Central Districts and Taranaki Branch

August 2015 Event – Pine Nuts, Grapes, Cellaring, Flax milling and Indoor Tropics.

Date – Sunday August 9 th 2015

Time – 10.30am start

Where – Peter & Margaret
Donnelly Road [accessed off State Hwy 1 between Mobil and Blue Bell Motel]
Foxton

Bring – Your lunch, a coat and suitable footwear and any surplus plants/trees/seeds or
related horticultural produce for a ‘bring & buy’ to supplement branch funds.

Starting with a bare uninspiring sand hill, Peter & Margaret have established an impressive/productive property.  We get an insight into pine nut production – covering pruning, training, cone harvesting/processing and marketing plus successful viticulture practice, including wine cellaring etc.
We’ll also be treated to an interesting tutorial on creative weaving explaining numerous fibre options, techniques and treatments.

After lunch…

1pm – Foxton Flax Stripper Museum – $4.00 pp entry.
Harbour St – adjacent to the ‘Windmill’ – An organised group tour has been arranged.

2.30pm – Bill’s
Wylie Road
Foxton – We visit a purpose-built[and expansive] glasshouse complex incorporating an
indoor swimming pool/spa surrounded by an impressive tropical plant/tree collection –
including bananas, pineapples, dates, cycads, palm trees etc. Yes, this is Foxton folks!

June Event – Truffles & Passionfruit

Date -	10am start
Time -	Sunday June 14 th 2015
Where -	Heatherlea Oaks Truffiere Sorrensons Road – [off Heatherlea East Rd] Levin
Bring -	Your lunch, a coat and suitable footwear and any surplus plants/trees/seeds or related horticultural produce for a ‘bring & buy’ to supplement branch funds.

Arthur and Linda own an established block of inoculated oak and hazelnut trees yielding quality truffles supplying up-market restaurants in Auckland and Wellington – fetching a return of $3000.00 /kg.
Expect an informative insight into the delicacy along with a truffle–hunting demo using their purpose-bred dog.  Aside from the truffles, this spectacular property offers lakes, wetlands, native/exotic plantings, sweeping lawns and gardens.

After lunch …[around 1pm-ish]

Passion Valley Orchard
31B Koputaroa Road
Levin

Another inspiring property, built from scratch by Mike & Marilyn Forster starting with bare land.  Which now includes planted wetlands/lakes, an impressive self-constructed home and in the past 3 years a 600 vine passion-fruit growing complex – all under cover.  Producing quality fruit for export and local trade.

May 2015 Event – Kiwifruit grading/packing experience, a cob-house tour and an olive grove.

Date – Sunday May 17th 2015

Bring – Your lunch, a coat and suitable footwear

Time – NOTE – 11am 12pm start

Where – Changed*; will now start at:

12.00pm  Matatara Road Wanganui [off ‘the Old Parapara Road] – Clive’s cob-built house where we have lunch then a tour of this uniquely crafted building.

2.00pm  Kaiwhaiki Road Wanganui – Paul & Karen’s established award-winning olive grove and home orchard – for a tour, followed by an olive oil pressing demo and oil tasting session. [vehicle parking amongst the olive trees]

Visitors welcome at all events – unless stated otherwise

* Due to unforeseen circumstances we are unable to be hosted at Cooper 
Coolpac Kiwifruit packhouse on Sunday morning and as a consequence the 
field-day event will _*now*_ commence at *_12 mid-day_ at Matatara 
Road Whanganui* and proceed on as previously planned.

Perhaps this is a fitting opportunity to introduce the *Bring & Buy 
Plant Exchange* concept to our field-day events.....with _all_ returns 
going to branch funds. Members are asked to bring along any 
horticultural material - be it seeds, plants, trees or even related 
produce to Clive Aim's property this Sunday.[12 Noon] Not forgetting 
some spare cash as well.

My apologies for any inconvenience to members but sometimes even the 
best laid plans can go astray.

Thank you.

Kind regards.

Ian Harding

March – Field-day event & Annual General Meeting

Date -	Sunday 1st March 2015
Time -	10am start
Where -	Craig & Mary-Anne property State Highway 54 Waituna West For safety reasons, please park vehicles in the paddock provided – via the main driveway entrance, 1st gateway on left.  Roadside parking is NOT recommended.
Bring -	Your lunch, a coat and suitable footwear
This property boasts an established mixed orchard operated on a semi-commercial basis.  Hopefully some fruit still remains when we visit.  Last season the Stanley prunes were especially appetising and morish.  It is planned to conduct the AGM over lunch.
Afternoon
1.30pm-ish	Donna/Steve property Jens Road [off Beaconsfield Valley Road] Cheltenham.
This is an outstandingly landscaped hilltop rural garden...offering amazing views, clever planting combinations and lots of inspirational ideas.  A short native bush walking track is also incorporated. A $5.00 pp. entrance fee applies to this property – payable to the host.

