Our garden club visited the Auckland Wintergardens on Saturday. I took Pat, Cenny and Paula in my car and Barbara, Janette, Thera, Bev and Linda came in another. Our club seemed to have shrunk a bit over winter but we made the effort and was nice to see each other during the daytime! And the wintergardens too.
The windows of the glasshouses had recently been cleaned and restored so everything was looking new and to my mind, a bit TOO new. I did miss the lichen and the wildlife and the cat that used to nap in the tropical house, where all the vines had been cleared away, it seemed they had put fresh plants in or rearranged it.
The temperate house was full of cyclamen, cinerarias, ornamental kale, and golden daffodils that had heavy heads. The ladies exclaimed over sisikyou lewisia (we looked it up) a succulent that looked like an aeonium but had a dainty flower.
There were also signs saying DO NOT TOUCH and beware, the fruits are too hot, and could kill you - the forbidden fruit being super hot chillis/capsicums/bell peppers of course. It's just like the Garden of Eden! (except we were all clothed, because it's winter). We didn't see the stinky arum lily, maybe it was having a nap elsewhere. My favourite cat's tails plants were there though, but the chocolate plant and the bananas had disappeared. Maybe they got eaten. Pink orchids were in bloom, and the hanging baskets had pansies and lachenalias in them. There were curly spider plants. There was water lilies that hadn't appeared yet.
The fernery also seemed to have been weeded and seemed a bit forlorn, where was the enchantment, and mystery? I didn't hear any birdsong there. Maybe they'll return, but that's what happens when you remove all the insect life it seems.
Outside Iceland poppies were on the beds, and the fountains were playing. We had a mackerel sky. It was a beautiful day, and after seeing the Wintergardens we had lunch at the kiosk, which was very noisy and busy but I had a nice meal of lamb cutlets and a juicie of fresh fruit, worth the wait so I'm not complaining. Then on the way home Cenny and Paula visited Pats garden which was gorgeous as usual, so all in all we had a lovely time. I'll post some pics later. Though I'm never very good at taking photos possibly someone needs to be a garden photographer, I'm too busy seeing and experiencing everything through my own two eyes. The Wintergardens watch you too because there are CCTV cameras inside to make sure nobody steals any plants or takes cuttings.....I'm thinking what happens if garden security does catch someone?
I think maybe they end up in garden jail or thrown in the slough pond.
