Over two days around 80 new entrant to Year 2 students from Fernworth Primary school enjoyed the outdoors of the Southland Community Nursery. After looking with wonder at the flowers on the orchard apple trees, discovering traps for pests and following the track looking at all the different types of plants, we outlined what we do to grow plants at the Southland Community Nursery. The classes were very interested as we followed the nursery process from seed to plants ready to be planted. First we looked at flowers introducing some of our amazing NZ native plants. Then we looked at different seeds (different shapes, sizes and colours), what seed pods can look like, talked about how seeds are prepared, and how these are sown so they can sprout leaves or shoots up, and roots down to grow. Curling into seeds we then grew like a plant with shoots (or leaves) growing up and roots growing down. We looked at some baby mānuka and cabbage tree seedlings, and bigger plants of these same species, noting how different in colour baby cabbage trees are from the older plants.
A ”hands on” session followed, potting up some cabbage tree seedlings taking particular care of the roots and making sure they were potted well.
Meanwhile Chris’ groups dodged the rain, and then hail, going around the ponds and bush. Looking for and collecting flowers, old seed pods and seeds, doing leaf bingo to identify the various native plants. Also looking at and talking about the layers of bush from the newly planted plants with their “rabbit guards”, to the 400 year old kahikatea forest trees, and noticing the pest traps all along the way.
The children got to see all that is involved in growing plants. It was great to share our learning, and then we looked again at how seeds are sown, and gave the Fernworth classes the Community Nursery Native Seed Growing Challenge and Seed Packet Design Challenge.
While one day the sun shone, on the other we utilised the education centre well sheltering from the rain (though on one outing a group took shelter from the hammering hail in the shelter of the native trees!). We look forward to hearing back from Fernworth and how well their seeds and the plants they were given are growing.
Bronwyn and Chris
Posted: 25 October 2019
After presenting to the Southland Women’s Group on 21 August about what the Southland Community Nursery is, what we do and where we are, the garden group of this organisation came out to view the remnant and restored forest and wetland areas of the Southland Community Nursery. The orchard areas and edible gardens, plant growing nursery and education centre were also explored. The kereru and tui were out in force with the sun finally coming out. A lovely afternoon sharing all the work we do at the nursery with interested parties.
Bronwyn
Posted: 21 October 2019
Jo’s art workshop was again booked up well in advance, such is the anticipation for her visit. After a short introduction by Chris, Jo got straight into the teaching – birds were the theme of this workshop and a combination of Jo’s detailed bird anatomy handouts, drawing demonstrations, projected images and Lloyds bird specimens gave people the confidence to do the speed drawing and detailed work that made up the first day of the workshop. The weather played its part being cold and rainy for the first day meant inside work was best! The second day involved much more outside work building on the knowledge learned in the Education Centre on day one. There were plenty of birds about but they often didn’t stay still long enough! – however, Donna the duck and the chickens were reliable subjects, a mother duck brought her ducklings along to the pond, while other people managed to draw kereru and tui on the kowhai flowers. Back at the Education Centre there were intense studies done of beaks and feet, nests and feathers. At the end everyone showed some of their work and talked about what they had learned and found most useful. Jo is an amazing teacher, giving everyone one to one tuition and encouragement. It is an absolute pleasure to host her and see the difference she makes, not to mention seeing her wonderful artwork, and we look forward to her next workshop.
Chris
Posted: 14 October 2019
A keen group braved the Southland spring weather to visit the Nursery and Education Centre on the evening of 10th October 2019. Chris met them at the bus park and walked and talked through the orchard, deciduous tree garden, daffodil patch, past the fruit cages, vegetable gardens and Nursery. We walked around the pond on the new track explaining the history of the QEII protected area, the significance of the kahikatea forest remnant, and talked about pond and restoration planting. Although the tracks were above the waterline, the restoration plantings were sitting in water after a very wet spring period. All plants are locally grown and planting the right plant in the right place is the key to success. A brief spell walking through the Nursery where plants are grown for a variety of community projects and individuals was followed by a warmer stay in the Education Centre where Chris explained the history of the building and its use – primarily for schools but also accommodating a wide range of workshops. Members explored the various murals, posters, photographs and resources used for educational purposes. It was great to be able to show a new group what we do at the Nursery and Education Centre.
Chris
Posted: 14 October 2019
A very enthusiastic bunch of grafters came to the Nursery on Saturday 5th October 2019. Robert Guyton gave a talk about apple grafting – the history, why we do it and not grow from seed, the Open Orchard project and much much more. Then it was hands-on with Robert and Dave Simpson demonstrating the grafting technique.
Each person then chose from a list http://www.sces.org.nz/store/doc/Scionwood-list-2015.pdf, the apple scions (the cutting from the tree they want to create (eg “Peasgood nonesuch”) – taken around July) and the rootstock (which has the growing characteristics required) and used sharp knives to cut and shape the two parts to join into one tree binding the scion to the rootstock with grafting tape. It didn’t take long for everyone to get into the swing of it and lots of new apple trees were made and taken away.
On the South Coast Environment Centre website there is good information about how to graft as well as pruning, caring for and choosing fruit trees. It was a great skill to learn http://www.sces.org.nz/education/fruit-tree-selection-and-care
Thanks Robert and Dave
Chris
Posted: 7 October 2019
