Photohunt: Auckland Town hall

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auckland_Town_Hall

The Auckland Town Hall is a historic building on Queen Street in downtown Auckland, New Zealand, known both for its original and ongoing use for administrative functions (such asCouncil meetings and hearings), as well as for its famed Great Hall and its separate Concert Chamber. The Town Hall and its surrounding context is highly protected as a 'Category A' heritage place in the city's district plan.

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History

Town Hall entrance from Queen Street.

Overhead view of the Town Hall at night.

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Opened on 14 December 1911 by Lord Islington, then the Governor of New Zealand, the building is one of the most prominent heritage structures onQueen Street. Costing £ 126,000 to construct, 

The water engineer and I had my university graduation ceremonies there.

I know this post is to feature our Town Hall, Town halls are not just the infrastructure of buildings. It is the people who live in the city. I like to introduce to the lovely people who run this Garden-NZ, I want to make a special mention because these are incredible people.

I went to visit a friend in West Auckland and saw this lovely plant with beautiful flowers in her neighbours garden. I asked my friend who asked her neighbour. He didn't know but offered me a sapling.

I sent a photo to Garden-NZ . They not only ID my plant, but to be sure, they posted this story. In New Zealand, as a teacher, I would say, Paki Paki your shoulder. Thanks Garden-NZ.  The world would be a more pleasant place if more people are helpful like them.

http://www.garden-nz.co.nz/
https://www.facebook.com/GardenNZ
At Garden-NZ we don’t like to blow our own trumpet, but when the challenge was offered by reader, Ann Chin, for us to identify this plant, we called in the cavalry.

Ann located this plant in a garden in Massey, West Auckland. The mystery shrub was approximately two metres tall. After rounding up the usual (and the more unusual) suspects, we think we have an answer for her.

Iochroma is an evergreen shrub that can grow to over three metres in height. Characterised by its trumpet-shaped flowers, which come in a variety of colours including purple and blue, this shrub is from a genus of roughly 34 species originating in South America.

Blooming in clusters of up to 20 flowers at the ends of the branches, Iochroma is fast growing and flowers from spring through to autumn. In the absence of frosts, however, it can bloom year-round.

The leaves are typically between 12 and 20cm in length and seven to eight centimetres wide. These shrubs also produce soft berries.  

Because of its rapid growth, those who have one or more Iochroma in the garden will need to prune them to maintain shape and encourage new blooms. That said, pruning should be avoided this time of year when the colder weather sets in. Slack growth should be staked. 

Although we may fancy ourselves as garden gurus, we have been known to be wrong before and identification from a single ‘mug shot’ is often tricky. So... if anyone out there thinks we may have the wrong man, please email us at: info@garden-nz.co.nz.

http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/ 

http://gattina-keyholepictures.blogspot.co.nz/2011/11/list-of-photo-hunting-themes.html

http://gattina-keyholepictures.blogspot.com