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Flaxmere flower power

There is a bit of flack that goes with being a big burly rugby player who spends his days knee deep in flowers, but it is Lovell Te Whaiti who has the last laugh.

He has a job that he loves getting up for in the morning – tending the public parks and gardens so enjoyed by Hastings residents.

The 28-year-old, who has two children and another due in just a few weeks, also appreciates being so close to home, being outdoors, and being one step off completing his horticultural apprenticeship.

It was not where he thought he would be just three years ago when he had another job he really enjoyed, working for the Department of Conservation in the regional parks. He was a casualty of a major restructure.

But now, three years in, he says his days are varied, he learns something new every day, the appreciation by the public is a real buzz, he gets to work outdoors, and is never more than five minutes’ drive from his Flaxmere home and family. “It’s got everything, from mowers and scrub bars to the flowers and design.”

One of the highlights has been the chance to design plantings for the 12 public Flaxmere gardens. Among this summer’s designs has been a depiction of the sun in the corner of the garden with the rays shooting out across the bed, all in the brilliant burnt oranges and yellows of marigolds.

Those marigolds are about to come out over the next week, replaced by polyanthus which will take the gardens through autumn and winter – again designed by Te Whaiti.

He is pretty excited about a couple of the designs he already has prepared for next summer – one the depiction of New Zealand’s flag. “It’s looking pretty good on paper.”

And those mates who give him cheek when he is in the gardens? “They’ll call out ‘flower boy’ when they see me, especially in the roundabouts, but it’s all good and we catch up later for rugby or a beer.”

Council gardens a gateway to the world

He is one of about six apprentices in the Hastings District Council parks team at any one time across three fields: horticulture, turf and tree management.

The national qualification is internationally recognised, says council’s horticulture manager Gary Drake. “We’ve had apprentices go off to work across the world, including one who went to Buckingham Palace. Others have gone to resorts, including in Australia and Spain. You can go anywhere with these qualifications.”

Drake says Te Whaiti is a great employee: “A genuinely nice guy who is Flaxmere-proud and, with the rest of that team, puts his heart into the gardens”.

The 30-strong parks team puts about 61,000 annuals into the 40 flower beds across the district twice a year. They also look after the shrubs and trees in the urban parks, mow the lawns, weed, trim and keep the sports fields up to scratch.

It is a physical job, and great for anyone who likes to work outdoors, says Drake. “You don’t need to pay for a gym membership.”

It’s also an “earn as you learn” opportunity, which means the apprentices come out with a qualification but without the student loan that usually goes with higher education. “It’s especially great for people who have a family and can’t take time out to study because others are relying on them.”

Drake encourages the gardeners to get involved in the design of the flowerbeds.  “Most of them are keen to have a go; it gives them a buy-in in the gardens and they get a real kick out of seeing their designs come to life and that residents stop and admire them.”

He had noticed an increase in the public use of parks and put that down to their increasing loveliness, more families looking for things to do that don’t cost anything, and the trend towards smaller sections which means “you need a space like a park to kick a ball around in”.

Drake is very proud of his team and has a special mention for the often “unsung heroes” in it. The amenities team picks up litter and cleans the public toilets. “They’re the very necessary chores that aren’t so pretty. But without them it wouldn’t matter how nice we made the gardens, people would not enjoy them.”

 

 

 

 

4 October 2017

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