I visited the Auckland Botanic Gardens (ABG) last Sunday and Monday.
Sunday walked through some of the garden. There were a lot of people, but the weather was fine. Unfortunately the battery of my Olympus E-410 was low, so I only took a few photo’s. I should buy a spare battery!
Monday I spent most of my time in the Library. This was a cloudy day. But I could make some pictures.
(for a larger view on a picture, click on it)
The entrance to the Gardens is free. Some 700.000 or 800.000 people visit the Gardens each year. There is a large staff.
On entering the Gardens one sees the Visitor Centre Huakaiwaka, near the Parking. It’s a beautiful modern building, that houses the information desk, a classy cafe, computer desks (for visitors to consult the databases etc.), room for kids, and a room for exhibitions. This week had an exhibition of artists with sculptures in stone, glass, wood, metal etc.
The visitor centre also holds some offices.
The Visitor Centre Huakaiwaka – front entrance
From the terrace at the rear side one has a good view over the Gardens.
Visitor Centre – rear side with terrace
The Library is housed in a separate building.
The Library Building with Quercus palustris (?) beside it
The Library – interior
I spent here most of my Monday. Really a good library. One of the things that makes it special is the database that has records of the books (2.500) and some 7.500 entries on articles in different journals. Found a lot of interesting new little things concerning Eastwoodhill, Douglas Cook, etc.
Perhaps the most interesting was that I found Vol. 2 (and 3) of “The Gardener’s Journal” (In Vol. 1 was the article on Uncle Bob and Lady Anne). The editorial of Vol. 2 quoted extendedly of my letter to the editor (or was it to the writer?).
I talked to Roger Price, Horticultural Education Officer, who is in charge of the Library. Yvonne Etherington showed me the new database, that is currently installed, for the plants as well as for the library, BG-Base. The Library is staffed by volunteers. Today this was Graham.
Everyone was very friendly and helpful (as it uses to be the case most of the time in NZ).
Of course I made some walks in the Gardens as well.
Sunday I took a look at the (small) Conifer Collection, close to the Visitor Centre.
Only a few pictures, as I said. For instance of Bishop Pine Pinus muricata (on the right; with some works of art beside it)
Bishop Pine (Pinus muricata) (on the right)
With beautiful “flowers”
Bishop Pine (Pinus muricata)
On both days I visited the NZ Threatened Native Plants Garden.
Opened 2001 by Helen Clark, when she was still Prime Minister.
On a miniature scale a lots of (threatened) habitats from the Auckland and Northland regions are
build here, like wetlands, off shore islands, lowland forests, lava fields and dunes.
NZ Threatened Native Plants Garden – entrance
in this garden for instance:
* Shore spurge Euphorbia glauca, presumed extinct on Auckland region’s mainland.
In the garden plants of this species are grown from seeds and cuttings taken from the last remaining plant on Motukorea – Browns Island.
shore spurge Euphorbia glauca
shore spurge Euphorbia glauca
* Three Kings trumpet vine Tecomanthe speciosa.
Only one plant left in the wild. On one of the Three Kings islands.
discovered in 1945 it escaped extinction by growing on a cliff so steep that even wild goats couldn’t reach it. Cuttings were taken and today plants related to this last vine are for sale in nurseries.
Blooms early in winter with creamy-lime trumpet shaped flowers. Pity it was nog flowering.
At Sunday I spent most of the time on the Native Forest Trail, a marked walk that leads through a broadleaf/podocarp forest remnant. a total of about 30 hectares. 10 hectares are part of the Botanic Gardens and managed by Auckland Regional Council. 20 hectares are part of Totara Park, managed by the Manukau City Council.
The area was cut in earlier times to harvest timber. The forest is now regenerating.
There are a number of tracks. One of the tracks is described in a leaflet. With information on plants and trees. The flora of the combined area consists of 158 species in total.
No photos.
At Monday, in the NZ Plants Garden I found this beautiful:
Kaikoura Rock Daisy Pachystegia insignis
Kaikoura Rock Daisy Pachystegia insignis
Kaikoura Rock Daisy Pachystegia insignis
The gardens hold beautiful trees. One example:
Camphor Tree Cinnamomum camphora
Camphor Tree Cinnamomum camphora
One of the sections of the Shrub Trial Garden is packed with cultivars of Hydrangea macrophylla
bed with cultivars of Hydrangea macrophylla
in the background a bed of Azalea with the beautiful yellow Rhododendron ‘Ilam Melford Yellow’
Rhododendron 'Ilam Melford Yellow'
Rhododendron 'Ilam Melford Yellow'
and behind that the red flowering bottlebrush Callistemon citrinus ‘Splendens’.
Bottlebrush Callistemon citrinus 'Splendens'
The tuis like them, and many other birds as well.
Another beautifully flowering rhodo (or azalea, I still don’t know) was Rhododendron ‘Melford Flame’
Rhododendron 'Melford Flame'
Look at those flowers!
Rhododendron 'Melford Flame'
A Viburnum ‘Rosace’ also flowered abundantly
Viburnum 'Rosace'
Viburnum 'Rosace'
Finally I made some pictures in the Protea beds. The sugarbush (“Suikerbossie” in Afrikaans?) originates from (South-)Africa. One of the largest flowering specimen was a cultivar of the King Protea (the national flower of South-Africa) Protea cynaroides ‘Arctic Ice’. The plant itself is a little bit ugly
King Protea Protea cynaroides 'Arctic Ice'
but the flowers are very large
King Protea Protea cynaroides 'Arctic Ice'
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