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The former National Garden of the
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Haggerty Street, Kimbolton
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CHAIRPERSON'S ANNUAL REPORT 2015As I write this newsletter report, November is over already and Christmas is looming. Where has the year gone? As they say, time flies when you are having fun. The past few weeks has seen the transformation of the Park as the blooms have progressively come and gone. Living so far away both Sue and I are not able to enjoy the gradual changes, but from all accounts, and from the three visits we have made during the flowering season, it has been a magnificent season. We have received a number of calls from people who are regular visitors to Heritage Park, saying how thrilled they were to find the garden in such fine fettle and complimenting all involved. It is very gratifying to hear that everyone's contributions are noticed. This cannot be achieved without the ongoing efforts of our enthusiastic team of volunteers. A very special thanks to all involved; Clint Stewart for the care of our lawns and victory over the weeds (the purchase of the spray trailer has proved a boon in this on-going battle); Mary Manning and her helpers for keeping the Chalet tidy and welcoming; Olive Bayly, the Rowans, Robert Young, and many others for their contributions of interesting plant material both for the garden and plant sales; the team of volunteers who man the Chalet during the season and spread the gospel of Heritage Park. Add to all of this the major contribution made by those members and non-members who attend the work days. This is where the "Big Stuff" is done; culling of unnecessary/surplus trees; shifting of plants to new areas; removal of rubbish to await the attention of a pyro-maniac; mulching of slash (made possible by the generosity of Fraser Robinson). A recent initiative was the addition of pea/barley straw as a weed barrier over some of the beds. This is going to be a deterrent to the weeds and maybe even more valuable by retaining garden moisture during the dry periods. Thank you, Mike and Lorraine Langtry, for your kind contribution to this innovation. The entrance to the garden is looking very welcoming now with additional planting, the old plant bay removed and the new plant sales gazebo installed. The Trust Board have accepted an invitation from NZRA to host the 2017 NZRA Annual Conference, in Feilding, from Friday, October 27 to Monday, October 30. To this end some of us have been visiting local gardens for inclusion in the programme. We are hoping, and it looks very likely, that we will be able to find enough gardens in the Manawatu. Even though it is two years away, planning is underway. With this event ahead we are looking at upgrading our signage, both directional roadside and internal garden information, painting the Chalet internally and installing new floor coverings. We have recently
received a generous bequest of $5,400 from Miss Margaret Parker,
whose parents had a strong As this is our
final newsletter for the year I take this opportunity to wish
you all a very merry Christmas, a joyous time
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