DUNEDIN CARDENING CLUB

Evening Star, Issue 22447, 18 September 1936, Page 12

DUNEDIN CARDENING CLUB

CULTIVATION OF N.Z. ALPINES At the fortnightly meeting of the Gardening Club, Mr W. H. Leigh gave an address on New Zealand alpine plants, in which he pointed out that, fortunately the greater majority of New Zealand alpines were of easy culture and yielded very favourably to the gardener’s skill. Many of these have gained world-wide recognition in the horticultural world, and were of first-class garden value. New Zealand plants were now grown extensively in Great Britain and America. There were to be seen some, very fine collections in Great Britain as well as in many other parts of the world. Recently there had been a very marked increase in their popularity. This change had been caused by the recognition of the value of these plants as beautiful and hardy adjuncts to the rock gardens. For stimulation of general interest in this flora the greatest credit was no doubt due to the late Dr Cockayne for his valuable book ‘ The Culture of New Zealand Plants.’ Many collected plants and planted them in their gardens and found _ it difficult to give them anything like their natural habitat, and failed to get them to grow. Nothing but experience and the study of their natural haunts and close observation of their wants would lead to success. There was no doubt that many of our beautiful alpine plants could be grown at much lower altitudes. Most of the mistakes that were made in rock gardening came from the blind attempt to imitate natural conditions without considering the inevitable differences between those conditions and any that can possibly be provided in the garden. Mr Leigh dealt very fully with quite a number of our New Zealand alpines, their habitat, and their cultivation, and illustrated them in their natural haunts by beautiful lantern slides of his own making. Many of the slides depicted beautiful alpine scenery. At the conclusion, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr Leigh, on the motion of Mrs Orr Campbell. Mr J. Passmore presided over the meeting.