Progress of a Wellington garden

21 May '08 8:01 am

I am not sure of the name of the tree fern here-it is the giant tree fern-all this bush is in its natural state-it has been untouched.You can see a lot more tree ferns in the photo
As i mentioned,the tracks and bridges are a long way below the tree tops.
Here is a photo taken from the flat we stayed in-With the camera I was able to put the zoom to bring the details in.On the left is the South island beech,next to it is the Kowhai.Over on the right as in the previous photos some exotics such as maples-the red is a creeper-can't think of its name at the mo.
One of the first improvements they made was to build a large deck for the children to play on.
Dixie.

21 May '08 2:21 pm

Hard to imagine that lovely bush is within the city boundary... What a gorgeous (and somewhat difficult!) piece of the world to garden in. Your family has done an amazing job.

21 May '08 6:43 pm

Hi, Dixie!

Thanks for the vicarious trip around New Zealand! It's SO beautiful there in Fall! I just returned from the B.C. Interior this evening, having passed through an avalanche, a major rock slide and a very flooded roadway! More about all that tomorrow - tonight I'd rather gush over your wonderful pictures. I still can't get over all the houses on such steep hills that they need cablecars to get up to them! Do they ever have landslides there or is it all pretty much rock? I know that we have a few places like that (but never so steep they need cablecars) and houses periodically slide downhill. It all looks so green, considering that it's autumn!

It's good to hear from you again!

Cheers!
gordonf

22 May '08 3:37 am

First of all, congratulations to the grandmother! What a wonderful reason for a trip!

Thank you for sharing more views of this lovely place. I did not realise your tree ferns grow 'in the bush' so to speak. Ours are very 'water bound' and usually germinate naturally in the steep (in fact sometimes quite vertical) banks of streams. I've also had germination on a road cutting a few meters above the stream; I think of them as waterside or bog plants. Do their fronds frost in winter? Or is there no frost so close to the sea? In fact how cold is the water? Arctic or tropical currents? My tree ferns all frost, but a few km away they are evergreen.

22 May '08 6:03 am

Hi Gordon-We have been wondering how you were getting on,and eager to hear the plans which will affect the rest of your life-a bit scary perhaps !
There was a landslide near this place in Wellington last year and it made national news,but it was caused by someone trying to excavate to build another house.
The bush in the photos is absolutely natural native north island forest-the south island forest is a bit different,isn't it Moosey?No frosts so it is like this all year round.
dixie.

22 May '08 7:34 pm

Congratulations, Dixie, on your new great grandchild. I always thought you would be a great granny and now there's proof. Applause

What a wonderful trip you had as well. I am partial to ferns. They would grow wild in the forests when I lived on the west coast, but Saskatchewan is notorious for it's lack of ferns. At least around here anyway.

Last summer I bought 2 fiddle head ferns for our grotto and was determined to keep them as house plants until they could go in the ground. Alas, the big one coughed out just as spring was underway so I am left with the little one, who didn't seem like a happy plant. Last week I re-potted him in a bigger pot with nice fresh soil and he is doing much better now and has new growth.

Two days ago while on one of our plant buying sprees, I managed to pick up 2 more ferns. Very Happy

One is an Autumn Fern and the other is a Japanese Painted Fern. Both are quite nice and healthy.

Soon to be going in the grotto this year! Rolling Eyes

Christopher

24 Sep '08 1:39 pm

Again a wonderful trip down to Wellington.we took 2 leisurely days to travel.
I took some photos of the native bushland.Have I told you that the parents of one of the families deep in the bush here are reading the 'Secret Seven' books to their children.So after school,the children all go around to each others' houses and collect everyone and they all become'The Secret Seven' till dinner time.There are now eight little ones, with the oldest aged nearly 7.

24 Sep '08 6:45 pm

Wow, Dixie - what an amazing place in which to live!! I was wondering, though - do you get many earthquakes in N.Z.? I don't remember hearing about any, but since you have hot springs, etc., it must be seizmically (Is that spelled right? looks funny to me!) active. Those roads could be very vulnerable, couldn't they?

Do you think those trees from the other island might have been planted there or is that a natural growth?

Do you make this trip frequently or is it more of a special event for visiting and shopping?

It's finally raining again here tonight, so my garden will get a much-needed drink; watering just doesn't do it as well! Also, in a few days there should be a new crop of Chanterelle mushrooms in the bush, so I'll have to get out and look for some.

Cheers!

gordonf

25 Sep '08 8:40 am

I have always admired those houses in Welly with the cable cars to get you to your door! Very cool Very Happy

25 Sep '08 3:30 pm

in your very green corner of the globe. (Do spheres have corners? No, but you get the idea.) The silhouette of the trees around the tree house remind me a lot of Monterey Pines and other native California trees. The tree ferns however are very expensive over here. I think the native name is Mamaku? Luckily they are hearty enough for around here because I have a young one in the shade structure not quite ready for the great outdoors.

I think I could be very happy in a native, natural garden in New Zealand. Of course I could never stay true to just one region's botanical wonders.

I trust all is well there with the grandkids. My best to all,

Mark

Progress of a Wellington garden

tree ferns

Lovely Native Bush

Great Pictures!

Congratulations Dixie and thank you

trees

Fern what it's worth

A Spring trip to Wellington

Amazing Pictures!

What beautiful countryside you have