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Otago Daily Times
29-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Otago Daily Times
Seedlings the old-fashioned way
PHOTO: KATE MOSS-MASON As a child I remember going to the local hardware store with my dad and digging out vegetable and flower seedlings from a wooden box and wrapping them in newspaper. Most seedings you buy from the garden centre have been grown as plugs or direct sown into containers in an automated system. An old but tried and true way of growing on seedlings is "pricking out", transferring the seedling from seed pot into a wooden tray. The automated systems miss this step out, saving time and materials. At the botanic garden we still grow a small number of annuals for the bedding display in the Knot Garden, about 2000 plants for each of the summer and winter displays. We stick to the old-fashioned method of pricking the seedlings out into wooden trays as we don't grow enough of the same type of plants to warrant an automated system. The upside of this is our apprentices get to learn the skill of timing a crop, pricking it out and growing on and then planting out the result. It's a rare chance to follow something from start to finish. The bedding seeds are sown in February and September for planting out in April and November. Once seeds have germinated and reached a stage at which they can be handled, they are ready for the next stage, "pricking out". Seedlings of annual plants can usually be pricked out as soon as they have two true leaves. The Friends of the Botanic Garden grow a few annual plants for the plant trolley in the information centre shop. This autumn, they have pansies available to be dug directly out of the wooden tray and wrapped in newspaper — for sale for five plants for a $1. It's a nice old-fashioned touch with no plastic pot involved. Garden Life is produced by Dunedin Botanic Garden. For more details contact propagation officer Alice Lloyd-Fitt.
Otago Daily Times
15-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Plant sale takes year-round preparation
Friends of the Dunedin Botanic Garden prepare for Saturday's plant sale. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Every year in May, the Friends of the Botanic Garden group holds its annual autumn plant sale. Work for the next sale begins again as soon as one sale is finished. Members start by assessing what is left over. Is the plant worth holding on to? Can it be revitalised with a repot and prune? Or is it time for this plant to be composted and the pot recycled? Seeds and cuttings of trees, shrubs and native plants that were propagated a few years ago have been grown on. Throughout the year the group of volunteers regularly meets to propagate, prune and repot plants for their shop and sales. Plants grown from seed of Piper excelsum, kawakawa, sown last year, hardwood cuttings of hydrangea taken last winter and seedlings of kauri and totara, donated a few years ago are now all looking great. The month before the sale is the busy one, deciding what plants are ready for sale. Weeding and tidying is an ongoing job while labelling and pricing takes a couple of days. The Friends of the Dunedin Botanic Garden sale is generously supported by donations from local nurseries such as Blueskin Nurseries, Ribbonwood Nurseries and Blue Mountain Nurseries. Collecting these plants and preparing them for the sale means a busy few days. An autumn plant sale means many of the plants are no longer in flower and may be dying down for winter. Unlike a garden centre, every sale plant won't have an informative description label with a coloured photo. The upside of this is less plastic. There are always knowledgeable staff on hand to answer questions. The sale is on tomorrow at the Dunedin Botanic Garden propagation facility in Lovelock Ave, from 9am-noon. Garden Life is produced by Dunedin Botanic Garden. For more details, contact Alice Lloyd-Fitt
Otago Daily Times
02-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
A recuperating ruru
Ruru Maroon Pullover during his rehabilitation stay at the Dunedin Botanic Garden aviary. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Ruru is New Zealand's beloved native owl, often heard at dusk and in the still of the night with their distinctive "more-pork" or "ru-ru" call. Found in forests and urban gardens, the ruru is a nocturnal predator that can be found throughout New Zealand but are less common in the eastern regions of the South Island, south of Christchurch. We seem to have a good population in Dunedin, with many well-vegetated suburbs being blessed with haunting hoots in an evening. Among the wild ruru, one bird's story has captured our hearts at the Dunedin Botanic Garden aviary. Recently, the aviary had a visit from an out-of-town morepork by the name of Maroon Pullover; an intriguing name awarded to this feathered fellow more than 15 years ago when it was banded in the wilds of Fiordland, in the Milford Rd area. His adventures hit a snag after a car strike, in which he sustained injuries that brought him into the capable hands of the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital team before coming to us for some rehabilitation. During his stay, Maroon Pullover was monitored for flight, vision and weight gain. It was a week of rest, recovery and some quiet reflection in a peaceful aviary environment. His known banded mate, Magenta Panties, a ruru of similar age, has had us wondering how she is faring without him. However, the fate of Magenta Panties remains uncertain — whether she is still around anyone's guess. After a week of recovery, Doc rangers took Maroon Pullover back to his Fiordland home territory, hoping he might fly back to Magenta Panties, or perhaps just enjoy the freedom of his wild home once again. Here is hoping the ruru duo reconnects and continues their enduring love story under the southern skies. - By Alisha Sherriff - aviary curator Garden Life is produced by Dunedin Botanic Garden.
Otago Daily Times
24-04-2025
- Otago Daily Times
A touch of spring in the heart of autumn
Dombeya burgessiae at the Dunedin Botanic Garden. PHOTO: GERARD O'BRIEN As autumn tiptoes across our botanic garden, painting the paths with gold and bronze, you might find yourself longing for the joy of spring blossoms. Do not fear — there is still a way to get your floral fix. Tucked quietly into the corner of the central house in the Winter Garden is a genus that doesn't shout, but rather sings softly with every breeze: Dombeya. Sometimes called tropical hydrangea or wild pear, these enchanting small trees or shrubs are native to Africa and Madagascar. With clusters of papery, soft-toned blooms that hang like blush-pink umbels, Dombeya brings a surprising gentleness and warmth that comforts the senses during the cooler months. The species we are lucky to showcase — Dombeya burgessiae, known as rosemound or pink wild pear — is particularly elegant. It produces delicate, rosebud-like clusters of flowers in the palest shade of pink, with a gentle, honey-sweet fragrance that invites you to lean in a little closer. This fast-growing beauty thrives in warm, sheltered conditions and often needs heavy pruning to keep it within bounds. Since it wasn't cut back at the end of last spring, we've been rewarded with an abundance of blooms cascading throughout the space. Its soft presence provides a delightful counterpoint to the bold architectural forms of surrounding foliage, offering a quiet moment of spring in the heart of autumn. Whether you're a seasoned plant enthusiast or simply someone in need of a moment of calm, the Dombeya is well worth a visit. We think it earns its place in the Winter Garden not just for its blooms, but for the mood it brings — a whisper of warmth, a brush of colour, and a gentle reminder that beauty is always in season. Garden Life is produced by Dunedin Botanic Garden. For further information contact Kate Caldwell.
