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Kaiapoi Comes Together for a Fun-Filled Day of Duck Racing and Fundraising!

by | Mar 23, 2023 | Silverstream News

After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, Silverstream Subdivision was alive with excitement on Sunday 19th March for the highly anticipated annual Duck Race!

The Duck Race brought the local community together for a day of fun and fundraising.

Families and friends from all corners of Silverstream and the wider Kaiapoi community eagerly gathered to cheer on their ducks as they raced down the river, marking the return of the beloved event after a long break.

Following the race, the community enjoyed a sausage sizzle as well as snacks, and candy floss from Della-Kit Delights.

Many families enjoyed picnicking together, with blankets spread out and food shared in the park area of Tirikatene Reserve at Silverstream and children were thrilled to have a go on the bouncy castle and get their faces painted!

Families also enjoyed a variety of games such as jenga, chess, cricket, tug of war, sack race, and ring toss, all provided by the Waimakariri District Council.

The Duck Race was a true celebration of community, bringing people together to have fun and support a worthy cause.

This year’s Duck Race raised an impressive $760 for the Kaiapoi Community Garden, a charitable trust located on the school playing fields of Kaiapoi Borough School.

The garden provides sustainable gardening skills to all members of the community and works closely with the school to run the Garden to Table programme.

Silverstream social club event organiser, Shirley Jackson, said, “We are thrilled to see the community come together once again after a challenging few years. The annual duck race is a wonderful way to unite everyone and support local charities.”

Best Hedging Options
  • Griselinia varieties especially Griselinia Canterbury (extremely hardy, fast-growing, perfect for shelter)
  • Pittosporum varieties especially Pittosporum ‘Stephens Island’ (attractive, dark green foliage and a reliable hedge option)
  • Teucrium fruiticans – Silver Germander (excellent for low hedging, providing silvery foliage all year round with pale blue bee-attracting flowers)
  • Lonicera nitida – Box Honeysuckle (rapid growth rate, makes excellent hedging)
  • Corokia Geenty’s Green (yellow flowers in Spring followed by red berries in Autumn)
Native Options
  • Coprosma (many varieties, attracts native birds)
  • Carex (numerous varieties for all conditions from dry to wetland—excellent for mass planting, bulletproof)
  • Marble Leaf (good for underplanting)
  • Poa cita/Silver Tussock (ideal for revegetation)
  • Manuka (attracts bees)
  • Kanuka (hardy native option)
Reliable Colour Shrubs
  • Nandina/Heavenly Bamboo varieties (attractive year-round foliage):
    • Gulf Stream
    • Lemon Lime
    • Firepower
  • Lavender (attracts bees, thrives in dry conditions)
  • Camellia (good winter/early spring flowering)
  • Escallonia (can be grown as either shrub or hedge)
  • Hebe Wiri Mist (popular, reliable, and low maintenance)
  • Hebe Red Edge (a robust plant with lilac-coloured flowers which gradually fade to white)
Trees That Work
  • Paper Bark Maple (hardy variety)
  • Norway Maple (reliable performer)
  • Prunus /Flowering Cherries (beautiful seasonal display)
  • Malus/Ornamental Apple (excellent for gardens)
  • Weeping Pear (sturdy branches handle local conditions)
  • Magnolia ‘Little Gem’ (smaller variety, good for gardens)
“Just like when an architect considers which way a property faces when designing a house, Canterbury gardeners need to take the same approach.”

Plan Smart, Plant Smarter

Careful planning is the key, says Paul Saunders, Nursery Manager at Sublime.

“Soil preparation is a foundation that’s particularly important in new developments where topsoil may have been scraped away during construction, leaving less-than-ideal growing conditions behind,” he says.

“Then, rather than rushing to fill every corner with plants, I suggest taking an observational approach.”

There’s often the temptation to rush in and quickly plant everything straight away, says Paul, but the key is to take your time.

“Start with your hedging and shelter first,” he says. “This foundational step will create beneficial microclimates throughout your garden and an initial shelter belt that not only protects against Canterbury’s winds but also helps manage frost patterns across your section”.

Indeed, careful attention to sun exposure and positioning should help you decide which plants should go where.

“Just like when an architect considers which way a property faces when designing a house, Canterbury gardeners need to take the same approach,” says Jo.

“Plants on your north face need to be the ones that don’t mind full-on sun, which can be quite harsh, especially along with those easterly winds. Good fencing can help in that respect.”

“Think of your garden as a blank canvas—just with some unique factors you have to take into account to get the best result.”

Simply put, success comes from working with the unique Canterbury environment rather than against it. By choosing locally adapted plants and taking the time to understand your property’s specific conditions, you can create a garden that not only survives but thrives through our region’s dramatic seasonal changes.

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