MR. TSCHOPP'S SUGGESTIONS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 22, 18 September 1931, Page 5

MR. TSCHOPP'S SUGGESTIONS

INDIVIDUALITY TO BE ATTAINED BY USE OF NATIVE FLORA A large section of report whieh has been prepared by Mr. F. Tschopp, the landscape architect, for the Rotorua Borough Council is devoted to the individual treatment and lay-out of the different main streets of the town with recommendations as to the types of trees and shrubs which he considers can most suitably be used.

. Throughout. the scheme native trees and shrubs . are suggested and are placed so as to obtain a definite colour effect. In places where otber classes of exotic trees and. shrubs have been , used, Mr. Tschopp suggests that they be removed and natives snbstituted in order to give a uniform and distinct New Zealand individuality to the scheme. Under Mr. Tschopp's plan, it is suggested that Haupapa Street, between Ranolf and Amohia Streets, should be planted with lancewoods, one between each existing plane tree, and that after storm water drains have been installed, a proper grade should be established on the parkstrips, bringing the grass margin next to the channelling and the footpath. Pukuatua Street, between Tawa and Amohia Streets, it is suggestedj should be laid out as an avenue, and planted in the same- manner* as Haupapa Street. Some of the park-strips, it is stated, require a lowering of the existing grade and levelling. A general clearing of noxious weeds and blaclcberries is required on both sides from Ranolf Street on to the railway line. The suggesed planting scheme is with kohukohu, 50 feet apart, and 25 feet from the property line, and embellished with groups of houpara. Hinemoa Street. Hinemoa Street is described as a main street requiring avenue treatment outside the business blocks, and on the lines suggested for Pukuatua Street. It is suggested that rimu should be planted 60 feet apart and elaborated with golden ake ake and coprosma lucida shrubs. Peneha and Amohia Sts. It is recommended that Eruera St., between Peneha and Amohia Sts., should be treated in a similar manner to Hinemoa Street and planted with lacebark embellished with mahoe shrubs. It is suggested that the important traffie outlet of Amohau Street should be planted with tanekaha, 25 feet from the property line and 50 feet apart. The trees may be planted between the existing plane trees and groups of karamu shrubs may be introduced. It is suggested that the beautification of the south side of this. street should be the responsibility of the Railway Department, and the north side of the adjoining property owners. Amohia Street. Amohia Street, it is suggested, should be planted with red beech to replace the liriodendron trees at present planted. It is also suggested that groups of koromiko shrubs should be planted between the larger trees. Tawa and Peneha Streets, which are at present undeveloped, it is suggested should be standarized to the dimensions of 99 feet streets and planted with totara 60 feet apart. Kuirau Reserve Entrance. On the intersection of Ranolf and Pukuatua Streets, it is suggested, will be a park entrance to the Kuirau Reserve, requiring special attention in connection with the plans to be prepared with the park design. Between Pukuatua and Arawa Streets, Ranolf Street must be brought into alignment. It is recommended that the planting of Ranolf Street should be > carried out with tanekaha and groups of raurekau shrubs. Whakaue, Pukaki, Arawa, Rangiuru, Haupapa and the surroundings of the railway station are grouped together in one zone. A scheme of planting with kowhai trees is suggested for Arawa Street between Amohia and Fenton Streets. It is suggested that between Tutanelcai and Fenton Streets the existing plane trees should be replaced by large specimens of kowhais growing a single trunk only. It is recommended that the eorner of Rangiuru Street and the main entrance road should be given a landscape design. From the centre line west, the obligation of beautification and maintenance comes under the control of th© State, while the east side, it is suggested, should be maintained by the property owners. Kotukotuku trees, 60 feet apart, are recommended for planting with intermediate groups of golden ake ake. Railway Station Area. It is suggested that the plantations about the railway station, particularly on the north side, should be laid out into an attractive park. The existing trees lend themselves admirably for such a treatment providing conscientious attention is given to the removal and preservation of existing growth. Such a park would be a manifestation to the incoming arid departing tourism, instead of being an eyesore, the report states. The first impressions are the lasting ones, and more often than not, the prosperity and civic pride of any town are judged on such first impressions. It is further suggested that the Beautifying Society or the Borough Council make representations to the Railway Department and urge the necessity of an immediate start on the station grounds facing Amohau Street. Government Gardens Frontage. The park strip on Hinemaru St. along the hedge of the Government Gardens, it is recommended, should be planted with whauwhau, one of New Zealand's finest flowering shrubs, the blossoms of which appear at the height of the tourist season. The opposite side of the street, should be planted with mahoe

