Coastal colours

A grey cloudy day and at sunset there was almost no colour in the sky, although the sea had a slight pinkness.

Along the rocky shore between Te Raekaihau Point and Princess Bay the access area has been planted with New Zealand native coastal plants which are resilient and adapted for harsh conditions. 

In the subdued light the plants seem to glow - I love the blue-grey green of the Euphorbia glauca, a plant which is described as in "serious decline" but can be quite a thug if given half a chance - spreading by underground rhizomes.  But it is much reduced in distribution by the usual suspects - introduced animals browsing and trampling it, competition from introduced weeds, erosion, and coastal "development" such as the widening of roads.

It contrasts well with the other plants.  Dark green shapes in the background close to the water (and self-sown) are Coprosma repens, the "mirror plant", which has glossy leaves able to cope with salt spray.  In the foreground there are two other coprosmas, a prostrate reddish one, possibly Coprosma acerosa, and a small shrubby one whose name I don't know.  The rather delicate native ice plant, Horokaka or Disphyma australe, is spreading amongst them.

Using endangered plants in gardens and amenity plantings means that their survival is assisted.  It's not pretending to mimic how things would look naturally - the plants tend to look much more plump and well-fed (nature is tougher on plants than gardeners) - and their arrangement is much more about human aesthetics than if they were sighted in their remaining habitats.  But the process of planting them means we are thinking about caring for the coast as well as the future of the plants.  I think they really reward this effort, that their colour, textures and shapes enliven the beauty of the coast.

A bit of a buzz

A honeybee - seen on a grey winters day foraging for nectar and pollen from the flowers of a trailing rosemary. 

I was delighted to see her, but sad that she was on her own.  Only a few years ago, this plant would be abuzz with bees - but that is not the case any longer.  These little insects are very precious indeed - even more so now because their numbers are much reduced worldwide.  Disease, parasites, loss of diversity of plants and thus their food sources, pollution, pesticides, maybe even electromagnetic disturbance - there are lots of factors that could cause their death by damaging the functioning of their bodies and their hives - they live complex lives, with great navigation abilities and social organisation, and these can be disrupted in unintended ways.  But we rely on these little hard-working creatures for so much.  It is not just about their honey which we enjoy as a food and use for its medicinal qualities, but it is also because they are so crucial to the pollination and therefore production of food to be eaten and seed to be used to grow further crops.   

When I was young, walking barefoot on the lawn included the risk of disturbing a bee and being stung.  How quickly things can change!  Instead of regarding a bee as a source of possible danger, I now see the bee as being beseiged and needing our help.  So it's a great pleasure to provide them with fodder - plant lots of flowering plants for the bees!

The visiting honeybee (Apis mellifera), perched on the pale blue flowers of trailing rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis 'Prostratus').  Small grains of pollen are scattered on her head and thorax, her head deep in the flower and capped by overhanging stamens - illustrating the transfer of pollen from the stamens onto the bee's body.  By this means the pollen will be carried to another flower, assisting pollination.

Evening calm

The sunset has left a salmon-pink glow in the sky.  A period of calm, following a southerly front and leading no doubt into another, has meant the day has been bright and sunny, the sky has been clear and the sea quiet.

Taputeranga, the island of Island Bay, seen from Princess Bay on Wellington's south coast.  The sea has a soft, pearly colour, with faint reflections of the island and the puffy clouds above it.  The South Island is seen in the distance, a soft silhouette.  A time for slowing down, and appreciation, a gentle end to the day.

Food for the eyes, now food for the stomach

Since my last post, the weather has improved.  No cloud cover so it's cold at night, and the days are crisp and clear, with bright sunshine making colours sing.  I finally get to the vegetable patch...

Amidst the lush green weeds (otherwise known as successful but unwanted plants) shine the brilliant colours of silverbeet Bright Lights, also known as Rainbow chard. 

The glossy green leaves contrast with the almost psychedelic intensity of the coloured ribs - intense pink, orange, red, and golden yellow.  Alas, when they are cooked the ribs just look mostly red and they lose some of their zing.

These plants survive a rather bleak site, with not much sun at all in winter, strong winds, and general neglect.  But they are planted in soil which has been built up by the use of lots of compost, made from all the weeds which we grow so well, kitchen scraps, shredded paper, and prunings of woody plants.  This is not a carefully made compost, although I try to balance the nitrogen and carbon input, so it is used to increase the amount of soil (which was minimal to start off with) and improve soil structure rather than for feeding the plants.  But these plants do pretty well, I reckon.

