VERY creative, useful and sophisticated as well! I like the subtlety of the trunk color against the lighter wall. Have you considered designing these as a PT job???

Hi Courtney, Great to hear from a 'native' fan. They can be such a good choice and when well used can result in a lower maintenance garden with lots of textural highlights. All the best finding that home when the time is right.... best regards Craig Wilson FORM garden architecture

- Every autumn, street gutters get clogged with the leaves from the street-side planted trees from the UK or other Northern Hemisphere countries. - Our native birds have few, if any, places to feed within our urban areas. - Rotorua, during this last week of stormy weather, has lost two "heritage" trees, one killing a resident when it came down. An arborist had warned the District Council about the dangers the town's "heritage" trees posed. The fatally fallen tree was so rotten inside a man could have stood inside the trunk's space. All the "heritage" trees are in such a state that they have "supporting" braces of wire or planks. Our native trees are evergreen, which means they drop their leaves - mostly tiny 1 cm long and very narrow - all year round, and are so small they are easily swept into storm drains without clogging them. Why, oh why, do our councils insist on planting oaks, maples etc., rather than Kowhai, Puriri and other natives? I am wondering - how many (if any) towns or cities have planted their roadsides with natives?

I've got three established avocado trees, two are over 10 years old. This year they have suffered a big change in foliage with some rusted and what appear to be eaten or damaged leaves. It is dropping a lot of leaves too. They seemed to take a turn after winter, but they usually bounce back in late spring with the new growth. I can't seem to find any obvious small insects on the leaves but I'm basically treating it as either root rot, or maybe mites? Any advice on treating this, or are they gone? All the new leaf growth is being affected and is curling up, blackening around the edges. There has not been any significant frosts in a couple months. I'm based in Lower Hutt, so not ideal for avocado trees with the wind and winter frosts. But the trees have definitely been fairly healthy until this year.