View from the Deck in December 2014

Late spring and lunch on the deck is just great. Gardens are colourful, birds are singing and the holiday seasons is almost upon us.

Looking back it has been a good year but it seems they get shorter each year! Time to think about next year and what we can do to make Christchurch a brighter place.

Trees are the backbone of our garden city and we need to keep planting them. Introduced and native trees are both important for our city scape ensuring colour, texture and form all year round. Also food and shelter for our native birds and wildlife.

Great design of our public and private open spaces and gardens. We should tell everyone we want bold design. There is too much the same around the city these days. All playing it safe.

Choice of plants, trees, shrubs, perennials etc. We have got into what is called bread and butter lines. Cheap and easy to produce in large volumes. Lets demand better quality plants and a more interesting variety of plants (both native and introduced).

Better horticultural management of plants and spaces. We seem to be going backwards in the way we look after and manage plants. Very short term  thinking and very little long term management for great specimens and displays  for the next 100 years.

Long live the horticulturist.