GARDEN REVISIT - Nithsdale

Another treat this week was to return to Nithsdale, nearly a decade after my first visit.  I only drew up a preliminary outline plan for the house gardens originally. I later developed a design for a pond down the end of the paddock, to be fed by a water race.  (We did this in consultation with the MDC water engineer, by the way!).  The water race makes the water so fresh and clean, as it enters and exits constantly, using a series of weirs. 

Today the pond is just GORGEOUS!!  I was thrilled to see what Iain has done with the planting, including a mass of water lilies and water irises. Plus a jetty! The long trek along a mown path through the long grass, from the house, is a key part of the experience. What a great destination for a picnic or to read a book in the hammock slung over the water race! 

Who wouldn't want to sit on that jetty, feet dangling into the water on a hot day? 

Iain has added some unusual NZ native trees. Prostrate Kowhai
here, with orange Californian poppies poking through. 

I love it that Iain has let there be long grass - not trying
for perfection in this very natural space.  

The house can be seen in the distance, over the field of long grass (soon to ne harvested)

Back to the house gardens, and this is really quite a plantsmans garden. Full of interesting and unusual species, as well as loads of fruit trees. Lots of South African plants - proteas, leucadendron and so many bulbs, as a nod to their time living there. Also uncommon trees - Aspen, and even a Cork Oak! 

Cork Oak - Quercus suber

What a pleasure to see someone actually creating cut circles around the base of their trees!
THIS is what I mean when I write this on plans, people!! Keeps the base clear of competing
weeds, easy to mow around, a great place to keep mulch in place, and looks super smart. 

And finishing with an Echium. I have never seen this one before - or lots 
of the plants in the garden actually! 

How great to have been invited back. A real buzz to see how my original plans have
been interpreted and expanded upon in line with the clients own character and style.
I came back to my own garden with a greater focus on what I could be doing to make
it unique. This garden thoroughly deserved to be  included in this years Pukaha Garden
Tour. A real credit to many years dedication!

GARDEN REVISIT - Cashmere Oaks

 It is such a treat to return to a garden I have designed, to see how my clients have either interpreted my plans for themselves - or followed them to the letter. 

This gorgeous urban garden went from being a blank canvas, to filling out with strong structure and form by the following year. Gardens, as we know, get better and better with age. These photos were taken 1 and 2 years after they were planted. 

My client wanted roses, hedges, year-round interest, colour and to screen surrounding rooflines, and she has done a superb job of developing (and maintaining) the gardens. It looks stunning today. 

                                 BEFORE PHOTOS 

BEFORE: View from the street

BEFORE: Vegetable garden

BEFORE: Rear garden

                                1 & 2 YEARS LATER

AFTER: View from the street

Front door gardens

REAR GARDEN - Camellias, Cherry Trees, Hydrangeas and box hedging provide
year round structure and seasonal interest. 

VEGETABLE GARDEN - The vegetable garden now has concrete paving
and a seating area (not shown), with a picking garden against the house.  

New Colour Theme (for me)

 Moving in to an empty paddock has given me the opportunity to start gardens from scratch. This 'island' garden in the driveway has been another experiment, but one I am so happy with. It is planted with lots of structural plants, but they are slower in growth - Cornus, Flax, Muehlenbeckia etc. While I wait for them to bulk up, the annuals and perennials are the feature, particularly over spring, summer and autumn. 

Colour theme: LEMON, CREAM, YELLOW, WHITE & SILVER. With pops of seasonal colour  (eg right now are red shirley poppies, or purple Verbena bonariense). 

Some photos below of the plants I have been loving in combinations. 

The 'Island' garden in the middle of the car park area.
The garden is less than 12 months old.

The occasional burgundy links nicely with the old wagon in the garden - here is Euphorbia Chameleon

Osteospurmum. Lemon on the outside, cream on the inside. Valuable early colour.

Early summer growth of Rudbeckia Lanciniata and Miscanthus. In autumn these
will both be 1.5m plus tall. 

Phlomis russelliana is a favourite and much valued plant for evergreen foliage as
groundcover, but also the vertical flowers in spring and autumn. The old wagon is
a piece of history from the farm we left. It used to be the cook house on wheels that
stayed out with the workers, when they were far from home. This one rolled to the
bottom of a gully, where it stayed until my husband dragged it out!

Aquilegia. Early flowering, tall variety. Hoping this will self-seed.

Ixia Yellow Emperor 

Alchemilla mollis - Ladies Mantle. Incredibly versatile plant. 

Stipa gigantea

Chionochloa flavicans. The seed heads marry nicely with the yellows. 

Parsley left to self seed

Echinacea (last summer)

The Woad (airy yellow flower) was a favourite over spring. Seen here with Stachys, Stipa and Astelia Silver Spear. 

Hopefully there will be no ground showing by the end of this summer. 

There are so many more plants than that shown here, but this is a snapshot of early summer. I will update as the season progresses. Still to flower - Leeks, Shasta Daisies, lilies, dahlia, Helenium Butterpat, Helianthus, Queen Anne's Lace, Rudbeckias, plus Primula and Sparaxia (both winter) etc. 

Miscanthus 'Morning Light'

If you are after a stunning accent plant from late summer and right through winter, then I highly recommended this tall perennial grass. A favourite of Piet Oudolf, for mixing into bold perennial and naturalistic gardens, this grass thrives in our hot/cold/windy NZ conditions, and looks amazing with perennials or NZ natives. 

I have been using it amongst tall perennials like Golden Rod (Solidago) and Aster. Also in gardens with Totara, lancewood and cabbage trees. It goes anywhere! Definitely best repeated around the garden - like any accent plant - so you do need more than one. Place it mid to back of a garden, so you can surround it with other plants for the (short) off season. Photo below shows it as just 1.2m high foliage before the seed heads have emerged, in March, with bold perennials around it like Yarrow, Golden Rod and Asters. Suits a slightly wild looking garden style.

Photo above of the same garden with all perennials died down over winter,  but Miscanthus still glowing. 

The main feature is the seed heads, which absolutely glow with the sun behind them. These open from quite late into summer, and do not need chopping back until late winter, so you get the effect of the bold glowing clump right through winter's dullest days. Locate them so the sun is behind them at least part of the day - to get the best effect of the 'glow'. Photos below taken in July. Note the russet colour of the winter leaves, too - adds another dimension to winter gardens. 

To cut back, in late August, I use a hedge trimmer to chop mine into short lengths (150mm) and use them as straw on the compost, or the straw can be left at the base of the plant if it is not going to blow around. Great mulch. 

I have been growing this variety for several years and it has never self-seeded. The best time to divide is in spring when it is in active growth mode. It has a solid root ball, so this is not easy task! I dig up the entire plant then split with either an axe or a hefty spade. Don't break it into too small chunks.

Photos below are both taken in our wild wet winter (2023). The seed heads are fluffy and gorgeous dried. One of the plants is in the centre, out the window, showing up orange foliage in the gloom. And the last photo was taken when seed heads were bedraggled and wet, but they spring back to fluffiness the next dry day! 

I have also grown what I assume is Miscanthus sinensis. This is much bigger and I sense could get a bit feral, but absolutely worth growing if there are no space limits.   

Frost

I love the visual effect of frost on plants, especially when the sun first gets to them. It never ceases to amaze me how they can withstand that bitter cold with no ill effects. Most of them anyway!

Above: Sedum, Orange Berry (Rubus), Mondo Grass, Silver beet, Daffodils, Phlomis and Miscanthus Morning Light.