. •*> . • i . and groups of low growing pomaderis elliptica, This effect, it is' suggested, might be continued on both sides of the street between Whakaue and Arawa Streets and Hinemoa and Amohau Streets. It is further recommended that th© junction of Whakaue and Hinemaru . Streets, which will serve as an entrance to the propQsed new 'golf course, should be given a special feature design. A judicially planned design is also suggested for the town square. A great improvement, it is stated,. will be apparent once the nnsightly watertables are substituted for a stormwater . system, so that the grass may run in a continuous sweep to the footpath. The planning and pianting of Whakaue, Pukaki,. Arawa and Pukuatua Streets, in this zone, it is recommended, should be continued on the lines already suggested. Wairoa Road. Planting with Kanuka, 70 feet apart, interspersed' with groups of crimson manuka is recommended for Wairoa Road, which it is suggested should be laid out with a 6ft 6in grass strip between the electric poles and a carriage way of 40 feet from kerb to lcerb. A specially designed landscape feature, it is suggested, should be introduced at the junction of Forestry Avenue and Wairoa Road, which constitutes an entrance to the cemetery reserve. In order to hide some of the scrub land beyond Wairoa Road, it is suggested that a screen planting should be made. In Ti Street, ake ake trees with groups of koromiko shrubs* are recommended. Forestry Avenue. Although out of the province of the Beautifying Society's activities, it may be as well to have a suggestive treatment for Forestry Avenue, states 'the report. At the present, there are growing three to f our different varieties of trees, such as wattles, planes, liquidambars and gums. One proposal is to remove the gums and wattles, take every other liquidambar out and transplant in the opposite side of the street, and fill in the rest with .young liquidambar plants. "I am opposed to. the destruction of any living speeimen tree, therefore I would, for an alternative proposal, suggest to only take out the Sdiseased wattles, and transplant all plane trees elsewhere and plant instead the rest of the street with five finger and groups of cassina. Since the northern half is adjoining the a,erodrome, it is advisable and saf e to have a low growing tree along the aerodrome boundaries. The whauwhau should well meet these specifications," States Mr. Tschopp. In Victoria Street, Mr. Tschopp re~ commends that the existing rhododendrons be transferred to a line running 13 feet from the property line, and that five feet inside 'the property line a row of tarata shrubs should be planted. Rhododendrons, he suggests, might be substituted by flowering koromikos. Native Trees Suggested. Although he considers that the existing plantation of liquidambar, alternating with rhododendrons may remain in Toko Street, Mr. Tschopp favours an alternative planting of hinau and papauma natives in this street. The removal of the existing deciduous trees in Eason Street is suggested and the snbstitution of tawa and bronze panax. Mountain beech is recommended for planting in Union St., with niniwha shrubs, while an alternative plant ing of lacebark and veronica is suggested in Herewini Street to replace the existing planting of liquidambar and rhododendrons. Planting witli mahoe and tawheowheo is suggested in Ruihi Street. In Ranolf Street, where it passes through zone 5, it is suggested that all mutilated and decapitated pines should be removed and planting continued with tanekaha and coprosma. The scheme of planting in Malfroy Road, it is suggested, should be carried out with rimu and fulvida. Other Zones. Zone 6 is eomposed of Pererika Street, Pretoria Street, Malfroy Road, Ann, James, Miller, King, Seddon, Oxford and Uta Streets. Plantings with red beech, tawheowheo, New Zealand flax, cabbage palms, kaka beak, kowhai, koromiko, heketara and lacebark is recommended here. Zone 7 copiprises the remainder of Malfroy Road, Seddon, Carnot, Grey, Robertson, Holland, Tilsley, Ranolf, Lytton and Lightheart Streets. The trees and shrubs suggested on these streets are mapu, koromiko, kanuka, pink manuka, whauwhau and tarata. The balance of Tilsley Street, with Sumner, Devon and Wylie Streets, comprise Zone 8. Trees and shrubs suggested for planting in this zone are black beech, pink manuka, lowland ribbon-wood, bronze leaf, rangiora,, kohukohu, koromiko, kowhai and houhere. The final zone (9) comprises Marguerita, Peace, Maida Va'le, Sala, Froude, Tryon, Meade, Nelson, Hilda and Fenton Streets. The trees and shrubs recommended are red kaka beak, tawa, mahoe, heketaru, niniwha, toru, kohukohu, cabbage palms, white beech, olearia and hinau. Fenton Street. The suggested lay-out for Fenton Street calls for three traffie lanes. A centre pavement 25 feet wide for through traffie and two one-way traffie roads is suggested, to take care.

of the intermediate traffie. These roads are separated by a park-way 16ft 6in wide. The distance from the property line- to the first row of trees, which incidentally constitutes the side-walk is to be 10ft wide, and the cycle track, or future bridle path, 11ft pwide, is located between the trees and the poi© lines, which separate th first street from the cycle track. Since Fenton. Street will ultimately become a boulevard, no efforts should be spared in making this important artery as attractive as possible, Mr. Tschopp states. It must be understood that any lay-out will have to be modified and adjusted to a eertain extent in the vicinity of the business area. He suggests the planting should consist of native trees only. The columnar plants shown on. the plan tepresent pewarewa, or New Zealand honeysuckle. This tree has in its favour an extreme hardiness, a compact and slender growth, also being evergreen. A disadvantage is its slow growth. However, there is no other native plant with the same qualifications and which has faster growing and longer living qualities. The tree in the park strip which should have a spreading crown would preferably he pohutukawas. Climatic conditions prevent this choice and so the next best tree suggested is hinau. Shrubberies may consist of the choice of the lower growing natives, such as crimson, pink and white flowering manukas, koromikos, gaultherias, whauwhau and similar favourites. Care must be taken to plant for mass effects with one variety dominating in long stretches. Occasionally a different species may be introduced to ad^d interest and diversity. Regarding the colour scheme, in a large scale planting it is advisable to have a single colour predominating on stretches with an occasional break of another colour. Whatever shrubs are selected, they should grow only about half the height of the trees in this particular scheme.