CITY RESERVES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19475, 9 May 1925, Page 2

CITY RESERVES.

AUTUMN ACTIVITIES

CHRYSANTHEMUMS AT THE GARDENS.

Yesterday was an ideal day for viewing Dunedin from the wide circle of hills that display its varying charms to such advantage. The original natural beauty of the scene lias undoubtedly been mich interefered with by the work of man, but of recent year’s man, as represented by the city reserves department and its superintendent, Mr D. Taunock, has done much to redress the balance. Slowly but steadily and surely unsightly corners have been cleared up and clothed with dainty greenery and tne waste places have been mode to blossom till Dunedin is i‘ow fairly on the way to earn the title of “The Garden City.’’ For the reserves department autumn is just as busy a time as any other, and it has under its care a wide variety of activities that the ordinary citizen would never think of. Yesterday, for instance.' some of the deportment’s staff, were occupied at Lookout Point planting a holly hedge at the corner of the Industrial School property. The holly trees are being brought from Boss street, Roslyn, where they have had to be removed to allow of the street widening that is going on. Up Frazer’s Gully a couple of men are engaged clearing out from the bush and scrub there the broom that has run riot for a number of years past. In its place will be planted pinus, insignus and Oregon pine, in the shelter of which it is hoped that the native growth will come away strongly again. This arid much other work is going on in the widespread areas under the care of the department, but the part of most general interest to the public is, of course, the Botanical Gardens. Here the preparations for the coming spring are already far through. The replanting of the ribbon border leading from the main North-East Valley entrance is now practically completed. Starting from a suitable background the border is built up of a double row of blood-red wallflower, followed by two rows of yellow polyanthus, a row of dwarf bloodred wallflower, a row of white polyanthus, and finally at the edge a row of blue violas. The lawn behind this ribbon border- is now looking very fresh and well grassed. It is surrounded by the Shakespeare Garden, and *n it are planted the historic trees that were established there when the idea of a Shakespeare Garden first took definite form some 10 years ago. There is the mulberry planted by that famous - Shakespearian Miss Ellen Terry herself, the aspen planted by Mrs D. Colquhoun, with whom ibe whole idea originated, a larch planted by the late Mr T. W. Whitson, president of the Shakespeare Society, an oak planted by Mr J. B. Sbacklock, who was then mayor, and a chestnut planted by Or 'Todd, then chairman of the Reserves Committee. Since then, of course, the whole garden has had to be remodelled on account of the deviations of the course of the stream, but it is soon to be opened up to the public by means of a path leading at the back of the ribbon border straight from the main entrance gate. The planting of bulbs about the gardens was finished a fortnight ago. At present beds of wallflowers —250 to a bod —are being planted out from the prouagating bouses. The roses are steadily invading the beds near the Winter Gardens. Last year three extra beds vere taken in for them and next season they are to have three more allotted them. No one will grudge the extra accommodation to the queen of flowers. Even at this late day a number of varieties are continuing to make a fine display, and evidently it will b© some time yet before “the last rose of summer” is seen. The display inside the Winter Gardens just now is of double chrysanthemums arranged on the central stand. They are magnificent blooms growing-one flower to a pot, and for a considerable time to come they will be a great delight to visitors. In the water lily house an even more impressive display of single chrysanthemums has been staged all graded on an even slope. Many of these have still to open out, but in a little more than a week they should be in full bloom. Among rare flowers to be noted in other of The glass houses is a tropical Japanese rhododendron. It is a dainty pink flower that shows un charmingly in this season, when such colours are scarce.