Embracing a smaller garden

Otago Daily Times

2 days ago

Louise Frampton talks to a St Clair woman who finds a smaller section does not have to give up a love of gardening.
Maori Hill Garden Club president Kris Wills has found her "happy place" — a flat section, with a small garden and a 10-minute walk to the beach.
She found the property about two and a-half years ago after moving from a terraced section in Belleknowes.
At first inspection, the property was not perfect, she says, but she could easily visualise the potential.
Her main objective was to create an inside-out garden. Key to this was painting out the brown panelling in the house, opening up a wall between the kitchen and dining room and enlarging a window to near ground level.
"This virtually doubled the size of the window," she says.
This not only let more light in, but it also helped create an inside-out feel by enhancing the connection between the dining room and the garden.
Painting the inside walls a fresh white shade and incorporating indoor plants and vases of flowers also reinforced this connection.
When she first moved in to the property, a huge pohutakawa tree was shading the side of the house.
She enlisted the services of landscaper Jonathan Wood to help remove the tree and create an easy-care gravel area suitable for displaying her collection of pots.
"Jonathan was great. He brought in a wee digger to help dig out the roots of the tree and then he wheelbarrowed in all the gravel," Ms Wills says, clearly impressed with the makeover.
Her partner Graham also helped enhance the area by building a fence at the back with inbuilt planter boxes. This helped create a private area and formed an attractive backdrop for the Prunus lusitanica (Portuguese laurel) trees, which were placed in ther planter boxes.
When visiting in early May, the pots contained blue daisy Felicia amelloides , Moroccan daisy Pyrethropsis hosmariensis , a weeping maple turning its autumn colours, hydrangeas, polyanthus, petunias, geraniums and, surprisingly, parsley.
"Parsley is such a good filler in pots", she says of the herb that offers lush green growth almost year round.
"The great thing about pots is you can easily add seasonal colour with annuals and perennials, and you can move the pots around if you need to."
Her love for pots also extends to the front door, where a collection of pink cyclamens, blue polyanthus, lavender and pansies offer a bright welcome for visitors.
A former nurse and phlebotomist, Ms Wills treats her potted plants like her patients and certainly looks after them.
"I really believe in feeding them well."
She gives them a weekly dose of a liquid seaweed fertiliser and keeps them well watered.
Her front garden is still a work in progress as she strives towards a more maintenance-free area.
She has had the larger trees thinned out and would ideally like to remove them all and grow a camellia hedge, but for now privacy from the street is more important.
Variegated grasses, hostas and heuchera border the edge of the lawn and spots of colour such as peonies and dahlias add interest in the spring and early autumn.
Her landscaper was instrumental in selecting plants for the front garden and provided many options for Ms Wills to choose from.
"Together myself and Jonathan came up with a planting plan which is proving to be gorgeous and very welcoming when you come in the gate."
She has added a magnolia and flowering cherry and, in the centre of the lawn, she has planted wedding cake tree Cornus controversa 'variegata' where one day its distinctive tiered layers will make a magnificent statement tree.
Closer to the house, the curled leaves and weeping branches of Robinia pseudoacacia 'Lace Lady' add another focal point.
Being deciduous, its twisted branches will add structural interest to the garden during the winter months.
She says her garden isn't too contrived or fancy. She plants things that make her happy.
"I'm not a fussy gardener."
Ms Wills only recently joined the Maori Hill Garden Club.
"I met a former president at an exercise class, who invited me to come along to a meeting.
"And the next thing I know ... I am the president!"
She said there was no need to live in Maori Hill to be a member of the club.
"I joined the garden club to be with like-minded people and to enjoy their company. I wouldn't say I'm an expert by any means, but I very much enjoy trying things out and happily move things around if they don't work."
She says everyone in the club either loves gardening or enjoys being with those who do.
"We all enjoy visiting beautiful spaces people have created."
The club has a "friendly welcoming vibe" and is always looking to welcome new members. Members range in age from late 60s to mid 90s.
"So if you're recently retired and have a few more hours to enjoy at your leisure, come along."
The club meets on the first Monday of the month, at the Maori Hill Community Centre at 10am.