Waikato District Council news
Raglan residents might notice Waikato District Council is doing work on the gardens in the town’s main street.
“The existing plants in the main street’s gardens have been dying for a number of reasons including soil quality and compaction, lack of water and foot traffic. Most of the surviving plants are reaching the end of their life so also needed to be replaced,” Open Spaces Team Leader Duncan MacDougall says.
“The planting design reflects the vibrant culture of Raglan. Plants native to Aotearoa have been chosen and make up the majority of the planting, including dwarf toe toe, dwarf harakeke, purple harakeke, pohuehue, taatarahake and mikoikoi.
“All plants chosen are drought tolerant and have low maintenance requirements. The majority will only require an annual deadheading or trim. The rest require no maintenance which will save money,” Mr MacDougall says.
The plants for the small, semi-circle gardens along the south side of the Bow Street footpath have been chosen from a wider range of plants by the businesses adjacent to the gardens. Their input has resulted in each garden having a unique personality that reflects the various businesses in the community.
The removal of existing plants and the addition of new soil is almost complete. The soil will be covered with a fine layer of mulch to protect it while it settles prior to planting. Planting will begin the week of 10 June. This should be completed within a few weeks. After planting, the gardens will be mulched.