CHATTER

Blueberry

Family ties

Blueberries are part of the Ericaceae family (commonly known as the heath or heather family) along with azaleas, rhododendrons, and cranberries. Other relations to the blueberry include sparkleberry, farkleberry, whortleberry, and partridgeberry! Unfortunately these family members live in the States. Here at Palmers we are keeping it blue with blue dawn, blue magic, and tasty blue.

Eat up

Blueberries are a nutritional powerhouse overflowing with antioxidants, fibre, vitamin C, and potassium. They prove that good things really do come in small packages.

If this plant were a person it would be…

Papa Smurf. Most Smurfs are said to be about 100 years old, but at the advanced age of 546, Papa is the oldest and the leader of all Smurfs. Despite his age, he is still quite energetic. His “obvious” consumption of blueberries must have helped with anti-aging and vitality.

Acid trip

Blueberries love acidic soil. So plant them in a sunny spot and add organic matter like compost and mulch. If you’ve got clay soil, make liquid sulphur your friend. Once dissolved, it lowers the pH of soil, making it more acidic.

Built-in protection

You might notice a bit of a whitish covering on some berries, but it’s perfectly natural. It’s called a bloom and it helps protect the berry and keep it juicy.

Did you know?

In 2020 the Blueberry emoji debuted on smartphones across the world. Our plant of the month comes from Katherine Beauchamp from Palmers Miramar.

One

Flower watching

Hundreds of mature cherry trees will soon burst into pink and white blossoms, turning Upper Hutt’s Aston Norwood Gardens into a spring wonderland in September. Mark and Fiona Rammell established the gardens in the 1990s, planting more than 350 cherry trees on the 14-acre site at the foot of the Remutaka Hill. Mark says they were inspired to plant the trees after a visit to Kyoto, Japan during Hanami (flower watching) season. This year, the couple are hosting a new event called Blossom Valley (9 September – 3 October) to celebrate the start of spring. As well as enjoying the delicate blooms, visitors can purchase picnics from the onsite cafe, and the gardens will also be open and lit up for special night-time experiences.

Garden giveaway

The metaphor of the garden, seasonal cycles, and nature are at the heart of The Seekers’ Garden, a new novel by Wellington writer Isa Pearl Ritchie. We have a copy of Isa’s book to giveaway. Email hello@capitalmag.co.nz with the subject line “The Seekers’ Garden” to go in the draw.

Two

Climb every mountain

The rugged Tararua Ranges are the third most dangerous area for trampers (behind Fiordland and Tongariro national parks), according to the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council (MSC). From 2007 to 2017 there were five deaths and over 180 trampers required searches and rescue. Trampers most commonly ran into trouble when they underestimated the time it would take to reach their destination. New recommendations to reduce the number of safety incidents have been put forward by an independent Issue Specific Advisory Group formed by MSC and the Department of Conservation. A number of solutions were proposed: to provide clarity on expected journey times, a public interface for reporting track issues, encouraging trampers to factor longer journey times into their planning, and ensuring accurate information about conditions is available to trampers so they set realistic expectations.

It's cool to kōrero

Ka kite au i a koe a te Rānere inu pia ai.

I’ll see you Friday for a beer.

New in town

Self love

Orinoco Designs is a new boutique store in Paraparaumu Beach on the Kāpiti Coast. Orinoco has women's clothing from New Zealand designers, hand-made jewellery, dried flowers, and a stunning eclectic mix of homewares and gifts. Owner Erin Skelsey says Orinoco’s in store vibe and style offers “an experience for the self”.

Three

It’s electrifying

Thirty more fast chargers for electric vehicles will be installed in the capital thanks to $498,785 from the government’s Low Emission Vehicles Fund. Currently there are around 3,000 electric vehicles in the wider Wellington region, but only 30 charge points in Wellington city. Only 14 of these are fast chargers, which can fully charge a car in under an hour, compared to around six hours for the slow chargers.

Four

Hundy

Seatoun Primary School celebrates its centenary this year. The school is holding a series of special events for pupils and staff, past and present, from 17 to 19 September, including a street parade from Seatoun Wharf, past the old school site, and on to the current school where a new playground will be formally opened.

Five

See the light

Lights and lanterns will brighten up the waterfront this year when Lumino City, formerly the Wellington Lantern Festival, takes place from Frank Kitt’s Park all the way to Waitangi Park (15–16 October). There will be more than 100 light installations from around the world, some of which have been provided by embassies – including a komodo dragon from Indonesia, a Frida Kahlo lantern from Mexico, and some of our favourite regulars like the duck that floats near Te Papa and the penguins at the diving platform on Taranaki Wharf.

Six

Good sports

Mother and daughter compete in a variety of sports in There’s No I In Team, at the Dowse until 17 October. The portraits by Claudia Kogachi (pictured) build on an earlier series that explored the dynamics of family conflict through images of her and her mother battling it out in various sporting events set in domestic spaces. This new series shifts the sense of conflict to a spirit of friendly competition. Kogachi and her mother are rendered cartoon-like “in delightfully awkward angles and inviting bright colours” says senior curator Dr Chelsea Nichols.

Seven

The mane event

A jet-black lion stamped with a silver fern gazes from Parliament’s forecourt across the teeming savannah that is Molesworth St, until the end of September. The life-sized sculpture was painted by former All Black Richie McCaw and artist Dick Frizzell for the Tusk Lion Trail, a global art campaign organised by the conservation charity Tusk. The population of African lions is estimated to have declined by as much as 50% over the last 25 years. There are now fewer wild lions left in the world than rhinos.