Bay Harbour: March 28, 2018

Wednesday March 28 2018
News
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Sumner fruit tree ‘bank’ mooted
• By Sarla Donovan
SUMNER MAN Keith Hay
wants to establish a ‘bank’ of
heritage stone fruit trees in the
suburb.
Mr Hay is a member of the
Sumner Community Gardens,
which in the winter of 2014
planted a ‘food forest’ in the
grounds of Van Asch Deaf
Education Centre, where the old
laundry block was.
The forest idea involves
planting in layers, from larger
trees like pear and plum, down
to smaller dwarf varieties and
bushes such as gooseberry, raspberry
and currant.
After seven years, the forest
should become self-sustaining,
said co-ordinator Kathryn
Newbery.
Mr Hay wasn’t there for the
original plantings but has since
moved into the suburb from
Opawa and is particularly interested
in the fruit trees.
He and his wife had a small
orchard in Opawa Rd and he
grew up on his parents Ian and
Evelyn’s Horotane Valley orchard
during the 1950s and ’60s.
Many of the commercial
varieties they grew have since
disappeared, and he is keen to
re-establish them.
This involves sourcing bud
wood or grafting wood from
plum trees and apricot trees –
particularly those grown commercially
or locally in Horotane
Valley and Heathcote Valley in
the 1940s through to the late
1970s.
They include early Australian
import roxburgh red, moorpark
from England, Californian variety
newcastle, hemkirk, dullins,
royal and steven’s favourite.
Some of these still be bought
in nurseries, he said, but others
are more elusive.
It was the advent of supermarkets
in the 1990s that spelled the
end for most boutique growers
around Heathcote and Horotane,
said Mr Hay.
“They didn’t want the auction
system so when you took fruit in
the auctioneer just said: ‘This is
the price.’ And the supermarkets
preferred long-keeping varieties
like sundrop. If you’ve got a
whole lot of dairies and they buy
one or two cases and sell them
within a day or two then they’re
in to get more each day. But
it’s a different process with the
supermarkets.”
Because they bought in larger
quantities they wanted fruit that
would store well, he said.
“So the old varieties have died
out. Some of them were 70-80
years old or more. And what
didn’t die out they bulldozed.
That’s happened all around New
BOUNTY:
Members of
the Sumner
Community
Gardens (left to
right) – Rosie
Hay, Suzy and
Bryan Kaschula
and Kevin Hay.
PHOTO: MARTIN
HUNTER
Zealand and all those old varieties
we knew on (our) orchard
are pretty much gone.”
Ms Newbery said Mr Hay
coming on board at the community
garden had provided
a perfect opportunity to graft
onto the food forest’s existing
root stock and start increasing
the diversity of what was currently
there.
“His background has meant
he brings a lot of expertise to
what we’re doing there; he’s really
helped us with pruning and
taught us to prune more effectively
which has been fantastic.”
•If you can help please
phone Kevin Hay on 326
7280 or 021 213 3053
BAY HARBOUR
Local
News
Now
In Brief
PAGE 3
Fire rages, homes at risk
SUMMIT RD RESTRICTIONS
A proposal to restrict vehicle
access to parts of Summit Rd at
night has been dropped. It was
prompted by concerns about the
level of anti-social behaviour
and damage in the area. But the
city council last week approved a
hearings panel recommendation
that night-time restrictions do not
proceed.
FIRE PLAQUE PROPOSED
Governors Bay resident Alma
Sturgess has proposed a memorial
be placed on the Port Hills
commemorating last year’s fire.
Ms Sturgess raised the idea at
a recent Spreydon-Cashmere
Community Board meeting. She
said given the first anniversary
of the fires had recently passed,
it would be appropriate to
acknowledge those who suffered
and those who fought the fires,
particularly helicopter pilot Steve
Askin who lost his life doing so.
COTTAGE RESTORATION
Historic Penfold’s Cob Cottage in
Scott Park will be stabilised and
repaired as soon as possible to
prevent further deterioration. The
walls on the road frontage and the
side facing Ferrymead Bridge will
be repaired and restored to the
original pre-earthquake form. The
remaining two collapsed walls
will also be stabilised.
Animals always come first
Loving and caring environment
for your fur friends
All the team at Kimmy’s are
animal crazy and your pet will
get lots of cuddles
Doggie day care
Cat & dog boarding
Cat & dog grooming to your
requirements with gentle
professional care
All breeds/sizes
Certified Arborists for
• Tree and Garden Care
• Technical Removals
• Tree Consultancy
• NZ Heritage Tree
Register Volunteers
151 Maces Rd,
Bromley
(03) 389 7519
Shop 10/ 60 Queenspark Dr,
Parklands Shopping Centre
(03) 383 5323
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