17–269 Title: Summer Planting Plan Section: Recreation and Amenity Prepared by: Lindsay Weaver (Landscape & Community Services Officer) Meeting Date: 14 June 2017 ☐ Legal ☐ Financial Significance = low Report to COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & SERVICES Committee for information SUMMARY The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the annual bedding planting plan for Summer 2017/18. Twice a year Gisborne District Council plant out the CBD gardens with annual bedding. The work undertaken to reach this point includes very briefly: Consulting with gardening staff and nurseries. What plants worked well the previous season. Designs for the bedding based on an annual theme (this year it is ‘jungle/chaotic’). Confirming delivery dates and phased planting. Any other stipulations such as ‘early warning’ and plant substitutions. This year we have increased the number of annual bedding plants per square metre from 12 to 20. This increase ensures that plants create a ‘carpet’ effect and also suppresses weed growth. The sooner a ‘carpet’ is formed the less maintenance is required per bed. This also means that a greater effect is created and the bedding creates that all important ‘WOW’ factor to residents and visitors alike. Staff will present to the Committee on the Summer Annual Bedding Plan. The decisions or matters in this report are considered to be of low significance in accordance with the Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy. RECOMMENDATION That the Community Development & Services Committee: 1. Notes the contents of this report. Authorised by: Andrew White Director Liveable Communities Keywords : Annual Bedding, planting, summer, plant A767514 Page 1 of 4
BACKGROUND 1. Twice a year Gisborne District Council ‘Gardens team’ plant the CBD gardens with annual bedding. This provides colour and interest in gardens and planter pots using a variety of bedding plants. 2. The purpose is to create a ‘WOW’ factor and provide floral focal points throughout the city for residents and visitors alike. 3. Some gardens are purely planted in annual plants which live for one growing season. Other annuals might be planted in with permanent perennial planting, which are present throughout the year. DISCUSSION and OPTIONS Planting initiatives 4. This year a mix of Petunias, Portulaca, Dahlias and Begonias are to be planted along with many other different types of bedding plants. The planting will be undertaken to incorporate traditional styles of planting, such as the use of double edging and dot planting. 5. We are also proposing to replace one annual garden on Rutene Road/Wainui Road with native plants. This initiative will be in partnership with the local community. A consultation will be held and native plants will be on display (photos) which will form the planting palette from which the residents can choose which plants they would like to see planted into the bed. There will also be the opportunity for residents to choose the planting concept too, as in how they would like to see the scheme planted up. 6. Following the consultation interested parties will also be invited to participate in the planting session to see their design ideas come to fruition. The consultation will be held on site at Ka Pai Kaiti at a date and time to be determined. Planning Considerations 7. We have planned a maintenance ‘blitz’ on perennial gardens prior to the summer bedding preparation and planting commencing to ensure that the gardens are in a good condition, whilst attention is being paid to the planting of the annual bedding. There will also be a designated maintenance person on duty to address these perennial gardens during the annual planting programme. 8. In order to mitigate annual plants being water-stressed, we will ensure that they are planted early. With submitting the order to the nurseries with a longer lead time of five months ensures that our requirements are contract grown to schedule and we can phase our deliveries for when we require the plants. 9. We have mitigated the risk of having a poor floral show this year by increasing the number of bedding plants planted per square metre. We have raised the amount from 12 to 20 and this will mean that a more ‘carpet-like’ effect is created with the plants filling the beds as per best practice. It also means that less weeding is required which enables staff to visit more sites and carry out maintenance such as dead-heading and watering. A767514 Page 2 of 4
10. We are trialling a few new plants this year and will observe performance in Gisborne conditions. Should they perform well then we would seek to use them in perhaps a more prominent location in following years. Trials are often a risk, but contingency plans are in place should a plant not fair too well then it is possible to replant with the 10% contingency plants which are grown in addition to our normal requirements which are kept aside for instances of vandalism or theft. ASSESSMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Process Criteria This Report Overall The effects on all or a large part of the Gisborne district Low Low The effects on individuals or specific communities Low Medium The level or history of public interest in the matter or issue Low Medium Inconsistency with Council’s current strategy and policy Low Low Impacts on Council’s delivery of its Financial Strategy and Long Term Low Low Plan. 11. This report is part of a process to arrive at a decision that will/may be of low level in accordance with the Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT 12. Future engagement with the local Kaiti community will be undertaken with regards to the Rutene Road/Wainui Road garden, situated underneath the ‘Gisborne City’ entrance sign. CONSIDERATIONS Financial/Budget 13. The provision of annual bedding is a budgeted expense and both summer and winter annual bedding is included. The cost for this year’s summer bedding, supplied plants only is projected to be $26,533.35 excluding GST. 14. Council’s in-house Gardens Team will be carrying out the landscaping/planting works with additional labour resources brought in for peaks in work if required. Legal 15. There are no legal implications resulting from or associated with the matters discussed in this report for noting. POLICY and PLANNING IMPLICATIONS 16. There are no policy or planning implications resulting from or associated with the matters discussed in this report for noting. RISKS 17. There are no major risks associated with the decisions or matters. 18. Key Dates – Summer Annual Bedding 2017/18 A767514 Page 3 of 4
NEXT STEPS Date Action/Milestone Comments Consult with staff members, discuss April Draft the Annual Bedding Design what worked well in previous years, theming. Present design to Senior 12 May Design sign off Management. Order the plants from suppliers to 15 May Plant Order Deadline enable adequate ‘lead in’ time for growing. Prepare Gladstone Road and include the lifting of the Priority given to preparing the 1 October Daffodils median strip ready for planting. Deliveries start arriving and planting 15 October Start planting the summer annual bedding can commence into beds that have already been prepared. All beds and CBD pots have been planted and regular maintenance 1 November Summer annual bedding planting completed and watering commences and continues. APPENDICES Appendix 1: ‘Gisborne District Council – Summer Bedding 2017-18’. A767514 Page 4 of 4
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