The legacy of the late Os Blumhardt

The legacy of the late Os Blumhardt lives on at Koromiko Nursery.

Os’ nephew Chris Blumhardt is trying to fulfil the promise that he made to his uncle to carry on the plant breeding work that made Os famous around the world for his varieties of vireyas, camellias and rhododendrons.

Chris is the first to admit that Os left behind a mighty challenge when he died suddenly in August last year.

Chris had been helping to improve the nursery which had been become a struggle for Os when he had had a period of ill health.

Unfortunately for Chris, he could not have known that he would have such a limited time to learn about all of the parent trees planted around the property.

“I did manage to get to know most of the stock trees, but there are some that are unknown. There were no labels – I just had to learn them by heart. I’m going to be asking for the help of some of Os’ friends to try and identify the ones I’m not sure about,’’ Chris says.

This summer has been spent weeding and watering. “It’s been brutal on the plants. It’s been a struggle to keep up with the amount of water they need with this long hot period with no rain.’’

Chris says a lot of new plants are ready to go to new homes, and he has completed a new catalogue which is due to be sent out.

“There are many of Os’ great varieties available,’’ Chris says.

In the camellias, there are Red Crystal, Knight Rider and Fairy Wand.

“The camellias are all budding up now,’’ he says.

Among the vireyas are favourites such as Saxon Glow, Saxon Blush – which were the two patented varieties – as well as Red Mountain, Brightly, Rio Rita, Sparkles, Big Softie, Rangitoto Rose, Rob’s Favourite, Christopher John, Ra, Mighty Marmalade, Souvenir de JH Mangles and the miniature Tom Thumb.

Among the rhododendrons are Scented Rebel and Sunset Rose.

“This nursery has always been about trying to breed plants that will do well in Northland,’’ Chris says.

Chris says there are two exciting new varieties that he is soon to have patented, after which he will be able to make them available for sale.
Os planned to call them Big Cerise, which is a large deep cerise colour, and Millennium Flame, because it flowered for the first time in 2000.

Chris says he misses his mentor terribly. “I go to ask him something, and realise he’s not there.’’

The nursery is open Monday to Thursday between 8.30am and 5.30pm, Fridays 8.30am to 3pm and weekends by appointment.

Artists Greg Barron and Jin Ling's garden

Spacious gardens allow Whangarei artists Greg Barron and Jin Ling the room to display their large works in beautiful surroundings.
Greg, who is a potter, and Jin, who is a sculptor, moved to Glenbervie about a year ago.
The choice of an adobe house was natural since Greg has made his livelihood out of shaping clay with his hands.
He has built a spacious new studio and gallery – and the only grumble at first was that he wasn’t able to spend as much time as he would have liked on creating his own artworks.
However, he has made up for lost time and his distinctive pottery is now filling the gallery.
Jin, who is originally from China where she was renowned for her large-scale metal sculptures, is reveling in the extra space.
Since moving to New Zealand and marrying Greg, Jin developed a love for working with clay.
Her sculptures are often life sized – she loves to create serene stylised buddhas and women holding doves.
Jin says her works are so large that they are difficult to display well in galleries.
“People can see them here out in the gardens where they are not crowded with other works.’’
However, she does make smaller items as well. Her stylized glazed wood pigeons are in honour of the large birds that swoop around the puriri trees on their property.
To their delight, wood pigeons have often perched to drink from one of Greg’s large bird bath basins that has been balanced on a log near the base of a tree outside a window of their studio.
Jin always makes sure there is plenty of water in it to encourage the pigeons to return.
The couple has placed most of the bush, comprising puriri, taraire and karaka, in a covenant to protect it for the future.
Greg’s next major project is to build an adobe house alongside the gallery.
The couple has planted a mixture of native trees in a screen for road traffic noise, and Jin has created an attractive bromeliad collection near the entry to the gallery, which has a wide verandah frontage.
Placed around the gardens are sculptures and pots in an outdoor gallery among the trees.
Greg says the new surroundings are already inspiring them, which is vital to artists “who should always let ideas evolve to keep dynamic’’.
With commissions to fulfil and exhibitions and galleries demanding their works throughout New Zealand and overseas, Greg and Jin now have the peaceful setting and space to enjoy their craft and share it with others.

Mamie Herlihy's garden

Mamie Herlihy, of Otaika Valley south of Whangarei, admits to a severe addiction to rocks.
“I’m a rockaholic. I can’t help bringing back more rocks to add to the garden every time I go for a walk,’’ she says.
It’s obvious she does a lot of walking as volcanic rocks line all of the garden beds on the property and have been used in various features, with more underway.
It’s one of the attractions to the property for Mamie, who originally comes from the volcanic region of Okaihau where dry stone walls are equally common.
The rich, volcanic soil is also an advantage – although she grumbles that while plants thrive, the weeds do even better.
With a house that is about 100 years old, Mamie has created a cottage-style garden that complements the wide verandahs and large sash windows.
“I’m a sucker for flowers, and with this style of garden there is always some colour somewhere in the garden.’’
In the 18 years she has lived there, trees and shrubs she planted have grown to tower over her.
She treasures all her trees and shrubs, to the point she resists for as long as possible before cutting one down that has become diseased.
“I become very fond of them and I always like to give them a good chance of coming right.’’
She was not so benevolent about a prickly bougainvillea that had snagged her once too often.
“A friend helped me get rid of it by hauling it out over the garden fence with a tractor. It damaged the fence a bit but it was only way we could get it out.’’
Whenever she runs out of room, Mamie has a tendency to extend the garden.
This was also her solution when cattle kept escaping from an old holding paddock.
“The cattle were forever getting out, so I solved the problem by making it into a garden,’’ she says.
With most of the property now leased out for grazing of dry stock, Mamie decided it was time to trade in the old tractor.
“It was too big and it never went when I wanted it to because the battery was always going flat. Someone suggested I should trade it in on a ride-on mower and trailer so that’s what I did. I realised I didn’t really need the tractor any more and the mower has had much more use. It was a great transfer.’’
Blue is a recurrent colour around the gardens, with sun umbrella, benches, fences and other features – including old cart wheels at the entrance all painted the same colour.
Pots scattered around the courtyard are the same midnight blue colour, making a coherent design.
At the back of the garden, Mamie has a series of large raised vegetable gardens, which she now swears by.
“I can sit on the edges and reach in to weed. It’s so much easier on your back.’’
Planted nearby is a collection of Eucalyptus Baby Blue, an attractive foliage tree that is prized by florists. Leucodendrons have also been planted.
Mamie says she has never pursued her original plan to supply local florists, but the trees are still there so she may do one day.
Mamie’s jack russell terrier, Dawn, fossicks around in the garden whenever she is working and helps with gardening by burying avocadoes collected from surrounding orchards.
“Thanks to Dawn I’m always finding avocado trees sprouting in the garden.’’
However, the dog does earn its keep by keeping wild peacocks at bay.
“Dawn works much better than the high fence we had put up to keep them out.’’