And the photographic models have now been eaten.

Yum. 

Edible bedding

That sounds odd, doesn't it?  I'm not talking about eating our blankets or duvets, but about using edible plants as "bedding" plants.  In this case the plants used are a herb - parsley, and a leafy vegetable - silverbeet or Swiss Chard, here the colourful form Rainbow chard.  Maybe it is because they are so easily grown, and readily available, or maybe because we saw too much of them as children (along with those dreaded words "eat your greens, they are good for you")...but it seems to be only recently that they have been used for their aesthetic qualities.  

To me the patterns made by the rich green of curly leafed parsley, at the front in this picture, are like densely textured, almost velvety, cloudscapes.  The reddish green Rainbow chard glows, especially on the overcast rainy day when I saw this bedding scheme at the entrance to the Wellington Botanical Gardens.  I am not sure of the identity of the white-flowered plant. 

Bedding plants are grown to be used en masse to provide colour or texture as part of a planting design, usually a formal pattern which is a decorative feature in a garden or park.  These were very popular with the Victorians in England, tending to be colourful and exotic displays.  Bedding schemes continue to be a feature of municipal planting, and nowadays they are often quite adventurous in the choice of plants.  

The simple blocks of colour of parsley, anonymous white flowered plant and Rainbow chard are bright and effective in the muted light of a rainy winters day, and lead the eye into the garden, towards a fountain in the distance framed by two large trees. 

If you are hungry...they are full of vitamins and goodness!

But here they are food for the eyes, and a tonic for winter blahs.

A little garden designed by nature

A wet day and a brief visit to the Wellington Botanical Gardens to recharge my batteries.  Though the sky is grey and things in the city seem a bit forlorn, amongst the trees there is freshness and colour and life.

The rain is filtered by the canopy of the trees, and the air smells damp and sweet. 

At the base of a tree there is a rich community of plants - mosses and lichens on the rocks;  and ferns, small trees - I can see a pseudopanax and a mahoe, small shrubs and grasses, all growing up from the leaf litter collected around the big tree's roots... a gentle collection of greens and rusts and goldish-brown and silver... a delightful little garden designed by nature.  They are to be found everywhere!

In the pink

Just after sunset, soft pink light bathes Lyall Bay.  This is a city beach - not a particularly picturesque place,  but nevertheless a source of pleasure for us city folk, providing an opportunity for us to play and to connect with nature - sand, sea, peace, and the size and scope of it all.

Children play on a very large sandcastle, six surfers catch a wave - in the pink vastness of the sea and sky.

Bug Feature

The bright green heart-shaped leaves of the kawakawa (Macropiper excelsum.)

This is a NZ native shrub or small tree that flourishes in the shade despite the usually occurring lacy holes made by a looper caterpillar (Cleora scriptaria) which munches away at night, out of sight.

A bug feature in software is an unintended feature that may or may not be a problem. 

Strictly, the kawakawa looper moth is not a bug, but who cares - to me this is one of nature's bug features!  It doesn't cause the plant to suffer, and it is definitely a feature.  I think it is attractive - maybe not so appealing to the tidy-minded, but the richness of the natural world doesn't seem to do tidy very often. 

The bright winter light played on the leaves, and where they were backlit, shadows of lacy leaves were cast on other leaves, creating patterns on patterns.

Gorgeous!

Rain, rain, go away

It has rained - a lot.  The wiry coppery red stems of Muehlenbeckia astonii gather the drops like little jewels.

With a limited depth of field, the appearance of the out of focus elements ("bokeh") of the image creates a soft misty ethereal appearance - rather more beautiful than what it feels like.... but the rain does ease in the end...

... and the skies start clearing over Baring Head in dramatic contrast to the rain clouds.

Lyall Bay update

A chalk sign on the wall, and little plants dotted on the damaged dunes - people have been at work.

Written on the wall - "find us on (f)acebook - Lyall Bay Coast Care" ....

"Dune Planting - Please Keep Off The Plants." 

A number of community groups work to protect the coastal environment, taking action such as clearing rubbish and caring for wanted plants.  Lyall Bay Coast Care got into action with replanting really quickly - the pole for the rope barrier is still fallen, but there are little flax and rush plants dotted on the recently bared sand.  Maybe they will hold the sand more firmly than the lovely golden pingao, which looks somewhat battered, with roots exposed.