By Jan Fryer

Another month of some fairly wild weather around the country.

I think we can pretty much assume that every month, somewhere in the country will be hit with less than desirable weather. What does that mean in terms of planning for resilience and future proofing our environment?

As we head into the winter, it is a good time for some reflection on how things are going.

For some, the financial year finished on the 31st March, which means analysing what the turmoil of the last year or so has meant.

Many councils have a June 30th end of financial year, so there is a lot of time spent at this time of year sorting out budgets for the coming year, setting rates and identifying priorities.

It is also a time when the outcomes of the past year’s projects are scrutinised, and in these tough economic times that scrutiny might be quite daunting.

We are also looking at the priorities for FuturEcology for the coming year. One of these is how we communicate with our wonderful customer base and supporters.

We have been sending out our monthly newsletter for over 3 years and thoroughly enjoy the process of compiling it and providing a mixture of information and education. It is probably time, however, to do a review and refresh, so we would really appreciate your feedback.

Please find a short survey here. To thank you for your time, submitters will go in the draw for 25 EmGuards, dagmats and bamboo canes.

We are off to Auckland to speak at the Recreation Association conference in a couple of weeks. Our topic is Excellence in Restoration Projects in Challenging Financial Times.

It has been interesting exploring lots of ideas around the topic. There is so much to say, but we only have a limited timeslot, so therein lies the challenge! Wish us luck in condensing 40 years into half an hour!

Planting season is in full swing now, so all the best with your planting projects this year.

Tree of the Month

Pinus Radiata

By Emma Petch

It’s not every day a pine tree stops us in our tracks, but this one had us doing a double take.

Last week, we had the absolute pleasure of exploring the breathtaking Clos Henri Vineyard in Marlborough. Rolling hills, a charming little church perched on a hill, and sweeping views of the Wairau Valley. What a beautiful spot.

Mid-tour, we came across a rather odd-looking pine tree. At first, it just looked like your average conifer doing its thing… until we noticed a rogue branch doing something completely different. Naturally, we had to take a closer look.

Turns out, this quirky little phenomenon is known as a ‘sport’ in the botanical world. No, it’s not a tree training for a marathon — a sport is a random genetic mutation, where one part of a plant suddenly decides to be a bit of a rebel. A different branch, unusual leaves, a pop of unexpected colour — it’s nature’s version of a plot twist.

These mutations aren’t caused by the environment or growing conditions. Nope, it’s just a spontaneous quirk during cell division or DNA replication. And the best part? Sometimes these happy accidents can be passed down to future generations.

In fact, that’s how some of our favourite plants and fruits came to be. Ever bitten into a nectarine? That smooth-skinned beauty is actually a sport that sprang from a peach tree. And those variegated leaves you spot in trendy plant shops? Sports too.

So, next time you’re out in the garden, keep your eyes peeled for a plant doing something a little bit different. If you spot a desirable sport, you might even be able to take a cutting. If it takes, you could have a brand new variety on your hands. Naming rights, of course, are entirely yours.

Here’s to the delightful weirdos of the plant world. 🌱

EmGuard Update

By Jan Fryer

EmGuards are flying out the door faster than we can produce them at the moment.

We love that and it is really satisfying seeing all the projects that are happening the length and breadth of the country.

So far, we have been able to match the supply and demand. However, please, if you know that you have a big project happening, with tight time frames, can you let us know your needs as soon as possible. That way we can keep those guards flowing and those plants protected from the rabbits, pukekos, hares and weedeaters.

If you missed our survey earlier, click here to complete it and go in the draw for 25 EmGuards, dagmats and bamboo canes.

Buy EmGuard ™ now

Weed of the Month

Climbing dock (Rumex sagittatus)

By Evelyn Nashiro

This annoyingly common and distinctive plant pest has been well and truly in our sights this month. Its distinctive flowers make it very visible, especially in the last couple of months.

