Wild spirits : the remarkable heritage of Waikumete Cemetery is very much alive, in its joyous array of wildflowers

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Authors

Davies, Renee

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Grantor

Date

2014-02

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Type

Journal Article

Ngā Upoko Tukutuku (Māori subject headings)

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Auckland (N.Z.)
Waikumete Cemetery (Auckland, N.Z.)
wildflowers
South African flowers
New Zealand

ANZSRC Field of Research Code (2020)

Citation

Davies, R. B. (2014). Wild spirits : the remarkable heritage of Waikumete Cemetery is very much alive, in its joyous array of wildflowers. New Zealand Gardener , February, pp.37-41.

Abstract

The burst of colour that comes with spring is much anticipated by gardeners, and when that patch of colour is found outside the garden boundary – in an entirely unexpected place – the pleasure seems somehow intensified. Much like the thrill I imagine those first goldminers felt seeing a glint at the bottom of a pan. Just such treasure can be experienced every year between the gravestones in the older parts of Waikumete Cemetery in West Auckland. Here, a colourful array of European and South African wildflowers mix and mingle with native and exotic grasses to create dramatic wildflower meadows. Waikumete is the second largest cemetery in the southern hemisphere and covers more than 100 hectares. Dating from the late 1800s, it is seen as a site of significant cultural and historical importance. The wildflowers are an integral part of the cemetery’s heritage and are duly protected.

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Fairfax Magazines

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