Crowds come out for safari

The SeaLink Jassy Dean Trust Garden Safari saw 1600 people check out the island's gardens over the weekend. Gill Alcock joined the throng of aspiring horticulturalists...

When organisers had to do a reprint of tickets due to the huge uptake, they knew it was going to be a big event. Warnings went out to bake more scones, find more tea cups, and bring in more plants.

Bang on 10am on Saturday morning, punters were queuing up outside their chosen first garden ready for the gates to open. And the visitors didn't stop.

The closing time of 4pm Sunday came and went with visitors still sneaking into gardens they hadn't yet seen.

All this to top up the coffers of the island's unique charity - The Jassy Dean Trust - set up to help any island child and its family when illness or injury strikes. The garden safari is its only fundraiser so it has to do well.

The pressure was on everyone, organisers, garden owners and volunteers, to do their best. And best was what they did.

Even the weather was on its best behaviour. Glorious clear blue skies met the eyes when the curtains were pulled back on Saturday morning - all the better to set off the incredible colours of the Flanders poppies, bearded iris, hybrid clematis, amaryllis, canna lilies and alstromeria, not to mention the clivia, bromeliads, yellow pokers and sweet peas.

Hard labour, whether by owners or hired hands, was evident in the high standard of gardens. From traditional backyards to Garden 7 on the Causeway which had jaws dropping at the number of ponga logs that must have been carried down the steep sided property and the barrow loads of soil that must have been moved.

Vegetable plots were popular as always, even in the largest of gardens, but roses were the stars of the day - every hue, every type, small ones, enormous multi-petalled ones. They took one's breath away, climbing up fences and pagodas and everyone sniffing them to see if they smelt like their colour.

The mammoth plant sale at Rangihoua Estate, sponsored by Central Landscapes, raised an incredible $10,000.

Organiser Geoff Bullock was amazed to not only beat last year's $4,400 total but to more than double it.

He put the success down to his tenacious team, the huge array of plants available and the fact that Colin and Anne Sayles at Rangihoua allowed their lawn to be turned into a nursery to showcase the plants. He also paid tribute to Central Landscapes for providing all the soil for the plants. Plants were also on sale at the Wells Bay property of Judy and Tony Laity - Garden 14. Judy and her team of helpers took $942 for the trust. Another $385 was raised by more plant sales by Janet Pape at Garden 12.

The home baked efforts of Agnes Tully at Kauri Ridge raised $954. She is reported to have said to trust chairman Greg Dean she "wouldn't mind cooking some cakes for next year's safari". Greg has now put her in charge of "home-baked fundraising" for next year.

The Devonshire teas at Garden 9 proved so popular over 300 were sold raising $1300 for other children - those of Waiheke Primary School.

A much enjoyed spectacle of the safari is the community art gallery's Art Out There exhibition which this year was based at Gardens 1 and 2 on Delamore Drive. Sculptures vied with the views, and in some cases interacted. All were for sale to the benefit of the gallery and the artists.

A first this year was the scarecrows' picnic at Garden 1, created by the public with the help of the Red Shed Co-operative. The people's favourite was Aunt Sally closely followed by Dorothy and John.

And while Garden 6 at 39 Ocean Road was named the People's Choice and the hard work of owners Eleanor and Graham Ashby rewarded with the Helen Routledge trophy, the winning voter was Brian Horne who won a year's subscription to Weekend Gardener.

- Waiheke Marketplace