WELLINGTON

- See the taonga in New Zealand’s only native botanic garden.

If I peer closely, I can just see the tiny, bright green stick insect tucked in amongst the leaves. “The stick insects love the rātā hedge,” says Tim Park, manager of OtariWilton’s Bush. These insects are not alone. Every spring, Otari (as it’s known locally) is visited by Wellingtonians who come to look at what is almost a forerunner to the festive season

– a wall of flaming red set against the green backdrop of nearby bush. The hedge is actually climbing rātā (Metrosideros carminea) planted against the base of a concrete wall. The area only requires the occasional weed and a trim once a year to keep it looking as good as it does. The warmth of the concrete wall behind the rātā contributes to the magnificent display.

But this “hedge” is only one of many reasons to visit Otari,

New Zealand’s only native botanic garden, which has 11km of walking tracks through native bush and various garden collections. These include collections of threatened species, a rock garden, fernery, alpine garden and wild garden.

One of the most popular trees here is the 800-year-old rimu, Wellington’s oldest and tallest tree. It was saved about 50 years ago when a protest was launched after the council proposed putting a road through the reserve; a plaque on the viewing platform beneath the tree commemorates Robert Fantl who led the protest. To coincide with last year’s Matariki, the rimu was gifted the name Moko by local iwi. You can visit Moko on the 60-minute loop through the forest, known as the Blue Walk.

Although it’s surrounded by suburbia, the extensive area of native bush at Otari and the impact of Zealandia, the

wildlife sanctuary close by, means Otari is full of native birds; kererū swoop and dive as I walk around. Tim tells me of a kākā nest by the picnic area with five eggs in it, next to the track. “I’m paranoid about dog walkers now,” he adds.

The opportunity to work at Otari attracts dedicated gardeners and botanists – “plant geeks,” says Tim – with a special interest in native flora. Set into the wall featuring the rātā hedge is a plaque dedicated to Raymond Mole, curator at Otari for 30 years from 1962. Nearby, a huge stone commemorates the work of eminent botanist Leonard Cockayne, who in 1926 was responsible for establishing the Otari Open Air Native Plant Museum and who, along with his wife, is buried there.

Wilton’s Bush is named for Job Wilton, one of the area’s earliest landowners who fenced off seven hectares of the original forest. Now, there are 100 hectares of forest with over 150 species of flowering plants, conifers and ferns. The entire complex has over 1200 species, hybrids and cultivars.

Today there are eight staff, including two part-timers, and the garden is assisted by the Otari-Wilton’s Bush Trust, a group of more than 250 members who provide support through fundraising, advocacy and volunteering. Every Thursday, a group of Trust members gather to weed a section of the garden. They are extremely knowledgeable, and many are trained botanists. “They know their plants really well and are a great bunch of people,” says Tim.

“They can blitz a huge bank in a day,” adds Tom Bellworthy, one of Otari’s gardeners. Tom finished his apprenticeship with the Wellington City Council four years ago and is a permanent gardener at Otari. He has recently been sponsored by the Onslow Garden Club, through the Otari Trust, to attend a course at Canterbury University to aid plant identification in the field. He’s excited to learn more as although he is experienced in plant identification in garden situations, “it’s very different out in the open.”

Tom has recently replanted the coastal garden adjacent to the rātā hedge which has been attacked by rabbits – a big problem at Otari. In another area nearby, he and apprentice Callum Skene put in 12 Chatham Island forget-me-not plants – only to find nothing but stalks remaining the next morning. Elk blood is now being used to deter rabbits.

Back in the office, Tim shows me the accession registers that record the known provenance of all the plants in the garden. Knowing where the plants came from ensures replacements can be found if necessary. More importantly, if a plant becomes extinct in that area, cuttings can be taken from the Otari plant to enable it to be re-established in its area of origin. The register tells us that the rātā in the hedge was collected in 1961 from the East Cape – one of 17 plants collected that day. It’s hard to believe the glowing hedge is 60 years old, but it couldn’t be in better hands and will be there for Wellingtonians to enjoy for years to come.