Thursday, August 19, 1999

Christchurch’s Edmonds Factory Garden in Ferry Road has had a $75,000 facelift and the improvements will be officially opened on 15 September 1999 when new lighting will be switched on at dusk.

The improvements have been a joint effort by the Friends of Edmonds Factory Garden and the Christchurch City Council.

Edmonds Factory Garden is well known throughout New Zealand as the colourful flowering garden on the cover of the "Edmonds Cookery Book, a best seller for many years.

Thomas Edmonds established the garden in 1923. For many years the garden contributed substantially to the image of Christchurch as the garden city by winning many gardening competitions.

In 1990 the factory was demolished and local residents took it upon themselves to try to retain the garden for the community. This fight was led by John Hoskin, who was chairman of the local residents’ group and is now the president of the Friends of the Edmonds Factory Garden.

The group has a membership of about 50 with about a dozen who are active in the garden.

New lighting throughout the garden includes floodlights on the Ferry Road frontage and in the car park at the rear, and other lighting will be underwater, on bollards, lampposts, and under-tree.

Other improvements include sealing work on a leaking pond and stream, the provision of a waterfall in one pond, and a waterspout in another, along with a new seat and paving in a pergola.

At the opening, Linwood High School will provide a barbecue from 5.30pm-6.30pm, and then musical and cultural entertainment from 6.30pm. When darkness falls the lighting will be officially switched on to mark the improvements.

Further information: John Hoskin, chairman of the Friends of Edmonds Factory Garden, 389 3584 (home), 364 0019 (work).

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