Looking good on Whanganui's Durie Hill as community gardens grow

Sue Morgan (front) with Denise Lazelle and Lynn Griffiths doing blooming good work on Durie Hill. Photo / Bevan Conley

At the top of Portal St on Durie Hill, there are flower beds filled with bright summer colours.

It is the realisation of a vision shared by a group of residents two years ago to reclaim Durie Hill as the "garden suburb" of Whanganui.

The idea was first mooted by Step up Durie Hill, a group inspired by all the good work being done in Castlecliff but the person who has driven the vision to fruition is Sue Morgan.

Morgan and a group of local volunteers installed a new bed on the berm at the corner of Plunket St this week.

Volunteer Lynn Griffiths said Morgan's energy and enthusiasm inspired her to get involved.

"I went to the first Step Up Durie Hill meeting where everyone was enthusiastic but not a lot happened at first.

"Then I was out walking one day and saw Sue and a friend busily digging and weeding."

Griffiths joined the team of volunteers working to clear overgrown areas and install garden beds in the neighbourhood.

"Sue has really inspired the rest of us to make it happen," she said.

Durie Hill Hair Design has welcomed a bed of flowering plants outside their Portal St premises.

Hairdressers Sher Madams and Rachael Potbury said Morgan turned up with her tools one day.

"She just popped her head in the door and said 'I'll fix your garden.'

"Now she supplies our indoor flowers from her own garden as well."

Morgan said the garden beds on the roadside borders have been installed with council approval.

"They didn't want us digging into the berms which is understandable.

"The beds are no-dig and we put a layer of donated carpet under the soil."

As well as the gardens on Portal St, the groups installed a round, rose bed in front of the bowling club in Windsor St.

A Durie Hill garden bed with mosaic decorations by Jo Stanley. Photo / Bevan Conley

"The surround is made of bricks salvaged from the Thain's Building," said Morgan.

"We have had so many donations from local business and residents.

"People see what we're doing and really got behind us."

Mosaic artist Jo Stanley has contributed some of her pieces to decorate the boxed flower beds and Whanganui Prison has contributed by supplying hardy natives like pittosporum and grasses that contrast with the colourful perennials purchased by the group.

Another initiative of Morgan's has been the monthly markets at St Barnabas' Church in Maxwell Ave which has seen growing numbers of stallholders and activities during the past six months.

"We have put the money from stall fees back into the garden projects and used some to buy materials for children's activities at the markets."

An area beside Durie Hill Fish Shop has now been cleared of flax and ladder weed in preparation for a mural to be painted on the sidewall.