Thanks Donald (& Warren) for the reminders.

Like everyone else, I don't want to over commit my time & energy, & then not be able to fulfil the offer, but I would be open to going on the Outreach Group.

In partial response to Claire's email re the Peace Garden - technically it falls under the Garden & Landscape Group, but when we all looked at it with Rory when he was here giving his thoughts, there was a suggestion a Sub-Group could be set up for this from those who have a particular interest in it & developing the 'Peace' theme (as a juxtaposition to the narrative of the war memorial & its 'Empire Calls' motif). Obviously I'm interested in this (& it's what Susan & I see as soon as we look out our front windows, two inches away!) & Pip & Tim have expressed ideas too. Tim wanted something sculptural (& pou whenua), & I proposed trellising & something climbing/flowering to mitigate the harsh backside of the Arch. Someone else in a meeting suggested Tim & I (& anyone else) come up with a plan/concept & submit it to the full group. But since then the urgency of the fences & pergola's etc has taken over.

Claire - the rhodies & flaxes were favourite plants I rescued from our old house when we moved, & didn't want to see die (as we had no nursery here yet). (There's also a pohutakawa & a kowhai in there). When I put them in I offered to move them when the rest of Toirora's gardens were more established (or alternatively plant in our own courtyard spaces). But I would like to ask permission of the Full Group to keep the half meter in front of our house (esp. in front of the two windows) as our space though, for privacy reasons. The weedcloth is also temporary, to keep those dreaded weeds at bay! Thanks for tidying it up, but I am concerned about running a motor mower over it - there's lots of stones out there & if one flicks out of the mower it could make a mess of your leg (ouch) or of one of the windows (can't guess what the cost of replacing one of those is, but I hate to think - Tim?).  

Keep up the great work everyone

ngā mihi

Kristin