NATIVE REVEGETATION

The combination of dry conditions, thin, poor-quality soil and a highly modified river is making for an extra challenging native revegetation programme on the central Canterbury/ Waitaha river berm.

However, tricky conditions or even flooding are not going to stop our rivers team from trying to reintroduce native plant species along the Waikirikiri Selwyn River.

That’s because those challenges are far outweighed by the benefits, which include protecting the habitat of the threatened Canterbury mudfish, enhancing the recreational area near the state highway, decreasing flood risk by supporting our flood protection trees, and increasing seed sources to re-establish native plant growth.

As part of our wider berm transition project, 5,000 native plants are to be planted along the berm of the Waikirikiri this year, adding to the 15,700 that were installed in 2022.

“The braided awa Waikirikiri might once have been flanked with varieties of carex grasses, toetoe, patchy kānuka and dry tussock land. There’s almost none of that left now so just getting the plants back in place as a seed source is the focus,” walking spot, is parched, which makes encouraging growth a challenge.

There is also a heightened chance of losing plantings in these conditions. In this area, ECan are using strategies that have been proven elsewhere to support growth.

Strategies include:

• planting deeper than usual

Greg

commented Regional Braided River Revival Lead,

Stanley

Along the river, two sites showed promise for supporting native plant life. One is marshy with drains and waterways that join the river, and here you can find native plant species on low areas of the berm.

The other is at the confluence of the Hororata River. At these sites, weeds and poor soil are issues, however, they are the only two areas on the lower reaches of the river that might have semi-wetland conditions or get some water during the year. A third site, near a popular

FLIPS, FLOPS & PRESERVE SWAP

This month we get together to reflect on the growing season and discuss our successes and failures. What worked really well in your garden this year? What didn't go well, and what could you do differently next year? Come and share your flips and flops and learn from each other. Bring a jar of jam, chutney, pickle, or preserves to swap for something different.

Flips, Flops & Preserve Swap

Thursday 27th April, 7:30-9:00pm

Darfield Bap st Church

15 Greendale Road, Darfield

GARDEN FOCUS FOR MAY:

Plant winter salad greens

Sow directly into the garden bed:

• Coriander: takes up to 21 days to germinate so needs to be sown directly into the garden bed now

• Annual spinach, asian greens (pak choi, etc), rocket, miner's lettuce, corn salad, mesclun, mizuna

• Radish

• Snow peas

Plant out seedlings ASAP:

• Lettuce, annual spinach, beetroot (use their leaves for salad greens)

Sow in Autumn crops that will mature in spring and early summer:

• Broad beans

• Garlic

• Cauliflower: overwinter young plants for a head-start for early cauliflowers in spring.

• Green manure cover crops: if you have empty garden beds, sow a cover crop to improve and protect the soil over the winter.

• wool weed mats that draw water in

• Mulching

• additional watering

• staged, dense planting blocks

• sub-canopy planting where appropriate.

There are many challenges to re-establishing native plant life, with generally poor soil that is bone dry for much of the time, whenever there is a hint of water available, “the weeds just go boof!”, Greg added. Like the weeds, challenges have been plentiful during this project.

“We were a month into it, and we had some pretty big floods that blocked all the access and messed things up a bit. That was pretty difficult to work around. At the same time, it meant that there was lots of water and silts - there’s definitely pros and cons. Another hurdle the plants face is animal browsing, which affected two sites.

About five percent of the plants were pulled out at one site, and a temporary fence has been installed to prevent further damage.

Despite the challenges, “It’s definitely one of the areas that’s worth putting the work into,” Greg concluded.

‘Nourish Community Garden - Darfield’ Community Garden meets Mondays 9 - 11am at Almond Park, Darfield.

A great line up of vintage and veteran cars will participate in the annual Anzac Malvern Run, which starts from the Darfield Recreation Centre on Anzac Day. Everyone is welcome to head along to the Recreation Centre to see the cars between 10am and 11:30am before they tour through Darfield, Sheffield, Coalgate, Hororata, Glenroy and then on to Glentunnel where they will once again be available for viewing at the Glentunnel Community Centre around lunchtime.

The oldest vehicle in this year’s Run is once again a Wolseley that was built in 1900. It is owned by Colin Winter and Judy of Dunedin and has come especially to participate in the Malvern Run. The Wolseley has been in Colin’s family’s ownership for over seventy years. Another car which is a real crowd -pleaser is the 1912 Stanley Steamer owned by Allan Familton of Rolleston. The

Stanley Steamer, like so many others on the Run, is a very rare car. It is large, very powerful, and goes down the road leaving a cloud of steam in its wake. There is quite a procedure in starting it for a run, as it makes all sorts of interesting noises as it warms up which never fails to gather a crowd. If you live on the route that the Run takes, don’t be surprised if Allan comes to your door with a hose to request water for its boiler - it only has a range of about forty miles before it needs a top-up! Around fifty cars are expected for the Run, many from the wider Canterbury area. Darfield residents participating include Sandra and Jeff Newell, who will be driving their 1925 12/4 Austin, Matthew Hey with a rare 1933 Wolseley Hornet Special, and Malcolm and Anita McGibbon with their 1913 Ford Model T. Cont on next page…..

Entrants List

Year Make Model Entrants Name

1900 Wolseley Voitturet Colin Winter

1904 George and Sue Lee

Alldays & Onions

1909 Ford Model T Tom Stephens

1910 Stanley Steamer Allan Familton

1911 Hupmobile 20 Bruce & Shirley Shadbolt

1912 Ford Model T Joseph McClintock

1912 Wolseley 12/16 Colin & Jenny Hey

1913 Ford Model T Malcolm & Anita McGibbon

The McGibbon’s have also loaned another of their veteran cars, a 1914 Renault Van, to Graeme Willis from Ohoka, who will play the Last Post during the remembrance before the Run departs.

The Run will give residents of the Malvern district a fantastic opportunity to view some of New Zealand’s rarest cars and talk to their owners as well.

Of the fifty cars participating this year, many are over 100 years old and include Ford Model T’s, Unic, Renault, Cadillac Rover, Wolseley and Hupmobile amongst others.

Organiser Colin Hey from West

Melton commented, “Anzac Day is such an important day for all New Zealanders to be able to commemorate it with family and friends of the Vintage Car Club is special.”

Colin is also appreciative of the support given by Auto Restorations, a decades-old business in Christchurch which has a world-wide reputation for quality automotive restoration work. They have provided rally plates to all entrants, and assisted with promoting the event. Other businesses which have assisted with this Vintage Car Club event include Birchfield Energy and the Malvern News.

Over the five years the event has been running it has raised over $5,000 for the Darfield RSA. Head along to the Darfield Recreation Centre or Glentunnel Community Centre on Anzac Day (entry is free), or pop out to your gate to watch and wave as these old cars and motorcycles pass by. You will be sure to get a wave back!

The Run will be set off from the Recreation Centre by Mayor Sam Broughton at 11.30 sharp after a short remembrance performed by Terry Hutchison from Darfield. The organisers are delighted the Mayor could perform this duty.

Ian & Anita Fleming ENQUIRIES WELCOME