It was originally from South Africa and was introduced as an ornamental garden plant early last century.

This scrambling or low-climbing perennial has brown kumara or beetroot-like tubers (5-20 cm long) and yellow flesh, as well as extensive long rhizomes. The light green arrow-shaped leaves have pointed basal lobes facing downwards. Clusters of small, green-pink or reddish flowers are produced at the top of the plant from November to March. These are followed by large masses of showy yellow-pink-crimson, flat, heart-shaped capsules containing seeds, which are wind dispersed.

Data from New Zealand Conservation Network and Weedbusters.

Pictures of climbing dock’s tubers (left) and climbing dock vines/flowers (right). Photos taken by FuturEcology’s team.

As you can see in the pictures above, climbing dock is a weed that is very hard to control, because of its effective dispersal mechanisms. Its fast growth also allows it to climb very quickly, sometimes to more than 3 metres over the vegetation below. That is a major part of the issue with this weed, as it shades out the plants below and makes a very dense canopy.

Control can be difficult because of the seeds being wind dispersed.

If there are only a small number of plants, manually dig up the tubers and dispose to landfill. If using chemicals, cut plants back to 30-60cm above ground level and using a low pressure sprayer, apply glyphosate at 1%. Follow up spraying may be required.

Delegat’s Kaituna Project

By Evelyn Nashiro

In sunny Blenheim, Bridget has been working hard in the Delegat’s Kaituna Project for the last 3 years. As a result of her hard work, the native trees are looking stunning and it is great to see them thriving as an interesting contrast with the structured vineyard rows.

Pictures from planting areas at Kaituna Project.

More native trees for Codger’s Mountain Bike Park

By Evelyn Nashiro

The team at FuturEcology has been working hard at Codger’s Mountain Bike Park this summer. Following spraying, we dedicated many hours to mulching the weed infested site, to prepare it for this winter’s planting. Good site preparation is key to the success of our planting projects and we are already looking forward to planting the next round of native trees this winter.

Pictures of the area to be planted this winter before (left) and after (right) following many hours of working with the scrub bars and mulching the area.

Also this summer, we have been hand releasing around the trees that we planted last winter. The soil in this site is soft and very moist and as you can see in the pictures below, the plants are thriving after only a year. As always, regular maintenance is vital to success.

Interesting Snippets

What we’ve been reading

By Jan Fryer

This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson

I was sorting out all the tax files and book shelves at work recently and came across this book again. We may have featured it before.

I found a spare copy of the book on the shelf, so for the first person who responds that they would like to read this, I will send you this copy.

It is one that both Robert and I really enjoyed.

It follows the life of Robert FitzRoy, who was given the captaincy of HMS Beagle at only 23, to survey the wilds of Tierra del Fuego. On board was also a passenger, the young Charles Darwin.

The story follows the friendship, the feuds and obsessions that tore them apart.

He was also an original governor of New Zealand and this is a fascinating part of the story.

Recipe of the month

It’s that time of year when there is an abundance of fruit and chutneys are a key feature of my weekend productivity, whether I feel like it or not, as I hate to see food going to waste.

We have an abundance of feijoas at the moment, so here is a favourite chutney recipe.

Feijoa and Prune Chutney.

Conclusion:

By Jan Fryer

We are adjusting reluctantly to it being nearly dark by the time we get home from work.

It is a time of year when comfort, warmth and security move up the priority list, but it is also easy to become a bit anti-social if the fire is on and it is raining outside.

Here in Nelson North, we have a small group called Gotta Bitta Land. I started it about 6 years ago, with the aim of connecting landowners together for support, education and fun. The New Zealand Association of Resource Management recently published an article about our little group that you can read here.

So, enjoy that bit of extra time for reading, catching up with friends and eating good comfort food, because we can’t be outside on our “Bitta land’ in the evening.

If you have any projects in mind and would like to talk further, give us a call or pop in and see us.

We look forward to hearing from you!