Magnificent magenta magnolias

Beautiful against a blue sky, the deep magenta magnolia buds emerge, along with the fresh new leaves...

 

Such intricate, varied, surprising shapes and colours - fuzzy and smooth, ridged and dimpled, fragile and robust,  in purple and green, bronze, silver and gold...

Three generations enjoying a winter walk

Three generations of the Dawson family enjoying a winter walk - and one getting a ride...

(and they hastened to mention that the flowers weren't picked, just picked up!)

Daffodils and Scouts

There are swathes of jonquils in Roland's Wood now, and a couple of weekends ago the first early buds of daffodils were opening up...

 and now they are well in flower, catching the sunshine in pure gold

this one complete with small jumping spider...

This year, hundreds more daffodil bulbs were donated by Daffodil World (ph 09 407 1508) and planted by many helpers including the willing Kerikeri Scouts who have lent a hand with planting for the past three years.

SPCA Bay of Islands Dog Squad needs you!

Do you love dogs?  Can you spare a couple of hours a week?

The Dog Squad at the SPCA Bay of Islands Lemon Grove Dog Shelter, Kerikeri,

needs help to exercise their beautiful dogs.

If you can help, you would make a big difference to the dogs' lives and well-being.  

To find out more, please contact  Juanita 021 407 236 or Sandy 021 1828199
or email purple-patch@hotmail.com

What has 12 legs, 7 wheels and a trunk?

And here's the answer to the riddle -
I was just leaving Roland's Wood this afternoon and came across the Gundry family and their friend India taking their elephant for a ride in Roland's Wood...


It was the end of the day and the camera flash made the bike reflectors look like pieces of sunlight caught in the spokes...

Fungi in Roland's Wood

While we celebrate the autumn foliage, admire the swathes of renga renga lilies and eagerly await the arrival of the bluebells, the observant visitors to Roland's Wood will notice some smaller but equally dramatic species growing - the fungi...

 

Here Georgie and Ollie admire, looking not touching, an Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita, a poisonous fungus of the genus Amanita.

Wikipedia describes it as "The quintessential toadstool, it is a large, white-gilled, white-spotted, usually red mushroom, one of the most recognisable and widely encountered in popular culture."  It describes how it has been unintentionally introduced to many countries in the southern hemisphere, generally as a symbiont with pine plantations, and is now a true cosmopolitan species, associated with various deciduous and coniferous trees.

Here are some photos by Keri Molloy of other beautiful fungi in the Woods - these have somewhat more subtle colours, but are still full of the mystery, magic and other-worldliness of their kingdom. 

 

  

 

Celebrating autumn at Roland’s Wood

This was a piece that I wrote to go into the Bay Chronicle but it hasn't made it in there this month, so thought I'd put it up here... 

It was a long hot summer, wonderful for playing and enjoying the outdoors, not so wonderful for the farmers and people on water tanks, and though the sunny days seem to be holding on up here in the North, you only need to see the deciduous trees turning all shades of gold and red to know that we are well on our way to autumn.  

Roland’s Wood is a good place to visit to celebrate the changing season, with maples, beech, claret ash, gingko and tupelo trees all putting on a splendid display.  If you haven’t been for a while, there are new tracks to explore taking you on different routes through the Woods, and all the clearing and mulching has really tidied the place up, making it lighter and more open – new vistas and even new trees to meet.

Plenty of people and their dogs have been enjoying the Woods over the school holidays – lots of children visiting and clambering over logs, discovering fungi, tightrope walking along the edge of the ponds, and running up and down hills via this path or that…

Georgie and Ollie clambering over logs at Roland's Wood

Please feel free to contact me  jeannie.skinner@dia.govt.nz if you'd like to contribute your own writing or photos to this Roland's Wood blog – it would be great to have input from others to help tell the story of the Woods and the pleasure it brings people.

Magnolias and camellias flowering now

The magnolias and the camellias which Roland loved are flowering now, and they are quite a significant collection by Northland standards - our good rainfall helps them put on a show of wonderful blooms...

