Municipal Gardens Are Blaze Of Colour

Chronicle (Levin), 6 November 1948, Page 4

Municipal Gardens Are Blaze Of Colour

A credit to'- Levin and the borough council gardner, Mr. L. W. Bryant, . are the Levin. : Public gardens,. which are now presenting a pictureque settiiig for the town. Kept neatly tifmmed, the lawns and hedges are in the best condition they have been in . for some time and the general- eff ect is still further enhanced by beds ofbright flowers. Gn entering, the gardens from the side gate in Cambridge Street; : attention is . immediat.ely focussed on a bed pf delicately coloured icelaiid poppies, which are now at their best. These poppies have provided much- colour to the gardens for over three months, but will soon have passed their zenith. At the main entrance visitors are immediately charmed by - a bed of brightly eoloured siberian wallflower, which has well repaid the painstaking work with which Mr. Bryant has nursed them fhrough much bad weather and windy conditions. This bed is situated close to the base of the War Memorial fronting - Cambridge Street.

Near tne mam entrance ana underneath the hedge wihch skirts Cambridge and Kent Street. a bed ' of young marigold plants forecast a bright display. . Also near the memoriaL is 'a bed of matured plants of the same variety, highly developed in quality and size and presenting a pleasing picture. Close by is a bed of sweet william, which is'the pride of the gardener's ■ collection. Dahlias are also showing promise and, laid out at the southern end of the garden, they should give aj good autumn display. At the backj o'f the gardens at the southern end; is a lovely display of giant violets' which have been greatly admiredj by^ visitors, while near the -small gate in Cambridge Street are displays of violas and just inside the gate is a bed of corylopsis, which gives promise of a grand display. At the rear of the gardens at the northern end are planted a long bed of • geraniums. Hitherto the trees have shaded this part and nothing has found to be suitable but the geraniums, fronted with a border of pink dionthus (a plant rather like the single carnations), looks most hopeful. 'A lover of flowers and outdoor life, Mr. Bryant, who has only recently taken over the job of council gardener, from Mr. E. E. Parfect who did much. of the foundation work, is keen pn' makihg rhe garden^ , a- pride both to • himself and the ..public, He has cer.tainly succeeded • as far as, the lafter ,is concerned, for .much comment . has ibeen, made on •' the 1 re^ults to date, The secref of , his success • undoubtedly lies in his sincere love of beauty and he has develqped a most , artistic colour seheme. Wheh not in the gardens door life. with a preference for iishing, and ' swimmiiig. • ! • Mr. Bryant has had considerable experience in all types of gardening ^d-is ;pieased':t£> 'see people u-sing'fhd \'inumcipal - gardens to Test' ih. - T • *- • "There is"-'ndwhere more -' restful. than . hexej^ he said and" he ad'ded- thiat' heL hoped the council mighf o'ne dajr- instal a gas ring under tlie trees so that people could boil their billies there and enjoy their lunch in the beauty and quietness. He is very disturbed, however, when parents allow their children to romp over his plots and -destroy the plants. This happened quite often, he said, and on occasions he had even seen persons galloping horses over the newly made triange of grass on the ot'her side of the street. "You pan imagine what happens then," he said "particularly in wet weather when the ground is soft." He said that an English landscape gardener who was recently in Levin had been most impressed with Levin's garden area and had described the whole locality, including the church on the played corner in Cambride Street, as very akin to an English green.