Sunday, Dec. 30, 2007

Two days ago, Friday Dec. 28 we went to Eastwoodhill. Maurice told us we were not allowed to work. So we went walking through the arboretum. We had a lovely walk up to the hill. We found Pinus montezumae and a large group of other Pinus. Pictures, collected needles and cones.

Later in the afternoon it rained.
We did some library-work.

 

Saturday we first went to Gisborne.
We looked for chipper shredders. At Mitre 10 they sell electric shredders of NZ$300-400. Good quality petrol machines for instance at CGM voor NZ$1500-1800. Takes 2.5″ = 65 mm. branches.

I bought a new external Harddisk 80 Gb.

 

Saturday in the afternoon there was a bit of rain at Tiniroto. We checked the dump place for the protections, and we made a nice trip on the Mule along the Ravin.

Later in the afternoon we made a walk to the Eucalyptus trees in front of Kevin’s Bush. We found the Isoplexis sceptrum flowering.

 

This morning we took the trailer behind the Mule and went to the places where we left some protections, most of them on the Ridge. We even took some pieces of wood and brought it to the corner of Kevin´s bush. All the rubbish we took home to Isobels place. There was already a heap of rubbish gathered in the last month.

We tried to make photo’s of Isoplexis sceptrum.

At lunch time we had a very pleasant meeting with Uncle Bob and Lady Ann at the homestead. Uncle Bob showed the other Isoplexis sceptrum in the homestead garden. How could we ever overlook that? And the shrub beside the compost is indeed Chimonanthus praecox. He told us where we can find different species of Eucalyptus, etc.

 

At about 2pm we went across the Lake to the Rhodo-project. Wilma cut willows and I raked the stuff we mowed Thursday.

Later in the afternoon we brought the rubbish on the trailer behind the Mule to the dump place.

We tried again to make some nice pictures of Isoplexis sceptrum.

Burning the Garden Rubbish Tip

Yesterday Steven lighted the Garden Rubbish Tip. It was his own idea. No one asked him for that. No one wanted it. But it happened. Just after Rory, Sheryl, Diane, Amy and Steven finished the garden pond. We took it for granted and after the first operations to rescue the sides of the tip I started cleaning up the whole tip. Get everything from the sides to the (slowly burning) middle. We got help from a few showers. Not so good for the fresh concrete in the pond, but good for controlled burning of the tip. 3 hours + 1 of Wilma.

Late in the evening we got a third shower. Again a rather heavy one. But the fire was still burning this morning, so we cleaned it further. Especially in the afternoon.

But first our morning:

Wilma and I both mowing and raking in the Rhodo-project and the little piece of land in front of it.

Wilma with the light Husqvarna. She did the stretches that we had already done before: 50 m2 in the front and 75 m2 in the Rhodo-project.

I worked with the heavy Shindaiwo. Cleaned some 20 m2 in the Rhodo-project and some 20m2 of blackberry in the front. We raked not (yet) everything we mowed, but we got help from Diane and Pet, her mum.

In the meantime we discussed some future plans. We especially agreed on continuing the working relation for next year. Exact arrangements still have to be made, but I will be back at Hackfalls Arboretum from October 2008 to March 2009, and Wilma will accompany me again for a couple of months. Diane is alright if we try to get new volunteers on the project. The shearer’s quarter is available (when there is no shearing, of course). Same for Isobel’s cottage. Perhaps some members of the family will want to use it for a short time.

2 x 4 hours.

In the afternoon Wilma cut down the grape behind the homestead garden. Freed the Feijoa. The grape weeped. After about an hour I put a cup under the dripping stem. It was completely filled up a few hours later and then it was still dripping. The rubbish tip was still burning and I went on cleaning it up. Diane had added some garden rubbish to it. I carried 10 + 5 wheelbarrows of good compost out of the Garden Rubbish Tip into the compost bins. 10 in the third bin and 5 in the first. At almost nine o’clock in the evening in the middle of the tip there was still a niece fire going on. You could now walk all around the fire, but inside the tip, with the wheelbarrow.

2 x 3 hours.

Monday 2007-12-17 and Tue Dec 18

Monday 2007-12-17 and Tue Dec 18
(crossed order)

2007-12-18 Tuesday:
Sunny day again, but it soon gets cloudy. Later even some drops of rain.
The kingfisher calls all morning.
Wilma’s eye seems to be allright again, today. Happily.
She goes working in the homestead garden again with Diane.
Cut a Rhododendron ‘Crest’ (old label) 4 branches out, the two best left behind
Cut the rest climber weed (with large blue flowers) Ipomoea indica out of the Taxus baccata
Together with Diane she did the cutting of the hedge. In the corner they made a large part free from roses, so that the Magnolia … over there can grow again. Diane cut two ponga’s out.

Dick is doing his application for a new visitor’s permit. 16 pages form and a couple of appendices and NZ$130 later it’s done. Apart from the photo and sending it all via secure mail to Palmerston North.