It is exciting to see is the young camellias flowering now which were seedlings John Horrell transplanted just three years ago from original plantings by Roland.  They are on the steep slope running down towards the swamp - it's not marvelous soil but they are coping admirably and doing well.

Their names are long forgotten but it is nice to know these plants were chosen by Roland himself, and thanks to John, their seedlings are flourishing and enriching the Wood, next generations of plants for next generations of people!

White rhododendron catching the last of the day's sunlight...

Walking through Roland's Wood at the end of the most beautiful, clear, still, warm, sunny day today, I noticed a little grove of white rhododendrons - about 4 or so planted together up in the top corner near the road - catching the last of the sunlight and almost glowing against the dark background...

Jonquils

 Looking forward to when this glade is a sea of bluebells in September...

and lovely to see the promise of jonquils showing their leaves already in May... 

Autumn colour

The seasons are so pronounced in a deciduous wood like Roland's Wood, and though it seems like summer is not going to end, if you take a walk through the woods and see the trees turning all shades of red and gold you know we are well into autumn...

Beech and maple, claret ash and tupeloe, liquid amber and ginko... just glorious.

 Photos by Keri Molloy.  Click on photos to enlarge.

I came across this passage in the book The Sin Eater by Gary Schmidt, about the sensory rediscovery  each autumn brings...

"You can’t tell someone what fall leaves look like in New Hampshire. In fact, you can’t even really remember what they look like from one year to the next. Every fall they throw a surprise party, and suddenly you remember what you’ve forgotten. And it’s not just the colours. It’s the cooler breezes that draw across the leaves, making them shiver. It’s the cold dew that beads on them and wets the arm of your jacket. It’s the dusty smell when they are dry in the afternoon. And it’s the thick smoke that coils up from them when they burn just before suppertime."

Following new pathways

New paths have been created in Roland’s Wood, providing opportunities for people – and their dogs – to explore new routes, come across vistas not previously seen, meet some of the oldest trees in the Wood previously inaccessible, and, of course, for canine visitors, investigate a wealth of exciting new smells...

The new paths have been carefully planned to help alleviate the damage caused by sudden downpours of rain which have been causing erosion.  Using tracks to shape the landscape enables the water to be diverted and spread over a much wider area instead of gushing down in torrents into the gullies.

Ultimately, all the paths will be mulched as mulch, time and labour are available, and this will pack down and make good, soft, all-weather walking tracks.  The downward sloping sides have been mulched already to avoid erosion, and the new plantings of renga renga lilies and clivias are also part of this water management plan.

John says, “From the gate, head up to the first picnic table and from there down the hill – this track links around without going right down to the swamp area which can be slippery after rain, and also it “takes the grunt” out of walking up from the ponds to the gate – you might walk a little bit further but it is on a more level track !”

The tracks are designed to maximise people's enjoyment of the Woods, with not only the seasonal differences adding variety but also the different plantings so that each route has its own character.

Now perhaps we need an artist who will create a map of Roland’s Wood – any takers ? How about this map of the The Lost Gardens of Heligan as inspiration ?

Moving mountains of mulch

Back in late February (sorry, this post is rather delayed for one reason or another) Roland's Wood benefited hugely from the organisational skills of John Horrell and the generosity of a number of kind donors to provide and spread mulch for the plants in various parts of the Wood.  It was a godsend in the hot dry summer weather, especially for the young trees and understory plantings of clivia and renga renga lilies...

The mulch came from Mt Pokaka and Bay Lumber Waipapa as well as a number of other kind donors.  It was delivered for free by Dan Carter bulk carriers - big heaps of it were piled up in mounds up at the top back corner of the Woods. Mark Klinac donated the use of a digger and bobcat for a day to spread the mulch in strategic locations around the Wood, leaving it in smaller piles where it was then spread by the bucketload by volunteers.

John surveying the piles of bamboo mulch...

Here are the guys unloading the digger and the bobcat, and then a bit of discussion about what goes where, where to start...

 

I nipped out to Roland's Wood from work mid morning to take these photos on the day it was all happening, and then went back that evening after supper with friends visiting from England - it was almost dark - we saw an owl swooping from tree to tree as we walked along which was wonderful - but it was easy to see even in the half light the difference that had been made already that day - new paths, mulch spread around, and the mountains of mulch much diminished.

