Cycad adds another exotic touch
By Mitch Graham
Tupare (translated as either garland or cliff, take your pick) was a rough slice of Taranaki farmland in 1931 when Russell and Mary Matthews purchased the property on the banks of the Waiwakaiho River.
The existing vegetation was little more than bracken, blackberry, gorse, unthrifty pasture and a lone mahoe (which died in 1974) in what is now the Dell.
As the Matthews went about developing their garden, Russell acquired a taste for exotic plants. He favoured plants such as rhododendrons, camellias, magnolias and abutilons, all finding their way to Tupare courtesy of his friendships with many of Taranaki's influential nurserymen.
Of the native plants, he was particularly proud of the meadow rice grass (Microlaena grass), cultivated as an attractive formal lawn, and the shrubby gesneriad, Rhabdothamnus, displaying sweet little orange bell flowers.
Russell had an eye for detail, whether it was the gentle contour of a path or the creation of a vista within the garden. Perhaps a point of focus may be a pergola, grassy glade or possibly one of his exotic favourites.
One of the most satisfying tasks for us in rejuvenating Tupare's garden has been to highlight or uncover some points of interest. For example, the introduction of a cycad to the wooded enclosure of the Ups and Downs has added a plant with the wow factor to complement an older mass planting of groundcover Renga lilies.
Cycads are exotic. The closest to New Zealand's shores are on the east coast of Australia and in Melanesia and Micronesia. Close to 200 species occur naturally throughout warm-temperate and tropical regions.
Dinosaurs roamed the earth nibbling on cycads, and the cycads are still with us. They are unique in their growth habit and appearance - large mature ones may look as though the gardener has arranged some palm fronds out the top of a ponga stump.
In outback Queensland, I viewed one magnificent species towering over all others, Macrozamia moorei. At up to eight metres tall, a cycad of this dimension would be quite the focal point in any garden.
I'm not sure if the Matthews ever got their hands on a cycad, but I'm sure in 2010 Russell himself would make sure his visitors to Tupare had the opportunity to see such a botanical treat on one of his "grand tours".
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Mitch Graham (left) is Garden Manager - Tupare for the Taranaki Regional Council This column was published in the Taranaki Daily News on 10 September 2010 |
