header gardeners

Halfway House March 2019

December 2019

Punga edging

The early settlers made good use of punga ferns to build their bush huts. Once settled in, with a garden underway, the settlers could use punga to build summer houses or fernery's. Punga was also used for garden edgings as demonstrated here, at the Halfway House. These punga were gifted from an old Victorian garden that was being cleared for in fill housing.

November 2019

Flower bank late spring

Flower bank late spring

The flower bank in late spring. A cascade of wallflower, roses, campion and lychnis coronaria

October 2019

Walk and Talk One

Walk and Talk Two

Walk and Talk Three

Clare G, Carolyn, Lorna and Paul led three Heritage Garden Walks and Talks throughout the month of October for Heritage Month. Patricia managed the sales table and Claire B provided visitors with morning tea. Bottom photo courtesy Gerad Taylor, Wellington Region Heritage Promotion Council.

September 2019

Peter Dunne presenting Claire with North Wellington Voluntary Services Award

Claire Bibby received the North Wellington Voluntary Service award for her leadership of the Heritage Gardeners and development of historic farm garden. Pictured: Claire receiving the Award from Peter Dunne, Chair of the North Wellington Voluntary Service Awards Committee, on 14th September.

August 2019

The Heritage Gardeners travelled to Auckland on 24 August 2019 and visited the historic gardens of Hawthorne Dene, Howick Historic Village and Highwic.  Pictured: The gardeners at Highwic.

New hedge

Funds raised in 2018 enabled the gardeners to purchase more pittisporum to complete the hedge edging.

Twigland Gardeners World fruit tree pruning demonstration

Twigland Gardeners World hosted a fruit tree pruning demonstration in the grounds of the Halfway House on 3 August 2019.

Some of those present had gifted an orchard tree and watched their tree being tended to.

Pictured: Todd the tree expert, talking folk through the finer details of fruit tree finesse. 

July 2019

Finding a home for the Montmorency cherry

Jean and Adrian Liner planting Montmorency cherry tree

Jean and her son Adrian Liner gifted and planted a Montmorency cherry on July 5th, in memory of British born Philip Liner (1925-2019) who lived at Tawa and Johnsonville.

Philip was well known as the Radio NZ National broadcaster, compere, short film narrator and host of the ‘Roundabout’ radio show from 1975 to 1990.

 Adrian, who lives in United Kingdom, also sponsored an oak tree in Haydon Way Wood, The Heart of England Forest, just south of Studley, Warwickshire, lending reality to the old colonial saying "He had a foot planted each side of the world."  Photos: Dennis Hamblin.

June 2019

Twigland Gardeners World rose pruning demonstration

Twigland Gardeners World hosted a highly successful rose pruning demonstration in the grounds of the Halfway House on 29 June 2019. Pictured: Andre Stanton with some of the rosarians.

May 2019

Carolyn with her prizewinning heritage flowers

Carolyn used heritage flowers from the Halfway House in her winning floral entry for the Johnsonville Gardening Club monthly trophy - sand saucer competition.

Denise Clements, Park Ranger

Denise Clements,  Wellington City Council Park Ranger, plants a commemorative totara at the Halfway House. Denise is the liaison between the Heritage Gardeners and City Council.

Harvesting kumara

Harvesting kumara

Traditional Maori kumara

Paul and Heather harvesting Taputini kumara at the Halfway House, Glenside. This is a rare variety that is thought to be in New Zealand before the days of colonial settlement. Photo's: Paul and Heather Bicknell.

March 2019

 Challenge 2000 Working Bee

Happy days - working bee at the Halfway House, with our home grown heritage tomatoes and radishes. From left: Claire, Manisha, Tina, Kathy and Michelle.

 February 2019

 Helen Ritchie with harvest of damson plums from Halfway House orchard

Helene Ritchie, former City Councillor for Northern Ward, admiring the damson plums harvested from the tree she gifted to the orchard.

January 2019

Heritage gardeners in January 2019

Photo: Glenise Dreaver, Independant Herald newspaper

The year 2019 began with a feature article about the Heritage Gardeners in the local newspaper, the Independant Herald. Pictured from left: Paul Bicknell, Carolyn Lutter, Clare Gleeson and Claire Bibby.