Many thanks from John and the Roland's Wood team for all the community support - your contributions are greatly appreciated.

Naked ladies in Roland's Wood

Now there's a headline to conjure with...  Amaryllis belladonna must have one of the most beautiful official plant names, along with its cheeky common name of naked ladies...

The name Amaryllis belladonna was created by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 - Amaryllis taken from a shepherdess in Virgil's pastoral Eclogues, from the Greek word amarysso, meaning "to sparkle". There has been some controversy in the plant world about their classification, depending on whether Linnaeus's was a South American or a South African plant, and you can read all about it in Wikipedia.

Anyway, they are flowering in profusion at the moment in Roland's Wood - along the top ridge, under trees and out in the grassy areas, pink and white drifts in the sunshine.

 

  

Like the bluebells, these bulbs will continue to multiply and spread, along with the additional ones which have been planted, so come back in ten years time and it will be a sea of pink and white naked ladies - of the flowering variety!

Beech trees humming with bees

If you take a wander past the beech trees in Roland's Wood on these summery days you'll hear the busy hum of thousands of bees.

It needs a better photographer than I am to capture the buzz of activity, but you can just see one in this picture, and trust me when I say that there were dozens more all zooming all around...


 
They are collecting honeydew, a sugary, sticky liquid which is exuded by woolly aphids - you can see their white fluffy bodies on the undersides of the leaves and along stems, and the sticky coating of their honeydew making the leaves all shiny. In this picture you can even see a droplet of it funneled down a leaf to the branch, ready to splash down and varnish the leaves below, making them irresistible to the bees.

The honeydew can become covered with black sooty mould which may look bad but once it gets colder and the aphids go, the mould dries up and falls off the plant.






Isn't it great to think of Roland's Wood providing such bounty for bees which are having a harder time of it these days...

Reading the daily doggy newspaper

When visiting Roland's Wood I met Michelle who was there with her dog Toby - they feature on the Walkies page - and I was taken with Michelle's comment "Oh, yes, I bring Toby here all the time, he loves to come and read the daily doggy newspaper!", which is exactly what dogs do, checking things out and catching up with all the various canine comings and goings...

Thanks, Starsha, for your great photos of  Summer, Ally and Snowy enjoying the woods - I've added them to the Walkies page - and here is Summer in a regal pose, sitting on the bench donated by Nancy Pickmere, a long time friend and supporter of Roland's.  The plaque beneath reads : 

Roland loved dogs and in giving this park
to the people of Kerikeri
he wished a safe place for dogs and people.
Donated by Nancy Pickmere 2010

Faith's photos

After the piece in the Bay Chronicle on 10th January about Roland's Wood a couple of people contacted me with photos which was GREAT - here are some beauties from Faith Donovan - one of the many people who have been enraptured by the bluebells and the apple blossom in springtime...
 

 

  

Thanks, Faith, for sharing these.

University of Oxford Harcourt Arboretum blog

When exploring some "tree sites" online, I came across this newly established blog for the University of Oxford Harcourt Arboretum which has the tagline Enhancing the discovery, understanding and appreciation of nature since 1621

Though Roland's Wood is a woodland rather than an arboretum, it felt like a link across to the other side of the world as our blog was just newly set up too - you've heard of sister cities, well, this felt like a sister blog, especially with the post mentioning hard working teams busily mulching !

I've put a comment on one of their posts, and invited interested visitors to make a virtual visit to Roland's Wood and will keep an eye on the traffic to see if we get connections happening through the ether!

Magnolias and Oswald Blumhardt

Though early spring is the time to see magnolias in flower, in my own garden and at Roland's Wood, some magnolias have surprisingly put on a second flush of flowers.

The magnolias at Roland's Wood are some of the earliest cultivars developed by Ozzie Blumhardt, a  renowned Northland plant breeder, specialising in magnolias and camellias.  Roland visited his nursery at Pakaraka and purchased newly developed cultivars for the Wood, including the now world famous Magnolia Star Wars - Roland was one of Ozzie's earliest clients.

