21 April 2009

Anzac Parade planters giving up the ghost

| johnboy
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The NCA have announced that the summer just past has done for the 12,000 Hebe plants lining Anzac Parade.

    The planter beds along the central strip of Anzac Parade contain Hebe ‘Autumn Glory’, a variety native to New Zealand which is no longer readily available.

    ‘The hot dry summer in Canberra this year has taken its toll on the plants, and many are now nearing the end of their life span.’

They’re hoping the New Zealand High Commission will bestir itself to come up with a hardier kiwi variety to replace the Hebes, but it sounds as if they’re very much at the start of figuring out what to do.

Maybe it would have been cheaper to water the plants?

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A guy from the Auckland Botanic Gardens talking on the radio said that there were many better species of Hebe and this is the reason why the variety “autumn glory” is now longer available. The Commonwealth Government maintains the Parliamentary Triangle. Does that include the plantings?

GardeningGirl12:55 am 22 Apr 09

The blue gums represent Australia and the hebes represent New Zealand.
http://www.nationalcapital.gov.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=213%3Ah2s7-anzac-parade&catid=57%3Aql-menu-visiting&Itemid=202
Although rosemary makes a lot of sense I hope they could find something hardy that maintains that New Zealand symbolism.
I’ve found most of the older varieties of hebe to be very hardy, and after a particularly hot dry spell a good pruning rejuvenates them. Seems a shame to start all over again to establish new plants when the existing ones should have good root systems. I wonder how old they are? Now I think about it, I too seem to remember something about replacing them only a few years ago…

Felix the Cat said :

I’m no Don Burke or Jamie Drury but surely there are dozens if not hundreds or maybe even thousands of other more readily available and hardier plants to use rather than Hebe ‘Autumn Glory’?

The Parade is planted with NZ native hebe down one side and Australian down the other I think – or else it’s all NZ hebe. It’s significant, anyway.

Qbn have planted water-hardy stuff in their street plantings around the main street. Lots of Rosemary, silver convolvulus, lavender, and agapanthus.

And petunias in the really important bits.

Felix the Cat9:09 pm 21 Apr 09

I wonder if Qbn council will have the same problem with whatever sort of plants they are using in the traffic island on Yass Rd near the school.

I’m no Don Burke or Jamie Drury but surely there are dozens if not hundreds or maybe even thousands of other more readily available and hardier plants to use rather than Hebe ‘Autumn Glory’?

sexynotsmart8:58 pm 21 Apr 09

Agree with the rosemary.

Some may argue it’s a bit kitsch (those who don’t like “Rosemary for Remembrance”), but it just makes sense. It will survive, and the strong-but-muted colour fits the subject matter.

This is reminding me of the grass over Parliament House – constantly being renewed, because it sits on two inch thick soil. They should astroturf it.

Yep. They are not that old. And watering in new plants will use up a lot more water than they would have needed to maintain these ones. Letting all plants and trees die off is a false economy.

I hope they just get rid of these – they get in the field of view when driving across Anzac pde anyway.

Hang on – they were ALL replanted about four years ago … maybe five …

barking toad10:49 am 21 Apr 09

Yeah – water would have helped. Or the mayor could’ve made it part of his tree farm monument. But then it may have been over watered.

Just plant rosemary. Grows anywhere and handy for Anzac Day.

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