 

February 2015 – Two day Taranaki field-day event

Date –     21-22nd February 2015
Time –     10am start at Magnolia Grove at Waitara – Saturday morning
Bring –    Food, clothing and linen requirements etc. – check details below.

There is overnight accommodation available for out-of-towners for which bookings are essential.  Bring your lunches and drinks, sunhats and walking shoes suitable for the tracks at Pukeiti.

Accommodation for Friday and Saturday night, $35pp per night:
45 Wallath Road, Westown (3-storied).
http://www.holidayhouses.co.nz/properties/53866.asp
Some members may like to drive to Taranaki on Friday to avoid the hurried drive on Saturday a.m.  Potluck evening meal for Saturday night.  Supply your own food; linen and towels provided.  To book, please contact Jane.  Bookings will be essential – could sleep 11 with a squeeze.

10am Saturday 21 February – MAGNOLIA GROVE, Vance and Kathryn, Mahoetahi Road, Waitara (just off seaward side of SH3 close to the SH3 and SH3A junction).

Vance is a very gifted magnolia breeder of 30yrs experience.  On this property he has a nursery of trees and shrubs plus citrus and grafted magnolias.  There is an arboretum of 1.5ac containing sustainable firewood of gums and coppiced magnolias.  Magnolia seedlings also are grown for the rootstock.  The property is run under IPM principles; he gardens as naturally as possible to avoid the ‘imposed’ impact on their natural surroundings.
The trees and shrubs are sold throughout NZ and some grafting wood is exported overseas.  Vance does most of his own research based from his years of experience.  The aim here is to develop the business as opportunities present.
Magnolia Grove is also open during the Taranaki Rhodo Festival – a superb garden to visit and it will be a privilege to have Vance personally take us round.

12.30pm – Raimond and Nicole’s Urban Garden, Carrington Street, New Plymouth.

They have a 2 acre section based on purchasing rear sections from neighbours so have a 2ac valley complete with a pond. We will have our LUNCH here.  The aim is to grow edible varieties not commonly found and share the produce with their family and friends.  The garden is run by permaculture practices. This urban household garden property boasts mature specimens of Rhododendrons, Maples, flowering cherries, Eucalypts, conifers, NZ natives, Camellia hedging/specimens, Magnolias, a good range of nut trees esp. large walnut trees and many edible fruits.  Mention has to be made of the orchids growing from the terraced slopes and a novel way of growing grapes.  Raimond is also researching what will grow in coastal North Taranaki.
If time permits and members choose to, we can visit the Fernery at Pukekura Park nearby.

9.30am Sunday 22 Feb: PUKEITI RHODODENDRON GARDEN with Ken Davey.

Ken is going to point out rare species grown within the park and we can inspect the plants that perform in the early autumn.  Ken has now retired from the Council horticultural division but the wealth of knowledge he possesses is immense so this is a great opportunity to tap into this.

12 noon: Eddie’s coastal garden and VIREYA nursery, South Road, Okato.

We will LUNCH on Eddie’s lawn then inspect the Vireya breeding project plus his woodland garden.  Eddie has been involved with Vireya breeding for 20 years, and just last week had yet another Vireya registered with the International Rhododendron Register at Kew (RHS).  ‘Perry Gold’ is the newly named plant and it may well be flowering at the time of our visit.
Eddie never had a particular plan for the property but it was set out as an apple orchard originally, then consequently destroyed by Cyclone Bola in 1988.  Eddie has done his own research and trials.  Plants will be available for sale.
 

January 2015 field-day event

Date -	Sunday 25th January
Time -	10am start
Where -	Rick & Angel property Ward Street [near the old hospital site] Raetihi.
Bring -	Your lunch, a coat and suitable footwear.

From the outset this 7 acre property was purchased with the aim of providing a self-sustaining lifestyle to support a family, which after much toil and dedication has been achieved.  Offering a bountiful array of veggie gardens and fruit trees with a focus on heritage varieties, all grown under an organic regime.  A selection of plum/prune varieties, collected by Rick from abandoned farm orchards are of particular interest.  We lunch at the property.

Afternoon

1.15pm –	Phillip & Dorothy property Valley Road Raetihi. [Raetihi/Horopito Rd] Here we get to view a mature home garden and an early established farm orchard containing plum, nut and apple trees etc.
2.30pm -	Fran & Ron property Lakes Road Ohakune. [off the Raetihi/Ohakune Rd] A nicely landscaped, large country garden with an interesting selection of established specimen trees. Fran’s horticultural knowledge and enthusiasm is very evident on this property.

An accommodation option has been organised for the Saturday evening prior to the event at the NZ Police Ski-Club Lodge, 35 Queen Street Raetihi. Comfortable bunkroom accommodation at $20/night/person.  A winter-weight duvet and pillow supplied, BYO sheets, pillow case or sleeping bag.  Evening meal and breakfast requirements are BYO.  Contact Jane if you intend to stay over.