Later in the morning db goes scrubcutting in Kevin’s Bush again. He also does in the afternoon for an hour or so.
Total scrubcutting these two days: about 150 m2
After that he did the second spraying to get rid of the jasmine:
1 “backpack”- tank (contents: …. ltr of: ….. (check with Diane) in …. concentration)
a total of about 150 m2
(the first time used 1 tank for about 100 m2).
Kingfisher calling all the time, like the Tui.

2007-12-17 Monday:
Sunny.

morning:
Wilma works in the homestead garden. Removing climbers and parts of Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’ 1950 146 #3714 (no label I believe).
db repairs the compost and helps sawing the T. baccata ‘Fastigiata’.
Afterwards db goes cleaning the Jasminum spec. in Kevin’s Bush.

afternoon:
wv has big problems with her right eye.

db continues clearing in Kevin’s Bush. wv helps.
db starts sawing dead Poplar along entrance road.

Weekly Report:

(crossed order)

2007-12-16 Sunday:
Sunny.
Took cuttings of Muehlenbeckia astonii
Wilma drove around through Arboretum on Mule with Diane’s mother.
Wilma measured large Eucalyptus macarthuri (small ?)
Afternoon: small trip via Ruakaka Road to Hangaroa River -> Doneraille Park. Back home via Tiniroto Road.

2007-12-15 Saturday:
A sunny day with strong easterly wind.
morning: electric power is off.
Chainsaw 2 Muehlenbeckia astonii in Diane’s Garden.

wv gets again a number of trees out of their protection:
(same place as friday)

Nyssa aquatica 1982 011 # … check: the one in G7 of in H7?
removed protection
good growing tree, no flowering.
Acer grandidentatum 1985 003 # … check: in F7 or G7?
removed protection
healthy tree.
Populus ??? tremuloides at first sight.
no label. About 1 m. omtrek. Much root suckers.
About 15 m. beside it is a labeled Populus tremuloides 1977 017.

Malus transitoria 1995 027 #1716 (G7)
Nice healthy large apple tree. Fruits < 1 cm.

Castanopsis eyrei 1997 021 # 660. (G6)Catalogue says ?
removed protection.
“Nice charming little tree” (wv).

We get up to the ridge now, where db is mowing:
Aphananthe aspera 1982 004 # 356 (G5)
Removed protection.
Beautiful large tree.

Leaves of Aphananthe aspera

Aphanante aspera

Acer davidii 1992 225 # 85 (G4)
Removed protection. Nearly fastigiate!

Tilia mandshurica 1980 043 # 3735 (G4)
Flowering, scenting! Photo

More flowers

db does mowing at the end of the Ridge, near the gate to next paddock.

afternoon:
Wilma meets Ann, the garden lady.
Planting of Totara seedling on hilltop accross Lake Kaikiora.
Cutting thistles along entrance road near middle cattle grid.

2007-12-14 Friday:
Cloudy all day. Very low clouds. Not real mist, but drizzly.

Wilma starts at a new location:
close to the corner of 3 paddocks (Chook, Reserve and Ridge) down the Ridge
manuscript!

db mowes rushes at the end of the Ridge.

2007-12-13 Thursday:
nice sunny day. later some clouds.
Hackfalls:
Wilma cuts down rose at new entrance. Finds 2 Tutara seedlings.

db mowing on The Ridge near the first sideway down and down along the first sideway.
Here (G7 / H7):
Eucalyptus alpina 1986 014 # 1029 in G7
old label on the ground! (attached on stem 2007-12-16). Rough bark with old fruits (?)
afternoon: chainsawed large overhanging branch. using ladder.

Little branche, leaves, Bark
Bark of the higher stem
´Exostose´on bark

Magnolia ‘Milky Way’ 1994 162 #1634 in H7 (new label)
removed protection.

Elaeocarpus cyaneus 1996 028 #995 in H7 (new label)
liberated from steel harness and stakes. Nearly flowering!

Quercus marilandica 1976 013 #2707 in H7 (new label)
removed dead branches.

Quercus semecarpifolia 1988 058 #2828 in H7 (new label)
removed plastic protection.

found protection with label Taxodium m…

Daphniphyllum macropodum 1987 018 #964 in H7 (old label)
removed metal protection and metal posts.

Quercus aliena 1968 041 #2426 in H7 (new label)
ask Paul K. to prune ???

further up:
Acer oliverianum ssp. formosanum 1997 050 #121 (? label)
label says A. serrulatum
database says: in G4 check!
removed some badly broken branches

etc. from manuscript

2007-12-12 Wednesday:
Waipatiki -> Tutira:
….
Boundary Stream Mainland Island Reserve:
NZ falcon! check

Wairoa: pies at Osler’s. Shopping.
Tiniroto arrival 5pm.

