The huge commitment of two Dunedin families has turned an eyesore into an eye-catcher, Gillian Vine writes.
In 1989, when she moved to Dunedin, Beverley Perry was unimpressed with the streetscape.
''It was hideous outside and we despaired,'' she said.
Never one to sit around waiting for someone else to do something, Beverley cleared rubbish and broken asphalt heaped up in Sligo Tce.
Her husband, Tony, built a rock wall to make a raised bed, then lavender and polyanthus were planted.
It was not long before Beverley was eyeing the opposite side of the road and - with the support of then mayor Sukhi Turner - obtained permission to plant there.
She added flaxes and kowhai to encourage birds.
The project took another leap forward in 2006 when their son, Marcus, returned home after six years in Australia.
A trained and experienced horticulturist, Marcus had been running a garden centre in Wagga Wagga, in inland New South Wales and recalls having to adjust to the dry climate with average summer temperatures of 37degC, as well as unfamiliar plants.
He loved it and probably would have stayed but for health problems following a mosquito bite.
Marcus, whose special interest is rhododendrons, had already planted some in Sligo Tce and had a collection of the shrubs on a family property in Christchurch, so he decided the best place for them was Dunedin.
''We hauled them all down on a trailer and it took two trailer-loads,'' he said.
Interplanted with camellias, they are now a feature of Sligo Tce from late September. Some are 50 years old, as Marcus had made a point of collecting rhododendrons - particularly the Naomi hybrids - that were disappearing from nursery catalogues, as well breeding some himself.
Two years later, neighbour Maree Johnstone became involved. She and Marcus talked about ways to beautify the very steep slope of the council reserve.
''It really was an eyesore, an overgrown mess with Muehlenbeckia, old man's beard, blackberries and wasps' nests. Maree and I decided that area was ideal for rhododendrons,'' he said.
''We slogged, getting rid of it all.''
About this time, Beverley announced her intention to pull back, saying: ''I decided there was only one head gardener and that was Marcus, so I retired.''
The new ''head gardener'' comments on how much he admires and appreciates what his mother has done. As she did in the past, he and Maree supply all the plants for the Sligo Tce project, so every rhododendron, daffodil, primula and tulip has been planted without charge to the city.
''Maree has been great. She's purchased plants and divided her own,'' Marcus said.
''And I ask Maree to collect fritillaria seed every year, so I can scatter it.''
Over the past year, in a joint city council-Otago Polytechnic project, arboriculture students have been felling sycamore trees.
''That's opened up a whole new area,'' Marcus said.
In what is classified as an exotic part of the Town Belt, a European woodland theme has been the focus so planting reflects that, although many existing native trees and ferns have been retained, supplemented with such things as colourful flaxes, camellias, abutilons, daffodils, bluebells, snowdrops, cinerarias and lots of rhododendrons.
It is already a delightful streetscape with rhododendrons at their peak this month and Marcus says there are plans for further development.
He, his mother and Maree Johnstone deserve heartfelt congratulations on their achievement.
Perhaps others in Dunedin and around the region will follow their example.
