Since my last post in early October 24 a LOT has happened! The Nursery volunteers have been working hard on Fridays to produce the plants we need for various community and private projects we are supplying plants to this and next year. Spring brings its unpredictable weather, mostly it seems, on a Friday! Good number of volunteers still arrive to support our efforts and we try to make it more comfortable by bringing some jobs like weeding pots inside the education centre. However, there is much more to be done outside so we hope the weather improves on Fridays soon.
The Jo Ogier exhibition is a huge success so if you haven’t been yet, don’t delay, its wonderful and everyone I speak to is in raptures about it. See details here - https://www.esgallery.co.nz/temporary-exhibitions
As well as growing plants we have supplied plants to schools in the Lumsden area, via Jenny Campbell and also supplied worms for Kindergarten worm farms!
Many of you will know Brian and I went away for 3 weeks recently during the busiest time of the Nursery, leaving Linda (and Ray) in charge. Linda does an amazing job organising volunteer Fridays and we also put in place a group of watering volunteers, though the weather provided most of the water over that time I believe! The Nursery watering takes between 1-2 hours to do the entire nursery so it is quite a commitment and we will again be looking for help over the Christmas holiday period.
Meanwhile we had new experiences in Taranaki, doing the Jigger trip from Taumarunui to Stratford – a great thing to do with friends – seeing the landscapes, vegetation and history of the Forgotten World railway. Then on to the Taranaki Garden Festival with its two garden trails (over 100 private gardens), sustainability garden trail and art trail as well as the natural features and walks of Mount Taranaki itself and surrounds including Rotokari Predator Fenced Reserve and the excellent Tawhiti Museum. All highly recommended!
Since opening the Nursery for spring we have had a run of atrocious weather on Fridays! However, that hasn’t deterred our loyal volunteers with between 15 and 20 hardy people coming to help out. Wet weather however, is not ideal as there are so many jobs to be done outside, but as much as possible is brought into the education centre, like weeding pots! There are a few signs of spring nevertheless – native Clematis is flowering beautifully and a few days ago a pair of paradise ducks and their ducklings walked right through the nursery and on to our pond! We are hoping that better weather arrives on a Friday soon!
In the meantime there are a number of exciting events coming up that you may be interested in. First off the block is a magnificent art exhibition by Jo Ogier at the Eastern Southland Gallery at Gore. We know, because we have seen it evolving over the last few years and the amount of work Jo has put into it is astounding and the quality of the work amazing. You don’t need to take my word for it – go and see it for yourself – the exhibition will run from 6 October to 16 February, with an artist talk by Jo on Sunday 6 October, more details here
OnTuesday 8 October Forest and Bird brings you a talk by Jo Hiscock a talk on Pitcairn Island, all welcome – details here.
A little bit more about the Jo Ogier exhibition byMarcella Geddes of the Eastern Southland Gallery
Jo Ogier Art Exhibition – He Wai Apakura – Te Ara Pounamu The River’s Lament – A Pathway of Treasures
This exhibition of paintings by prominent botanical and wildlife artist Jo Ogier has come about as result of a long-term research partnership between the Hokonui Rῡnanga and Eastern Southland Gallery. Jo has spent considerable time in the Gore area and has undertaken several exhibition and workshop projects with the Eastern Southland Gallery.
In recent years she has formulated an exhibition proposal which has been supported by the environmental team at Hokonui Rῡnanga. Research into the plant species specific to our well known mahika kai sites has been augmented by field trips with rῡnanga staff to look at the existing habitat of freshwater, bird and insect species. This work has culminated in the production of 26 major artworks that collectively link the natural habitats of our indigenous flora and fauna with archive-based information sourced through oral histories gathered from key kaumātua and other experts such as Brian Rance, Eric Edwards and Daniel Jack. The featured artworks not only explore the many species of flora and fauna that once defined Māruawai and the wider Mataura River Valley, but also incorporate their early names and associated locations.
During October and November, we are offering a range of school activities, programmes and adult workshops, led by well-known artists Jo Ogier, Janet de Wagt and Jacqueline Byars. These workshops are kindly supported by: Hokonui Rῡnanga, Gore District Council, Creative Communities NZ and Community Trust South. School visits and group tours of the exhibition can also be arranged with the Gallery. Group bookings essential.
Over the last month we have had lots of plants leave the nursery for their new homes, notably for Kowhai Reach and Bushy Point Otatara. We have also had a Te Rere planting with plants supplied and taken down to site by James and Maree at Pukerau Nursery. Pukerau are still our very much recommended Native Plant Nursery for Southland so drop in on them if you have larger scale needs than we can supply, or for species we don’t grow.
But, there is always lots of preparation for planting days so on Friday 13th September, our opening day there was lots of activity getting the Bushy Point plants out of the Nursery and onto site in preparation for the Sunday 15th planting. A few photos below of all the action at the Nursery. Now we have some room in the Nursery we will begin the new season’s plants on Friday mornings, but after winter there is a lot of weeding to be done and other Nursery tasks, so if you want to help out come along between 9am and noon, bringing some morning tea to share and we will get into spring!
I hope I haven’t jinxed anything by opening on Friday the 13th instead of the 6th September!
Next week we will be preparing for the big Bushy Point planting and a lot of plants will be being moved from the Nursery to Bushy Point, in preparation for the Sunday 15 September planting day. This will happen Wed, Thurs or Friday weather dependent and if you can help with this task please email me and I will keep you informed of the day and time you can help. If its Friday, we will make it part of the usual Friday morning activities.
Otherwise, see you on the 13th and I will leave you with some tropical images from our recent trip to the Top End.
On Friday 12 July we had our winter break-up day at the Nursery. Main jobs included more cuttings, mulching a new native area and weeding the Nursery. The photos below taken this week show the reasons why we close up for winter, beautiful as it is! All seeds have now been sown and we await springtime and the exciting time of seedlings emerging. Thanks to all our volunteers over the season and we look forward to re-connecting in September if not before. We have some seeds left so in springtime, if the demand is there, we will have some hands-on propagation days with some seed giveaways – if you or a group are interested in these, email me and I will arrange them.
A few dates for your calendar – Saturday 24 August, Te Rere Penguin Reserve planting day – bookings to , and on Sunday 15th September, big planting day at Bushy Point Otatara. Also note down the date for the Southland Ecological Restoration Network (SERN) Spring Bus Trip which will visit the Gore area on Saturday 16 November 2024.
Hope you enjoy some wild adventures this winter, if you’re hunkering down with a good book – recommend Feijoa – see photo or come and borrow something from our new Nursery library (remember to log it out!).
Enjoy the rest of winter, spring is on its way (snowdrops are flowering!) and see you Friday 6 September, when the Nursery re-opens
