Council Maintains Fruit and Nut Trees for Public Eating

Fresh fruit and nuts in season are a healthy way to eat and the Marlborough District Council is doing its bit to encourage productive planting by supporting Blenheim’s new Community Gardens and by establishing trees which produce edible fruit in other public areas.

The Council gardeners from Pollard Park have been instrumental in designing the Community Gardens in Riversdale and the Council is helping to fund an 'edible hedge' of fruit trees planted around the allotments in the Garden which the public will be able to pick.

The Council has also laid the irrigation in the Gardens as well as creating the entranceway and fencing.

The next step for the Council is a proposal to lay a walking path connecting the Ballinger Park with Henderson Park via the NMIT property. Council Parks and Reserves Manager Rosie Bartlett says it’s a lovely walk – 'a hidden treasure' – which takes walkers up onto the Opawa River stop bank to reveal great views across the river and vineyards to the Richmond Ranges beyond.

It’s part of the Council commitment to providing resources for the community good. The Council currently maintains some mature walnut trees on council reserves in Springlands and the Taylor River bank. It has also planted fruit and nut trees in some of the newer reserves on the southern side of town.

This year it also gave Feijoa trees to be planted at the Kohanga Reo in Maxwell Road.

Rosie says the Council is happy to hear from communities wanting more edible trees established in their neighbourhood although various issues do have to be taken into account.

"There are some limits to where we can put fruit trees as people complain to the Council about fruit dropping and rotting," says Rosie.

However, she says, the Council is keen to expand this planting and welcomes suggestions from the public for planting spots, especially where people are willing to help water and care for the young trees.

Take your pick from these fruit trees

• Pollard Park: 4 Apple trees
• Ching Park (Endeavour Street): 7 English Walnut trees
• McKendry Park: English walnuts, French Walnuts, Plums, Quince
• Fulton Stream (Kingwell Drive): 3 English Walnut trees, 7 Hazelnuts, 2 Pistachio Nut.
• Shep's Park (Severne Street) 20 English Walnut trees
• Taylor Riverbank (between Brewer and Stratford Streets): English Walnuts, a grove of Black Walnuts, Chestnuts, Chinese Wingnuts
• Taylor Riverbank (near Monro Street): 2 English Walnut trees
• A&P Park (off Alabama Road): English Walnut tree
• Cedar Grove Reserve (Solar Heights): 2 English Walnut trees
• Faulkland Drive Reserve: 2 English Walnut trees
• Rima Reserve (Hope Drive): 4 English Walnut trees
• Wither Hills Buffer Strip (access from Weld Street, Solway Drive and Redwood Street): various fruit trees
• Marlborough Community Gardens: open orchards being planted.
• Take only what you need – leave some fruit for others