Lumsden Station Garden
A Visitor's Impressions.

Miss L. M. Houseman, a visitor from England, sent to the Otago Daily Times the following letter, in which she gives her impression of the Lumsden station garden:—“Travelling alone through New Zealand, I one day had to wait for my train at Lumsden, Southland, where I was pleasantly surprised to find a lovely little garden with seats in it, close to the station. I settled there on one of the seats with my book, and enjoyed the flowers till lunch time. During a delicious lunch at the station refreshment room, chatting with the manageress, I heard more about the garden, which, she told me, was made only last August. She also said that lately there had been a competition for station gardens on that branch of line, and that the prize was given to Lumsden. On returning to my seat in the garden, I found the gardener, Mr. G. W. Johnson, at work, and made friends with him (being a keen gardener myself at Home). He told me how he had worked at the making of this garden from its first beginning, and pointed out all the plants he had raised from seed and planted out, with great success. They all looked thriving. They were arranged with such good taste in grouping and colour schemes. He told me that he is an enginedriver on the Southland line, and that in his leisure time he tends this very pretty garden. A large rose bed in the middle is called ‘England.’ One at the side, containing heather, is ‘Scotland,’ and a third is ‘Ireland.’ I am sure that other travellers who may have to wait for a train at Lumsden will find the beautiful flowers as cheering as I found them.”

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