North Canterbury News: April 18, 2024

GOLDEN YEARS
The North Canterbury News, April 18, 2024
15
Council reserve named after its transformer
By SHELLEY TOPP
AKaiapoi gardener, who transformed a
barren reserve next to her home into an
award­winning garden, will have the
public space named after her.
The cottage garden transformation has
taken Jane Hughes seven years.
Earlier this year her work was publicly
recognised when the garden won the
Premier Garden Award in the All
Together Kaiapoi Garden Competition.
The garden also won the View From
The Street section of the competition.
Jane says she is extremely proud of
what she has achieved in the garden —
doing all the work herself.
Attending the garden awards with
family members and friends was agreat
honour, she says.
Afterwards they all went back to Jane’s
place and celebrated her achievement
with aglass of wine.
‘‘They were all so excited, and they all
enjoy the garden as well. It really capped
off what was already alovely night,’’ Jane
says.
Although Jane pays for most of the
plants in the garden herself, she also gets
plants from her brother Thomas,akeen
gardener, who also lives in Kaiapoi, and
one of her three daughters,Hilary, who is
aflorist.
Jane loves alstroemerias and Hilary
has helped her source some rare and
unusual ones from the North Island for
the garden.
She also loves lilies, and enjoys giving
her neighbours Christmas lilies from the
garden when they are in bloom.
The Beachgrove reserve has become a
popular place in the community with two
seats for people to stop and enjoy the
space. When Jane is working in the
garden people passing by often tell her
she has alovely garden.
Waimakariri District Council
greenspace manager Grant MacLeod has
also praised Jane for the garden she has
created.
‘‘It has been fabulous to see the care
and attention that Jane has paid to the
reserve.
‘‘She has certainly brought avibrancy
to not only the reserve, but also the local
community.
‘‘She put in all the hard work at the
beginning and that has continued in her
tireless maintenance of the garden.
‘‘It is very evident that she has alot of
pride in her garden and her community.’’
Waimakariri District councillor, and
former All Together Kaiapoi member,
Brent Cairns says Jane is an inspiration to
those around her.
‘‘Whenever you call in to see Jane you
will more often than not find her in the
garden, trimming edges or weeding,’’ he
says.
‘‘We are so fortunate to have someone
like her who cares about thequality of our
reserves.
‘‘It was apleasure to be able to
acknowledge all the hard work she has
done, and award her the supreme award
in the Kaiapoi Garden Competition.’’
Jane says the garden is her ‘‘pride and
joy’’. It was inspired by her community
pride and love of gardening.
‘‘You plant aplant and see it flower, it
gives you great pleasure,’’ she says.
But it is also pleasing for her to see that
her garden is now giving so many others
pleasure too.
Specialplace ... Jane Hughes in the award
winning Kaiapoi garden she created for the
community in aWaimakariri District Council
reserve which is to be named Jane’s Garden
Reserve, in honour of the work she has
done transforming the area from abarren
space to aspectacular cottage garden.
PHOTO: SHELLEY TOPP
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