Most people who drive past probably don't even notice the small group of women who are to be seen every Thursday maintaining public gardens at Ahipara, even if they almost certainly appreciate the fruits of their labours.
The Gardening Ladies turn out every week, even when the weather's less thantropical, one of their number on a recent Thursday confessing that it wasn't entirely about weeding and feeding. A cup of coffee with good company and the chance to catch up on the gossip were added incentives, she said.
Marj Duncan, Karen MacDonald, Colleen Kidd, Margaret Tolladay and Colleen Osborne weren't gossiping this day, however. They were rugged up against a chill wind and heads down.
The Ahipara Gardening Ladies comprises a group of local women who have taken it upon themselves to get together for an informal working bee every Thursday in order to beautify the neighbourhood surrounds by maintaining various public garden plots.
Every week they pool their resources to plant, remove weeds and generally tidy up. They not infrequently contribute plants from their own gardens, while the Far North District Council chips in a modest amount of annual funding, used to buy and maintain tools, buy mulch and the like.
The weekly gardening sessions were instigated by Lynda Matthews about eight years ago, but Karen said too many people to name had pitched in over the years.
Anyone who would like to get involved was welcome to contact her on 409-4540. "We are only a small group. We are really open for more people who would like to come along on Thursday mornings, just for a couple of hours."
