Your Home and Garden – September 2019

THISPAGEArches,pergolasandbirdbaths

complementtheoldfashionedflowers;a brass

bedheadhasbeenconvertedintoa prettygate.

OPPOSITENasturtiumsbrightenuptheproductive

vegetablegarden,attractingbeesandother

pollinators; lilies are a favourite flower.

hearts,wisteria,clematisandroses.Onone
ofthenearbyfencesMikealsomadea white
‘window’whichisactuallya mirror.“Itwas
probablythemostphotographedthinginthe
gardenduringtheGardenMarlboroughtour,”
laughsLauren.“Healsomadea gateforthis
areaoutofa brass bedhead that I found in a
garagesale.”
Anothermajorprojectwasthepond,which
thehard-workingcoupledugoutalongwith
a ‘dryriverbed’totaketheoverflowouttoa
stormwaterditch.Mikealsobuilta sweetlittle
bridgeoverthisriverbed,aswellasLauren’s
shadehouseandother decorative elements
aroundthegarden.

THEPLANTING
Laurenlovesflowersandhasfondmemoriesof
hergrandmother’sgardenwithsnapdragons
andsweetpeas.“I trytohaveflowercolour
allyearroundwithhelleboresandcamellias
inwinterand,ofcourse,theroses,wisteria,
foxglovesandlupinsinsummer.”
Beneaththeshadeofsometallaldersshe
growshydrangeasandhostas,thelattermostly
inpotsasthetreestakeallthemoistureand
nutrients.“Thispartof thegardenis myfavourite
place in hot summers; it’s so green and calm.”

Plantinginthesunnierareaaroundthe

pondisbrightandcolourfulwithlupins,

liliesandotherfloweringplantsondisplayin

summeralongwithwaterlilies,horsetailrestio

(Elegiacapensis) andJapanesemaples.

Laurenisalsoa keenvegetablegardener

witha tomatogardenandtwobigraisedbeds

whereshegrowsredDésiréepotatoes,lettuce,

silverandredbeets,onions,beansandsnow

peas.“Andlotsofberries,everyberryyoucan

name.Tuamarinahasverygoodsoil,probably

thebestinMarlborough,”shesays.

Nasturtiumsareplantedinthevege

gardentohelprepelpestsandattractbees,

whilewallflowersundertheappletreesdeter

codlingmoth.Toaddextranutrientsandsoil

organismssheregularlyspreadsbloodand

boneplussheepmanurewhich she and Mike

gatherfroma friend’sfarm.

Laurenpropagatesmanyoftheplants

forthegardenfromcuttingsanddivisions,

andhasa a part-timejobtoo.Howdoesshe

manageit all?“I amprobablyinthegarden

everyday,”shesays.“Theysayit’s not work if

it’sdoing what you love.”•

GardenMarlborough,7-10November 2019,

gardenmarlborough.co.nz

156 |yhg