New Zealand Bamboo Society
Weekend trip to the Bay of Plenty 1st-2nd October 2005
Another inspiring gathering of Bamboo enthusiasts, joining in with the Royal Institute of Horticulture for Saturday's visits.
Firstly an awe-inspiring wander around John Kenyon's nursery Cottage Gardens at Te Puna. Not only could we drool over (and buy) vireya tropical rhododendrons, but we benefitted from a talk by John on how to grow them.
Then lunch at the old Te Puna Quarry, which is now developing into a paradise of plants and flowers and sculptures and vistas. Two women who have worked with other volunteers to make this happen gave us a talk, then conducted us on a tour up the hill and through the many plantings. And, yes, there were some bamboos!
We drove in convoy to visit Neale Blaymires and Chris Martin, admire their house building progress, and inspect both a grove of Moso contained within a concrete barrier, and Phyllostachys Bambusoides growing on the hillside.
In the evening we joined the R.I.H. in Tauranga for the annual Banks Lecture. Peter Sergel, manager of the Hamilton Gardens, told us of the history, development, and ongoing projects in those gardens. He shared his observations on the involvement of the good people of Hamilton, and some things they had learned.
Sunday morning we gathered at the Rolling Cloud gallery near Katikati where Kelvin Falconer discussed with us the traditional Japanese shakuhachi bamboo flutes he makes, and visited the grove of Ph. Henonis Nigra that supplies his bamboo, and gave him some advice on maintenance.
Right alongside the gallery is the Titles bookshop, which snared many of the group!
From there we scattered somewhat - some over the hill to the McLaren Falls Arboretum, some to visit a piano tuner who roasts his own coffee, and some headed for home.
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