Akatarawa, Wellington, New Zealand
New Zealand has more than its fair share of unusual and impressive gardens. Deep in the bush-clad Akatarawa Valley, you feel miles from civilisation, not somewhere you expect to find a world-class garden. In fact you are only 30 minutes from bustling Upper Hutt or the coastal communities of Waikane and Paraparaumu and it is here that you will find Moss Green garden.
It is within the folds of the Akatarawa that Jo and Bob Munro have built a wonderful and individual garden that they have carved out of the bush and blackberry they found when they moved here 20-odd years ago. The climate is not ideal for gardening; deep in the valley frosty winter days see little sun. The warmer months are idyllic, rainfall generally plentiful. The soil, the greatest concern of most gardeners, varies greatly from clay to loam to thin gravely stuff.
When you first arrive at the garden, parking in the shade of trees you get your first glimpse of this extensive garden. The native bush is heavily underplanted with hostas, primulas, ferns and perennials. Sunshine draws you out from this magical spot and toward a simple, very striking pergola over a grassy area. A welcoming entrance to a special garden.
Perennials and roses enjoy this sheltered corner and sun-loving plants are massed in raised beds. Lovely heritage roses climb the posts, the house and neighbouring buildings.
A productive kitchen garden can be glimpsed around the corner, enjoying a great position in full sun. Edged with river stones the beds are centered on a topiared bay tree.
An immensely knowledgeable plantswoman, Jo has written for the prestigious English gardening periodical Hortus. At Moss Green she has amassed an impressive collection of plants. The plants that Jo has chosen, and the plants are permitted to stay, are those that thrive. Malingerers are not pampered or cosseted here. Plants that do well and look well earn a place in this garden; many are foliage plants and many are New Zealand natives.
The woodland has many, many different hostas, primulas, species rhododendrons and shade loving perennials planted in a natural style. Contrasting with these are spiky lancewood (Pseudopanax crassifolius) and upright fern fronds.
From the entrance garden, a walk through the bush takes you to the Akatarawa Stream, where the sun sparkles on the water. Species rhododendrons grow here amongst the native trees and shrubs, and look very much at home in the dappled light.
Out into the sun and into the rose garden. For, despite the potential for rose-gorging opossums hiding in the surrounding bush-covered hillsides, heritage roses clamber over trees and fences, and bloom in the borders. Once again, Jo has culled plants that did poorly and the roses include those that do well and please Jo with their sumptuous blooms and fragrance. A huge mass of Clematis montana can be seen, scrambling high into the branches of a tree.
A curving walk takes you from the rose garden, planted skilfully by Jo, with an eye to texture, form and colour. The garden here is quite dry and very sunny, and the clever planting has used sage (salvia offcinalis 'Purpurea' , thymes, bereberis and other sun-lovers to front the shrubs at the rear.
Two pots are a rare formal touch, pulling the eye to a view across the main lawn, a new perspective with some wonderful plantings.
The path carries on to the bog garden, one of the highlights of this amazing garden. Much of the garden tends to be damp rather than dry, Jo explains, and it is better to garden with the conditions rather than fight them.
It is perhaps in the bog garden that the immense variety of plants that Jo has collected and her knowledge and expertise is most telling. The bog garden is filled with irises, primulas and moisture loving plants. The bog garden is a splendid success, Jo's modesty aside, and especially so in early summer.
More water lies upstream from the bog garden. A path circles a great sheet of water, with dragonflies hovering above the surface. The path flows naturally, moving in and out of the trees, in and out of the sun as you enjoy the shade of the native bush.
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Moss Green: a distinctive garden
The sunlit pergola welcomes visitors
The sunny, productive kitchen garden
The woodland garden has many rhododendrons
Right plant, right place
Bold contrasts in the dry border
The view to the main lawn
A formal touch in an informal garden
Irises and primulas revel in the damp Bog Garden
A path circles a great sheet of water
Dragonflies hover over the water | |
