The Star: January 31, 2019

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Thursday January 31 2019 27
I’ve made a couple of mistakes’
What are the highs and lows
within your career?
Being a world champion is the
ultimate in your sport. That’s
always the best. But every time I
win a New Zealand title, I always
think that’s better than the last
one, they all mean the same to
me. Obviously your first one is
important, but when I won my
13th one, it just felt the same.
They’re so hard to win, I’ve lost
six finals and another 12 semis.
It used to take me a long time to
get over losing. But these days,
by the time I’ve got into the club
house and had a beer, I’m fine.
I’m recovered pretty quickly.
The next day, you’re like that’s a
lost opportunity, but you just sit
down and think well what can
I do better next time. It’s one of
those games you just can’t win
every day, it’s just too tough.
How is the future of New
Zealand bowls looking in your
eyes?
They’ve got a really good highperformance
programme the
boys have put together over the
last six months. New Zealand
hasn’t had a good one for a
long time. We’ve got a fantastic
group of young players, men and
women coming through. The
development squads are strong
in depth. But I reckon the future
looks fantastic.
Is your daughter Gemma into
sports?
Yes, she’s into hockey. She
plays for St Margaret’s. She’s 16
and in year 12 this year. But she’s
not ultra-competitive, she just
gets in there and plays. She loves
going to the gym, she’s a fit little
monkey. She’s into the healthy
living sort of thing. She’s weekon,
week-off, she does a week
with her mother, Judy. She’s a
champion.
How long have you owned the
Horse and Jockey?
It opened in January last year.
It’s been good, I’ve got a couple
of partners now. The frustrating
thing is there is a 23-room
hotel upstairs that should have
been open 12 months ago so it’s
disappointing for us. But at the
end of the day, we’ve plugged
away quite nicely and it’s ticking
away nicely. We’ve got regulars,
we’ve got an older patronage and
then when the students get back
we get a few popping in during
the day. But a lot of good people,
you get to know them. They’ve all
got a story.
You’ve had a few bars, what
are some of the others you’ve
been involved with?
DADDY’S GIRL. Gary Lawson with his daughter in 2008
before the start of the smen’s pairs final at the national
championships in Christchurch.
I’ve just dabbled in a few with a
couple of mates. I had a little bit
of action with a mate at the Fat
Ladies Arms, just a shareholder
and a couple up in Auckland. It’s
been a busy time.
What are some of the upsides
and downsides of running a
pub?
It’s a lot tougher game now
than it used to be. The food side
of it, you’ve got to have the food
and it’s difficult to get that right.
At the end of the day, if you’ve
got a keg of beer that lasts two
weeks and you’ve got time to sell
it. But if you’ve got a lettuce or a
chicken or whatever, you need to
sell it and if people don’t come
in, you can’t, so you can get a
lot of waste. With food there are
people who are really good at it
and there are people who aren’t.
Obviously, now there’s a lot more
restrictions then there used to
be. But it’s good fun as long as
you come with the right attitude.
People come into a bar to have a
beer because they’re either happy
or sad and it’s your job to make
them have a good time. You’ve
just got to be cheerful when
people come in. If you don’t like
people, you shouldn’t own a pub.
What are some of the more
humorous moments you’ve seen
at the pub?
None of that carry on, everyone
just has a couple of beers and
wanders off, either in a taxi or an
Uber. You’d have to wait for the
book to hear any of that.
Is there going to be a book?
No, no, no – definitely not. We
thought about it years ago, but it’s
not going to happen.
Summer stunners which like warm temps
As the temperatures soar,
several plants bounce to the
fore, producing a colour through
flashy foliage or brilliant blooms.
It’s all about colour, colour and
more colour. Rachel Vogan
reports
1. SALVIA ‘AMISTAD’
Perennial sages have had a real resurgence
over recent years and when this one
arrived a couple of years ago, I was quick to
snap it up.
This is a taller variety, reaching 1m in
height, which makes it a good anchor
tenant for the back of the border. It looks a
treat mixed in with white roses and other
showy blooms.
The dark purple flowers sit pertly above
the green foliage and look a picture until
the first frosts arrive. Protect from frost
where possible or take a few cuttings to
over
winter and replant again next spring.
Great contender for a larger patio tub.
The bees love it.
2. BEGONIA WATERFALL SERIES
These newish begonias are
just the ticket for all-year-round summer
and autumn colour. Having a low
growing habit, they have been designed
to cover areas of soil to provide carpets
of colour until winter arrives or early
frosts appear. They produce a wonderful
cascade of colour in hanging baskets.
Nestle in a warm, dry
spot over winter and they
will bound back to life again
in late spring.
VIVID: This bidens variety is named
camp fire.
3. CORNUS FLORIDA ‘CHEROKEE
SUNSET’
A variegated dogwood is
just the ticket for gardens that want some
contrasting and colourful foliage at the
back of the garden.
With a tall, slim habit, this small tree
cloaks itself in pretty foliage for nine
months of the year. As the leaves appear
in spring, creamy flowers sit on the
branches just adding the plant’s appeal.
Protect from gale-force winds, or plant
where a fence or other trees will provide
protection.
4. HYDRANGEA ‘FLOWER MASTER
BLUE’
The big blue mophead hydrangea is
a ripper. Its flower heads are some of
the biggest I have ever seen! It forms a
medium-sized shrub and will cope with
some sun. To keep the flowers a rich blue
colour feed with aluminium sulphate,
which is available in the garden stores
and sometimes labelled ‘hydrangea blue
fertiliser’. It comes in both liquid and
powdered forms.
Top tip: to make blue hydrangeas pink,
fertilise
with lime and dolomite.
5. NEW: ROSE ‘STRAWBERRY
BLONDE’
A new floribunda rose produces masses
of golden-apricot blooms that soften with
age, fading into bleached blonde shades.
The blooms have a good scent, which adds
to its appeal. It forms a compact bush from
which dozens of blooms will appear over
the season.
A good option for a large patio planter or
tub. Like all roses, it will appreciate regular
watering.
6. DAY LILY
As the name suggests, the blooms on
these hardy lilies only last a day. However,
as they produce such an abundance of
blooms, they are rarely without a flower
over the summer, making them hard to go
past for a flowering option in full sun and
poor soils. Once established, daylilies will
withstand long dry periods and require
little or no care. For foodies, both the
flowers and buds are edible. Clumps are
easy to divide too, so after a few seasons,
you will be able to split the plants into
several bits.
7. BIDENS FERULIFOLIA
‘CAMP FIRE’
What a wee ripper this plant is. Mine has
romped through winter and has been
bursting with blooms since November.
It forms a low-growing mound, which
spreads out to about 80cm. It looks like a
soft plant, which wouldn’t tolerate a lot, but
it copes with neglect and survives happily
with just a regular watering regime. It selfcleans
so there is no need for deadheading
– simply plant and walk away. Wonderful
perennial for patio tubs and window boxes.