2007-12-11 Tuesday: Waipatiki
morning walk along the beach / cliffs -> South
Walk to Redwood Reserve – uphill; to Waipatiki Road.
Back via Waipatiki Road: view at Waipatiki Scenic Reserve
Walk through Waipatiki Domain.
(see: Wiki-en by db)

ca. 6pm: walk along the beach / cliffs -> North

2007-12-10 Monday: Napier
among other things: visit to Napier Botanic Gardens

Weekly Report: Monday 2007-12-03 to Sunday 2007-12-09 (incl.)

Weekly Report:
Monday 2007-12-03 to Sunday 2007-12-09 (incl.)
(crossed order)

2007-12-09 Sunday: Gisborne -> Morere Springs -> Tutira -> Napier
Rainy / foggy.
Visit Morere Springs Hot Pools
Short walk through Morere Springs Reserve – wonderful nikau palms. Photo’s wv.
Visit H. G.-S. Arboretum, Tutira; we met the curator Chris Ryan (?). He invited us to have a look around. For instance in the nursery. Big planting! Geographical organized. Trees of the same species planted in blocks. Photo’s wv.
Stay overnight at Albatross Motel on Westshore, overlooking estuary

2007-12-08 Saturday: Gisborne: Farmers Market, Shopping, Ballet, Dinner with Margriet
stay overnight at the Showgrounds

2007-12-07 Friday: EWH (worked only 1 hr) -> Gisborne: Shopping (Op-shop), Dinner at USSCO with EWH-staff
stay overnight at the Showgrounds; heavy rain at night

2007-12-06 Thursday: Hackfalls -> EWH: microscope work on Pinus devoniana, Pinus
heavy rain at night
see: Wikipedia entry on Pinus devoniana I recently made (with pictures from Hackfalls!)

2007-12-05 Wednesday: Hackfalls
db is still ill
morning: cutting Alnus etc. other side of the lake
afternoon: cleaning Aunt Isobel’s garden

2007-12-04 Tuesday: Hackfalls
db is ill

morning: Ridge halfway (on the boundary of G7 and G6):
Sorbus alnifolia 1983 020 # 3604 in very bad condition. Catalogue says 9m! Put in new protection. (= G7)
Just beside it a beautiful large specimen of S. alnifolia: 1985 095 #3603. Catalogue has questionmark: may be S. japonica! catalogue says height 3m.(=G6)
Catalogue says there is a third specimen of S. alnifolia
Sorbus meliosmifolia 1977 031 # 3649 – removed metal posts.
Carpinus turczaninowii 1994 228 # 631 – removed protection and metal posts.
Lithocarpus corneus (?) 1992 230 #1546
removed chaotic protection
protected again with metal post. height about 1.40 m.
(old?) label says 1993 230
Embrothium coccineum 1999 066 #1004
removed protection and metal posts.
Pinus rzedowskii 1991 014 #1997

There is a lot of work to be done here!

afternoon: cleaning thistles and rushes along the entrance road

2007-12-03 Monday: Hackfalls
Wilma is ill.
morning: mowing at the other side of the lake, Wilma clears Acer.

Dec. 2007 – First week with Wilma

Monday Nov. 26 to Sunday Dec. 2 (incl.)
(order crossed)

2007-12-02 Hackfalls
In the morning we did a little tour through the arboretum and made some photo’s of a Mexican oak:

Quercus rugosa

Bark, male flowers, small new acorns, young leaves

On our way back home we saw a beautifull flowering Aesculus californica at the backside of the cattleyard.

Flower Leaves

afternoon: view of the arboretum from the airstrip
fish and chips from Tiniroto tavern

2007-12-01 Saturday: Hackfalls

2007-11-30 Friday

2007-11-29 Thursday

2007-11-28 Wednesday

2007-11-27 Tuesday

Monday Nov. 26: Wilma arrives at Gisborne Airport at 11:55 am
(see photo’s)
We drive straight to Tiniroto via Waerenga-o-kuri

Sept. / Oct. / Nov. 2007

This was the first period db was working at Hackfalls this season.

db arrived at Gisborne:
db arrived at Tiniroto:

Until: Monday Nov. 26: Wilma arrives at Gisborne Airport at 11:55am

First entry

This is the new weblog of (our activities) in Hackfalls Arboretum, Tiniroto, Gisborne, New Zealand.

We will describe which work we’re doing, and observations we make.

For general information on Hackfalls Arboretum, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackfalls_Arboretum

Hackfalls Arboretum is situated in Tiniroto.
For general information on Tiniroto, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiniroto

This weblog is started by Wilma Verburg and Dick Bos. We come from the Netherlands. We have visited New Zealand a couple of times. The last time was February to April this year.
Dick Bos is working now in Hackfalls Arboretum from September 2007 until March 2008. Wilma Verburg arrived last week (end of November), and she will leave again in the beginning of January 2008.

They have a weblog in Dutch at WordPress: http://wvendb.wordpress.com