piece individually then nails them on to the backing timber in panels.

The following photos are of the garden a couple of weeks ago.

We then decided that the various creepers growing on the boundary fence needed removing and a new fence put in.  It was a fairly big job removing the creepers and we have a skip booked for tomorrow to take the rubbish away.  We got a quote for a new paling fence but as it was nearly twice as much as we expected, even allowing for the huge increase in the price of timber,  we have decided to build it ourselves. Fun times!!!

I had not taken a photo of the new edging so just took a couple which also show the old fence with all the creepers removed.  The garden looks a bit bare as we removed a few plants while clearing out the creepers.  Yesterday we planted various salvias, zinnias and petunias.  We got them in just in time for today's steady rain.

SPRING IN THE QUARRY GARDENS

 We really enjoyed Monday's walk in the gardens.  It was a cloudy day but quite pleasant.

Clivias are doing well at present.  We have several clumps in our garden.

We also have a small pot with a Poor Knights Lily only found in the wild on the Poor Knight's Islands.

A couple of us decided to walk up to the Arid Garden.  Although I have been to the higher path many times I had never been on this path to the Arid Garden halfway up the cliff.  This photo taken half-way up the path shows how high one climbs in a short period. That is the car park we started from.

Higher up looking down on the rest of the group at the lake.  The water is quite murky following rain.

I don't know the name of this plant but it is very pretty although I wouldn't want to grow it as it has vicious thorns.

The bottom photos are Doug's who did not go up to the Arid Garden.  This is a bug house 

and below with one of the doors open.  No bugs in residence.

another photo of Chris Booth's sculpture

A pretty tea tree which I believe is an Australian one. 

I was asked to stand next to this tree to show the size of the leaves.

We always enjoy our walks in the Quarry Gardens which was followed by a cuppa at a nearby cafe.  Unfortunately the Gardens' Cafe is closed on Monday and Tuesday.

QUARRY GARDENS - CHRIS BOOTH SCULPTURE

 In 2018 I posted a photo of a Chris Booth Varder Sculpture which is designed to be consumed over time by fungi.  

We have seen it several times over the years but were surprised to find this when we had the Parkinson walk there today.

This is the sign that was underneath it.

We had a most enjoyable walk around the gardens.  More photos in a day or so.