See more information about Ozzie Blumhardt in this well-reviewed book :

Oswald Blumhardt  New Zealand Plant Pioneer
by Catherine Ballard, published by David Ling, distributed by David Bateman
NZ$40.00

Here is a full and useful review by Murray Dawson from the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture New Zealand Garden Journal, 10(1), 2007, Page 26


and click here for a link on Flickr of some intricate close up images of  a Star Wars magnolia flower by Kam Hong Leung as part of a photo competition at Kew Gardens.

December rain and ligularia

The rain over Christmas in Kerikeri might not have been seen as ideal for some people's plans, but it has been brilliant for Roland's Wood, with the the warm, soft, damp weather encouraging fantastic growth - down by the ponds the arum lilies, taro and the "tractor seat" ligularia are flourishing, and it has been a great start to summer for all the young trees planted at the end of winter and the recently planted renga renga lilies.

Here is a link to the Dunedin City Council's webpage about the wonderfully named "tractor seat ligularia", which starts: 

"It is most satisfying when a plant’s common name describes it perfectly. The tractor seat ligularia’s enormous leaves are perfectly reminiscent of an old fashioned tractor seat, amply proportioned and curved for the comfort of your average NZ farmer’s posterior."

 

 


Ligularia at Roland's Wood by Keri Molloy. For more photos, see Keri's website

Of course, warm wet weather is great for growing weeds too, and John H says if anyone would be willing to help pull out a few of the small weeds around the young renga renga lilies that would be GREATLY appreciated - phone John to discuss on 09 407 8329 - he said, "If even just one or two people were willing to come lend a hand that would be great".

Astilbes in flower

Mid-December and the new young astilbes down in the rocky swamp area are in flower - beautiful feathery plumes of pink and cream.  These were only planted in late October, but are doing well - they like wet feet and the conditions will suit them.  John H. says that though it looks a bit messy around them at the moment, they will expand to fill the space and become quite large, bountiful plants, pushing out some the weeds "which is something we dream about happening!"

 

On one gardening website they are described as "lacey ladies with iron constitutions" and people are advised not to assume these delicate and ferny plants are fussy or tender... they are tough, good do-ers, not prone to pests or diseases, and can cope with water logged and shady conditions, even clay soil.

Two Johns with a Will to work...

Visiting Roland's Wood today I came across a hardworking team of John Graham, John Wilson and Will Gooch, collecting bucket loads / trailer loads of mulch from under trees where there had been some pruning and chipping done, and taking it down the hill to the other team of John Horrell, Vicky and Bianca who were spreading it around new plantings to set them up for dry days over summer.

 

An interesting understory

The trees create Roland's Wood, of course, but another wonderful element is the "interesting understory" of planting -  the well-known bluebells spreading prolifically, but also great swathes now of orange clivias, snowy renga renga lilies, hellebores, dietes with their white intricate flowers hovering like butterflies over the spiky foliage, and more being planted all the time...

In November, John with Bruce and Judith Birling planted well over 1,000 more renga renga lilies.  Judith raised the plants herself and donated them to Roland's Wood.  This photo shows plants which are not quite 9 months old - they had a few flowers this year already, and plants which were just a year old in November made a great show.

As well as being beautiful under the canopy of the trees, they are effective in keeping down weeds, controlling soil moisture and en masse, will prevent soil run-off in heavy rain.

John says, "What we are trying to achieve is a three story environment, with ground covers, then shrubs and small trees, under a smaller number of large woodland trees.  This gives plant diversity, dappled light, year-round interest, and variety of habitats for birds and wildlife."

Tree trimming a training opportunity

An intrepid team from Telford Rural Polytechnic Arboriculture Certificate course came to Roland's Wood during May and again in November for some practical experience in silviculture - tree management.

HortTraining, part of Telford Polytech, runs this short course on every facet of arboriculture.  They find Roland's Wood especially helpful as they provide opportunities for the students to experience a wide range of trees and their different requirements.
They especially like the rope climbing! Their peals of laughter resonate around the Woods as they grapple with getting off the ground and into the branches.

  

 

Photos by Joe Cooper.  Click to enlarge.