Annual General Meeting Time again.
Tuesday 11th of November 2008 at 11am at the nursery; 89 Thornton Road Cambridge.
What a winter we have had, with rain, and wet Tuesdays, we thought we would never achieve all we had planned for this year in the way of planting, but it is amazing what a little fine weather can do.
We did get the planting season under way in May and early June before the weather broke, but when it did it just never seemed to stop and always on a Tuesday when our planting group had all these plans.
Even the Cambridge High School dates all had to change and for a while we thought that was not going to happen but when we finally got going we had 10 classes in 2 and a half weeks and only the last day was interrupted by showers. In total we have planted 5,252 plants in the town.
This year was the Year of the Flax.
We planted many of these on the abutment to the High Level Bridge. Here we planted different colours in large groups, to make bright statements We used flax for its ability to stabilize the bank with its strong root system.
Due to the openness of the Watkins Road Swale, we have had to re-think some of our planting ideas and establish a strong outer perimeter before planting some of the more frost and wind prone major species of natives, and with constant monitoring and replanting we will establish a native area with as many of our best varieties of trees and shrubs.
When planting here we only had to dig one spade depth and we came to a hard clay pan that took some hard work to break up. With the mulch from last year now breaking up, the soil will be richer and hold more moisture in the summer. The worm population was very good which also helps break down the clay.
One of the Oaklands' fence line groups of trees was under water for some time so it will have to wait for some alterations in the summer before we attempt to replant it. We hope to raise it up with some extra topsoil.
Behind the Kauri Grove
The Corrections teams have done a lot of work with us to build terraces on the hill after clearing all the rubbish from the removal of the gum trees. We had a big burn up to get rid of it all.
It is here that we have spent a lot of time with the students and corrections teams planting and mulching with carpet and leaves. We went as near to the gum trees that are still growing as we can go without being in danger of being flattened next time, when Council remove the rest of the trees.
We put flax along the bank below the track, but did not expect so much rain and the river rose and covered a lot of them but as they are very hardy plants, the ones that did not get washed away when Karapiro Dam opened the flood gates will surely survive now.
We continued with some planting on the Steelway and below Lumb Park, below the weed mat on Pope Terrace, and on the Bath Street Track. In Payne Park we added about 20 trees that will get wooden protector built around them in the summer time.
At a place we call River View, which is midway between Cook Street and the Kauri Grove, planting was started. This will be one on next year's main areas to work on.
Cook Street reserve had a few more trees added and the window below the seat had yellow flax that will not grow too tall to block the view of the river.
We put in a few more Camellias in the Camellia Gardens, and all were given some fertilizer.
Plus a few more trees and shrubs were planted in odd places like Kingsley Street and Duke Street Hill and other secret hidey holes about the town..
The Tuis have been around in abundance this Spring and we are all constantly remarking on the antics of them and the number of them.
The friends of Maungakawa have been working on clearing up around the old gardens and bush on Sanatorium Hill, and we have taken the corrections teams up there twice, to work on tidying up the reserve.
The Tuesday team is still as strong as ever, a real good group of work mates.
