20/11/2013 - Produce A Nursery Crop Unit 20567------***

Actual Temperature

21 degrees Celsius

Humidity : 70%

Rainfall : 0.00mm

Wind : Light Wind

My Crop Production Unit was Lisa Short and its the last unit and we were cleaning the tubes for Plant sale production on 23/11/2013. Labelling the plants and tidying up the shade house. End up the section at 12.00am.

19/111/2013 - Bedding Preparation and Planting In Lower Botanical Garden

Actual Temperature

21 degrees Celsius

Humidity : 64%

Rainfall : 0.00mm

Wind : Light Wind

The second day in Lower Botanical Garden with Lisa Burton and Curator Stephen Bishop. We continue to plant the seedlings of Geranium maverick white and Geranium maverick scarlet to finish the plot. After completing the bed we use push hoe to smooth the foot print and finally watered the bed as required to maintain soil moisture to at least depth of root growth. Watering using irrigation system.

Geranium maverick series is praised for its detailed blooms and very vigorous, bushy growing habit. Each large 5-6" flowerhead is comprised of many small blooms with two shades of colours. With its distinct leaf and large colourful blooms, these are very showy when included in beds. They are heat and drought tolerant and are extremely long bloomers and grown as annuals. 

We returned all the tools and equipments are given a proper washed and stored in accordance. We end the bedding section at 11.00am.

18/11/2013 - Bedding Preparation and Planting In Lower Botanical Garden

Actual Temperature

16 degrees Celsius

Humidity : 74%

Rainfall : 0.00mm

Wind : Light Wind

Today my bedding preparation and planting was with Lisa Burton and Curator Stephen Bishop in Lower Botanical Garden at 8.00 am. Firstly we remove all the old plants on two beds such as tulip, pansy and Uncinia rubra grass. We remove all the bulbs separately and other plants before planting new bedding. We removed all unwanted weeds, turning the soil using spade and raking to smooth the surface of the soil.

After lunch break, we make measure the soil and planted evenly the seedling of Ageratum aloha blue. Blue as the summer sky and just about as endless, this free-flowering, long-blooming Floss Flower is a gift for the summer garden. Just 5 to 6 inches high and 3 to 4 inches wide, it offers big clusters of bright azure blooms among dark green foliage. Just the right size for containers, it also makes a splendid edging or front-of-the-border showoff.

Followed by Dianthus carpet snow seedlings.  Snow-in-summer is a double whammy plant -- it covers itself with striking white flowers but it also has striking silvery foliage. It looks completely at home in the hot, dry, sunny locations it loves -- next to sidewalks, between pavers, in rock gardens, along the edge of retaining walls, and tucked into the cracks of stacked stone walls. In fact, if the soil is too wet too long, root rot is likely to set in. Where it's happy, snow-in-summer will slowly spread, creating a carpet of white blooms that cover the plant in spring to early summer.

We end up the section at 2.30pm by placing the tools by cleaning and tidying the area. 

12/11/2013 - 15/11/2013 @ Weekly Diaries

On 12/11/2013 my Plant Propagation Unit was with Lisa Short in the nursery. The first plant that I pricked out and potted on 20 tubes is Viola edible flower and botanical name : Viola comuta. A colourful across the rainbow blend of mid-sized and round face types. An attractive garnish for the culinary delights. The plants are compact with a profusion of flowers in spring and autumn.

After lunch break I pricked out and potted on Snowdrift Marigold in Rx90 around 18 tubes. It looks exciting by the cream-coloured flowers in late spring. End up the day with tidy up the greenhouse.

On 14/11/2013 I have my Permaculture Unit with Kim Thomas. We read Chapter 13 on Weeds: guardian of the soil and end the section by sticking sticky paper in greenhouse to trap the pest. We watered the plants in Greenhouse.

On 14/11/2013 in the afternoon, we had Plant Identification Unit with Lisa Burton.  First we have test on the eight types of plant and we went walk around to University of Otago and identified Callistemon sp. (bottlebrush) and Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip tree).

On 15/11/2013 in the morning, we had Plant Identification Unit with Lisa Burton. We went around Upper Botanical Garden and identified eight types of plants such as Caulinia nigricans (black coral pea), Banksia integrifolia (Coastal banksia), Melicytus ramiflorus (mahoe or whiteywood), Metrosideros excelsa (pohutukawa), Pittosporum crassifolium (karo), Sophora mircophylla (kowhai), Grivellia 'Superb' (grivellia) and Quercus robur (English oak). 

On 15/11/2013 in the afternoon,Vermiculture Unit with Kim Thomas. We had our last Assessment 6 and checked our worms in greenhouse the temperature and pH of the soil. We also feed the worm with some oats, miner lettuce and bread. We end up the session by watering the plants.

13/11/2013 - Establish And Maintain Plant Collection Unit 20126

Actual Temperature

18 degrees Celsius

Humidity : 77%

Rainfall : 0.00mm

Wind : Light Wind

On Wednesday we had Establish and Maintain Plant Collection Unit with Paula Griannah in Harbour Terrace. In the morning we were weeding in front of Manaaki Building all the unwanted weeds at the entrance of the building. After removing the weeds, we gave a clean sweep on the pavement so its looks really tidy. 

After tidy up we went to Poly Kit to mulch with wood chipped. First we removed some weeds at the site beds and place the cardboard close the soil. Then we use the hose to wet all the cardboard before mulched with wood chipping.

After lunch we composts all weeds and dead and damaged plants in compost bin. We also added some horse manure and blood and bone and some soil. We end up the section by weeding again and tidying up in Harbour Terrace and adjourned at 4.00 pm.