Pukeiti Newsletter February 2016
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February 2016 VOLUME 65 NO.1 PLANT LIST AND ORDER FORM WORKING BEE DATES & OTHER NEWSLETTER MEMBER ACTIVITIES Pukeiti Rhododendron Trust Inc. inside www.pukeiti.org.nz the next financial year. It does mean we will have been without the lodge for the best part of 2 years and that after May this year there will be no building up at Pukeiti that members will have for their use. This will impact on some of our regular events but your committee is looking at making this a positive and we hope you will enjoy and 2016 support the creative solutions we come up with. The record sunshine hours this January, The along with the regular rainfall that Pukeiti attracts even when dryer than normal, has meant the weeds have been trying to set Improvements new growth rate records. The staff have been working full on to keep ahead of the garden chores as well as tidy up after the Continue contractors left. All the extra work the staff have had to cope with this year meant they were particularly appreciative of having the elcome to 2016 and the lazy, hazy this walkway. The access from behind The services of one of the Students the TRC Wdays of summer. Lodge being closed off and left to regenerate. employs over the academic holidays. Paul At the end of the aerial walkway, steps take Here in Taranaki we are having an amazing Stevenson, a Mechanical Engineer student, you down to ground level and the walk spell of hot, fine weather – great for sitting was excellent value and Andrew says he has continues along the old path, past the back and enjoying the garden and reaping the set the bar very high for next year’s student. waterwheel to the end of the track at the benefits of all the hard work put into it at other The new shape of Pukeiti Garden is becoming culvert overlooking the stream. times of the year. I keep thinking that if this is very clear now and it is an exciting year climate change – bring it on - then I check The contractors have also finished the major ahead for the garden. The staff will still myself thinking of the increasing frequency of earthworks and construction involved with have lots of challenges working around extreme weather events around the globe and the Misty Knoll situated at the garden end of construction work and contractors and they the fact that they are only likely to increase in the Lodge Lawn. There are minor cosmetic do a wonderful job keeping Pukeiti looking intensity and occurrence and that is not good! touches still to be done and the staff are letting Up at Pukeiti there has been little time for the the earth settle before bringing in topsoil and staff to sit back and enjoy the fruits of their planting the area. This will enable any labour. irregularities in the contour of the area to be fixed before they become permanent. Again The replacement for the old Beverley McConnell this will be an Autumn project. covered walkway is now finished and all that remains to be done is the installation of the These projects are nearing completion but irrigation system. Andrew plans to install this there is no rest for the garden although the in the near future so it can be tested to ensure next stage will be slightly less disruptive of the planting. Come May, the contents of the there are no dry patches before the vireyas are The Aerial Walkway replaced in their new environment. Wendy Gatehouse will be completely packed up and will welcome the increased space in the shade put into storage in preparation for the houses and nursery area when these plants are remodelling that is planned for this area. SATURDAY, resited this Autumn. Also finished is the aerial Those who have visited Pukeiti recently will DECEMBER 10 walkway to view the waterwheel. This is also have noted that the planned remodelling of a steel structure in keeping with the new the Members’ Lodge did not, for largely covered walkway, very sturdy and wheelchair financial reasons, go ahead last year. accessible. Presently it looks very much like a Renovating it was going to cost so much that construction site but when the the bush it has been decided it is better to start again around the new structure regenerates it will from scratch. A purpose built Lodge that caters for the needs of our current membership be a great new attraction for Pukeiti. When The Misty Knoll awaiting finance becomes available in the future the and those that the Board can currently foresee plants plans are to extend it across the stream and will be needed in the near future will be a through the bush to opposite the water wheel. much wiser use of the funds available. I The path to the water wheel now starts along understand that his will definitely happen in page 2 From the Members’ Committee, Pukeiti Autumn Trip A Visit to the This newsletter includes the Members’ other shrubs in the garden has changed.) Plant List and the 2016 Calendar of events 2. Thursday, March 31st. Plant sale for Pukeiti Members. orders close and we will try to dispatch East Coast. The 2016 Calendar is printed on the back the out of town orders during the Transport in an air-conditioned coach. page of this newsletter. The events we following week. You are again advised to have planned include all the old favourites get your orders for plants in quickly to Day 1: Monday, 02 May but this year we are offering two NZ based optimise your chances of getting the plants New Plymouth to Napier trips for Members. The first is an Autumn you order. Many of the rhododendrons on Morning tea in Whanganui and then continue trip to the North Island East Coast. It is offer and some of the plants from via Fielding and Dannevirke to Gwavas some years since we have done a trip to Woodleigh Nurseries are in short supply Garden for lunch. Afternoon guided tour this area and we hope many members will and it may be a bit of a lottery as to whether around the Homestead and garden. Stay in a Napier motel. be excited about seeing some of New you get the plants you request but you Zealand’s iconic gardens again. Trip have zero probability if you don’t send an Day 2: Tuesday, 03 May summary in yellow box on the right, order in and your chances will be greatly Napier to Gisborne further information on the back of the enhanced by returning your order promptly. Lunch at Hackfalls Arboretum and guided plant order form. In a later newsletter we 3. Saturday, April 09 is our Autumn walk round the grounds. Overnight stay in a will include information about the Gisborne motel. proposed Spring trip. Members’ day at Pukeiti. A cup of tea or coffee will be available in Day 3: Wednesday, 04 May 1. Working Bees: We continue to offer Gisborne to Napier Members the opportunity to be involved the Rata Room from 10:30am and members will also be able to pick up their Most of the day, including lunch at with the garden by scheduling working Eastwoodhill Arboretum. Drive back to plant orders from this time. At 11:00am bees. The number of members able to Napier to the same motel as Day 1. participate in these continues to decline, Graham Smith will lead a pre-lunch tour but the TRC Staff really do appreciate any round the garden and at approx 12:30 the Day 4: Thursday, 05 May help they can get with the garden. The Members’ Pot Luck Lunch will be served in Napier to New Plymouth first three working bees this year will be the Rata Room. As there will be a board The drive home is broken by a guided tour of on Wednesday February 24; Wednesday, meeting the previous night, you will be the Huka Lodge Gardens and a cut lunch at March 23 & Saturday, April 30. Working able to meet and talk with many of your the home of our Patron, Gordon Collier. bees start at 9:00am from the Staff board members over lunch. Following Indicative price $1,000pp twin share. $240 Quarters (although late-comers are lunch, Gordon Bailey has kindly agreed to single supplement. Price includes is Transport, always welcome). give us an illustrated talk about his recent Entrance fees, Guided walks, 3 breakfasts, 4 plant hunting trip to NW China and the (Our annual Propagation day for lunches and 3 dinners and 3 nights Tibetan Plateau. accommodation. hardwood cuttings will no longer take place now that the arrangements for Members’ Committee Chair If you are interested in joining this trip in New Plymouth or elsewhere on the route, please propagating Pukeiti rhododendrons and Heather Robson contact Heather (06) 757 2460 or e.mail: [email protected] by Friday, 25 March. Spring Trip to the Manawatu On Saturday, 21st November, 18 Pukeiti rhododendrons now obscure the view drops of rain here and there as we members set out by minibus and car to from one part of the garden to the next. travelled.) Although light rain fell visit gardens in the Manawatu region. One thing I recognized from earlier visits intermittently while we were walking Our first stop was for morning-tea at the was the border of standard Rhododendron around the Heritage Garden it was not “Pukeko’s Nest” café at Westmere , just yakushimanum edging the path to the café enough to dampen our enthusiasm.