Spring at the gardens

Taking the Botanical Gardens as the barometer of the seasons, one can say with confidence that spring has really come. Not that the spring flowers have reached their best yet, not by any means; but nevertheless many of them are now making a brave massed show that will well repay a visit to the Gardens at any time. Entering by the King street gate, probably the first thing to catch the visitors’ eye will be the pure rich blue of the masses of scilla that carpet the beds of the standard roses. On the other side of one of the main paths white and pink prunus, the red blossoms of the almond and pink peach bloom all claim admiration. Narcissi of all types lift their golden heads and make all the scene gay, but they have a still richer display to make after a little while. Yellow violas and brilliant-hued anemones add their part to the attractiveness of the scene. One long curving bed of polyanthus primroses in orange, yellow and white makes a particularly fine sight just now.

Near the main entrance a deep red rhododendron fully out is a conspicuous object. The wide borders stretching away to the bridge over Lindsay’s Creek present a beautiful sight. Inside the Winter Gardens there is, as always, a variety of objects of interest both to the  expert  and to the ordinary visitor. Up the hill at the top of the gardens, not far from the entrance by the Opoho tram, work continues with the kiosk, which will shortly form such a welcome addition to the attractions of the gardens. The men are busy at present completing the necessary drains. The main room, all glass on three sides, commands a view that will challenge comparison with any that could be found about Dunedin, and that is saying much. The floor has been specially laid to provide an admirable surface for dancing.

In the azalea garden there is a great show of polyanthus primroses, which for some reason seem to be particularly intense in their colouring this season. All about the top of the rhododendron dell the daffodils have come out in full force, and make a show to gladden the heart of anyone. At the entrance to the dell there is one rhododendron displaying his beautiful rich red blooms as if to announce what it is that visitors may expect in that dell of beauty a little later on.  If anyone has been considering whether it is worthwhile going to the Gardens yet, they need hesitate no longer. Spring has come.

False alarm as possum spotted

Auckland, September 26: A house at Edendale was the scene of great excitement on Friday evening. A woman resident was in the backyard, when she noticed a commotion in a wattle tree, and distinguished the vague form of an animal. She screamed, and rushed next door, and there she breathlessly imparted the news of the discovery of a leopard to the neighbour. News spread quickly, and in a few minutes a small army of searchers had assembled, armed with all varieties of weapons. A short discussion arose, the problem being how to get the animal down from the tree. Their difficulties, however met with a simple solution, as the animal descended the tree of its own accord. When it had emerged from the shadow of the branches it proved to be nothing more dangerous than an opossum. The search party was naturally somewhat disappointed, but soon gave chase to the opossum. A policeman was present who could manipulate a sack to some advantage, and, as the animal was scaling a fence to make for the open highway, he skillfully snared it.  — ODT, 28.9.1925

Compiled by Peter Dowden