Griselinia CoprosmaNOTEMostoftheseplantsaresuitablefor
theconditionsofthisparticularsite,which
iswarmandsunnywithclaysoil.These
suggestionsarea guideonly.Checkthem
outatyourlocalnurseryandaskwhetherPhotography they’re suitable for your garden and climate.
by
Getty Images
.
Thunbergia grandiflora Magnolia‘Little Gem’Need help?
Doesanareaofyourgardenneeda revamp?Gardeneditorandlandscapedesigner
CarolBucknellwillcomeupwitha planforsomeluckyreaders.Allweneedare
photographsofyourproblemarea,detailsofwhereyoulive,a sitedescription(where
northis,thesoiltype,whetheryourgardenis exposedtowindorheat)andthestyle
ofgardenyouwouldlike.SENDTOCaseStudy,YourHomeandGarden, BauerMedia,
PrivateBag92512,WellesleyStreet,Auckland1010,[email protected].
Wecan’tfeatureeveryone’sgardeninthemagazine,butif you’d like some personal
design advice, you can contact Carol at carolbucknell.co.nz.SUGGESTED PLANTING PLAN
ONTHEOUTER
Createprivacyby
plantinga screen
oflushgreenor
floweringtreesalong
easternboundary.
Keeptreestrimmed
onsidesandtoptoa
heightof2-3m.This
willalsohelpreinforce
the‘subtropicaloasis’
feel of the garden.Robustclimberssuchastecomantheneedstrong
supportssomakesurepergolas,fencesandother
structures are up to the task before planting.TIP
1 2
5
3
4
6
ONDECK
Builda deckonnorth
sideofhousewith
low,widestepsalong
westernend.Cover
witha pergolaand
hanga sailbelowfor
summershade.Train
a floweringclimber
uppoststointegrate
thestructureintothe
gardenand‘pretty
up’ the plain house.PATHWAYS
Makea newpath
fromfrontgateto
deckandcontinuing
ontofrontdoor.Use
gravelinsetwith
large concrete pavers.SEPARATE
LIVES
Planta low-to-
medium-height
hedgealong
drivewayanddeck.
Trimregularlyto
createstructure,
aswellastosoften
thehardlinesofthe
deck and driveway.BEDTIME
Createa semi-
circularbedbetween
frontfenceand
lawn,incorporating
existingtrees
andaddingmore.
Moundupbed
(10-15cminheight)
withgood-quality
plantingmixand
addlotsoforganic
mattertoimprove
drainage of clay soil.WELL
SIGNALLED
Planta small,pretty
tree– suchasa
kowhai,- Magnolia
‘LittleGem’or
tibouchina–
alongsidethefront
doortosignalthe
locationofthemain
entrancetovisitors.
PlantPhilodendron
xanadu,Liriope
muscariandother
lowflowering
perennialsaroundthe
base of the tree.PLANTING OPTIONS
FLOWERINGCLIMBERS
TryThreeKingsclimber(Tecomanthe
speciosa),Thunbergiagrandiflora, Mexican
bloodflower(Distictisbuccinatoria).HEDGEFORDRIVEWAY& DECK
TryMurrayapaniculata,Coprosma‘MiniMac’
or‘Middlemore’,Corokia‘Geenty’sGreen’,
Buxus‘GreenGem’,Lophomyrtus‘Pixie’.SCREENTREESFORBOUNDARY
TryGriselinialucida,Ficushillii,Micheliafigo
orM.gracipes,Pittosporum‘StephensIsland’,
makomako(Aristoteliaserrata),Corokia
macrocarpa, titoki(Alectryonexcelsus).MAINGARDENBED
Surroundsmalltrees– egpuka(Meryta
sinclairii), ko-whai,dombeya,Magnolia‘Little
Gem’,nikaupalms,tibouchina– withshrubs
andperennialssuchashibiscus,vireya
rhododendron,tropicalhydrangea(Dichroa),
dwarfumbrellatree(Scheffleraarboricola) and
birdofparadise(Strelitziareginae). Underplant
withshade-tolerantsubtropicalperennials
egctenanthe,clivia,aspidistra,Philodendron
xanadu, ligularia and liriope.yhg| 137G