To mark the beginning of Conservation Week 2023 Piwakawaka decided to get their hands dirty. We thickened up the plantings at the St Albans gate with more hebe. It is looking really great and we are looking forward to seeing this grow up over the next few years. Hebe are great for attracting bees to our school grounds and the flowers on the hebe will make the entrance way attractive for our visitors.
We learnt how to plant the plants to give them the best chance of survival. First we cut away the carpet that has been laid to suppress the weeds. When planting the hole needs to be the size of the pot you are transplanting from. You don’t want it too deep, but the roots need to be at the same level as the ground. Then you loosen the soil by pressing on the side of the pot gently and turn the pot upside down to get the plant out. Put the plant in the hole you have dug and place the soil back around the plant. Once the plant is in the soil you need to compress the top layer by gently standing close to the plant without standing on it. This helps the plant stay upright. We will need to make sure we keep the water up to them until they are established, but with all the rain we are having that should not be a problem.
We also put in some Koromiko. This will add a bit of height and variety to the plantings. Awesome effort Piwakawaka.
