WHAT'S ON

• Pt Howard Playcentre Wed 9.15 -11.45am. Lucy 021 335 391.

• Scottish Country Dance. Merryn 562 0236.

• Bridge Club 7-10pm. Shona 562 7073.

• DB Playcentre Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, from 9:15 to 12 noon, Drop in anytime to visit a session or call James on 022 043 7841 to arrange a visit.

• “Steady as You Go” Age Concern sponsored Falls Prevention and Exercise Programme. Held 12 noon each Wednesday at Eastbourne Community Hall. Classes are held for 1 hour and costs only $2. Improve your strength and balance to reduce falls and injuries. Falls are preventable. Please join us!

• EHock - Fun Stick and Ball game Girls and Boys 7- 13.Eastbourne Community Hall. Wednesdays 6.00 p.m. - 7.30 p.m. Derek Wilshere 0274303596

Thursdays

• Menzshed 9 till 12 , Williams Park, Barrie barrielittlefair@gmail.com 0204 1234511. Women welcome.

• St Ronan’s Mainly Music, 9.15am11.15am, during school terms. Contact Cathy 027 213 9342.

• SPACE at Days Bay Playcentre. Michelle 971 8598.

• East Harbour Women’s Club

- Bolivia 12.45pm, Contact Glendyr ph: 562 7181. Guest Speaker (3rd week of month)7pm, drinks and nibbles provide, Contact Diane ph: 562 7555

•Lions meet 2nd Thursday of the month at the Eastbourne Sports and Services Club, Tuatoru St 6.30 pm. New members and visitors are welcome. Graham 562 8819.

• Intermediate Contemporary Dance

Thursdays 6:30pm - 7:30pm St Ronan's Hall info@pumpdance.com,0274373508

• S couts: Thursday 6.00pm - 8.00pm, Vanessa 021 669 727.

• Eastbourne Bowling Club casual summer bowls 5.30pm for an hour or so. Make up a mixed team of three. Contact Keith Turner ph 04 934 4142.

• EFC Social Womens Football. Every Thursday, 6.30pm, Bishop Park (unless otherwise notified). Contact: Trysh, 02102931247

Fridays

• Pop in and Play playgroup at St Ronan's Church Hall, 9am-11.30am during school terms. All preschoolers (0-4 years) welcome. Cath 027 213 9342.

• Pt Howard Playcentre Fri 9.15 -11.45am. Lucy 021 335 391.

• AA Plunket Rooms 7.30pm. Mark 566 6444/ Pauline 562 7833

• DB Playcentre 9.15-12 noon Puddle Jumpers casual ‘drop-in’ session.$5 per child per session. Call James on 022 043 7841

Saturdays

• Justice of the Peace at the Eastbourne Community Library, first Saturday of each month 12pm-1pm.

• Croquet from 10am Muritai Croquet Club. Lyn 562 8722 or Val 562 8181.

• Pump Dance preschool & junior hip hop. 9am onwards. St Ronan's Hall. 0274373508. info@pumpdance.com

• Lions' Bin - cost effective rubbish and e-waste disposal. Last Saturday of the month (except December) by Bus Barns. Gavin 027 488 5602.

Sundays

• AA Plunket Rooms 10am. Karen 021 440 705.

Garden Stuff with Sandy Lang

VASE LIFE slang@xtra.co.nz www.mulchpile.org

April/May: Mid/late autumn. Cool, short days. Time to tidy up. Prune only in the dry (disease). Plant leaf vegetables/salads/broad beans.

Pretty flowers: Flowers evolved to attract pollinators (insects) but Neanderthals were attracted to them aesthetically, placing them with their dead 70,000 years ago. It doesn’t stretch evidence too far to suggest they’d also have known a dish of water would’ve made them last longer. We’re better at it now. Based on mother’s wisdom and some www hacks, you should get 7+ days out of most cut flowers. But let’s apply some ‘vase-life’ science and see what really increases flower vase life.

Species: Some cut flowers last longer than others - tree blossom 3 days, carnations 8, roses 9, sunflowers 12, orchids 18 days.

Picking: When picking, choose blooms not quite open. Cut stems long. Pick early or late in the day - not around noon. Key is reestablishing their water supply by straightway putting cut ends in water. Indoors, remove most leaves (never immerse leaves in vase water).

Airlocks: Flowers get their vital water from the plant. When you cut the stalk the little tubes (xylem) that carry the water, suck in air causing an-airlock (air-blockage). As soon as possible, re-cut the stems (4 cm off) to remove the airlocked xylem and immediately place in handhot water. Any residual xylem air is warmed, expands, and bubbles out.

Bugs: Cut stems leak nutrients - good for bacterial slime. Slime will block the xylem. So, surgical cleanliness - a dishwasher-clean vase and clean water.

Placement: Choose a spot with good light, but no direct sun. Cool, not cold, not hot. Still air, not near a heat pump or open door/window. Flower aging is accelerated by ethylene, so avoid proximity to ripening fruit which give off the hormone ethylene.

Nutrients: Flowers get their nutrients (sugars) from the plant. They will last longer if you feed them.

Elixir of (vase) life: A vase solution that feeds flowers (3% sugar) and kills bacteria (bleach) will make your flowers last longer. To 3 L of water, add 1 L of fizzy lemonade (contains 10% sugar + citric acid) and 10 drops (¼ tsp) of bleach (bactericide).

Maintenance: Every 2 or 3 days recut the stalks, replace the vase, replace the vase solution.