The dramatic seasonal colour palette of Queenstown is reflected in the garden planting at Remarkables Park. In spring, with bulbs and tree blossom that emerge to mark the coming warm weather; in the summer, through numerous overflowing colourful hanging baskets, trees of different colours and delightful gardens; in autumn, there is an emphasis on the dramatic yellow, gold, red and orange leaves of the region; in winter when pansies provide colour to the snow-covered landscape.
AUTUMN 2013 at Remarkables Park
Once again the trees and shrubs in Remarkables Park Town Centre are telling us that autumn is here and winter will not be far behind. The Liquidambar trees are displaying colours of gold and red, the climbing vines are a deep purple against yellow walls, but I love most the metamorphism of the Claret Ash trees. They spend all summer with leaves of vibrant green but come autumn, before they fall, they really do turn to the colour of good claret wine.
Already the first light frosts have arrived. This means for Brenda, Town Centre landscaper, apart from leaf clearance and essential pruning, it is time to begin taking down the hanging baskets. These are sent down to Evandale Nurseries for planting up, ready for spring.
Brenda’s other main autumn task is the change over of the six beds of annuals and the various tubs and pots in the Town Centre. It always seems a shame to take out the summer annuals while they are still flowering but it is essential that the winter annuals have time to establish before the heavy frosts start.
Brenda will be planting over 2000 winter pansies. This year she is using a variety called ‘Citrus Mix’ which gives colours of white/lemon yellow/deep yellow and orange. In the pots and tubs she is trialling Dianthus ‘Barbarini’ or Sweet William.
Nearing completion is the new Retail Building at the top of Hawthorne Drive. The main bulk of the landscaping for this building, and this includes hanging baskets on the shop fronts, will probably be undertaken in the spring but, frosts permitting, it should be possible to plant the deciduous trees.
Jacqui Stubbs - Landscape Design Consultant