Planted around the edge of the water are large groupings of moisture loving and marginal plants, carefully positioned to highlight views and create a pleasing vignette. Bold phormiums, iris and primulas are used to provide variety of form, texture and colour.
Additional interest, as elsewhere in this garden, is provided by Jo's handcrafted pots and Bob's copper water sculptures. Many of the tall, imposing copper sculptures have a practical puropse, misting ferns and humidity-loving plants with water Bob has captured far up the hillside.
The many tree ferns grow luxuriantly, hanging their fronds over rhododendrons, near the water garden and bog garden. Their good health was the result of Bob's ingenious misting scultpures that provide the humidity they love.
A newer, raised area has an interesting collection of native plants. Bronzed grasses, burnished by the sun, contrast with silvery astelia and nestle amidst rocks. The creamy plumes of Chionochloa flavicans move in the breeze, as lovely as they possibly can be.
Jo's ability to work with the climate and conditions in her garden, attests to her deft touch and tremendous skill as a gardener. Dry shade, a torment to many gardeners, is handled with as much flair and imagination as the bog garden and water garden that blossom in the wet areas. Clematis, including native species, surprise the visitor with their scent and delicate blossom on woodland paths. The plantings and imagination are an inspiration to any gardener.
Jo has an immense collection of plants, many rarely seen. She finds the ideal situation for these, her special plants, and carefully incorporates them into the planting scheme rather than using them as a 'prima donnas'. Rosa sericea grew where the sunlight lit up its translucent thorns. More surprises awaited the observant visitor.
Typical of her skill in siting plants for impact and to complement the native bush, Jo has teamed an impressively sized container with and equally impressive hosta. The wide paddle-like leaves of the hosta balance the bulk of the container and their glaucous colour complements its earthy tones. In the shade of New Zealand native bush and with the over-hanging fronds of a tree fern the hosta stands out at the end of a path.
Bob and Jo garden with nature, actively encouraging the birds and insect wildlife in the garden. They have worked with considerable success to eliminate the opossums, feral cats and bush rats that ruled before and the bird population has grown tremendously and can be heard all around.Bob has included some more unusual and innovative ways to include wildlife in the garden; his weta boxes are a source of fascination to visitors of all ages.
This is an individual, very personal garden. Each area has been developed with knowledge and a love of plants as well as a keen eye for design. Distinctively New Zealand, not only for the native plants used and the bush on the surrounding hills, but also because of the way the plants have been put together. That native plants are an integral part of the planting scheme, rather than being relegated to a special corner, is refreshing and accords them their rightful status as valuable ornamental plants.
A small nursery enables visitors to take home some of the unusual and lovely plants grown in the garden, a living reminder of this special garden that is so wonderful to visit.
Extremely peaceful, complementing the natural surroundings and bush, full of inspired plantings and new ways of handling difficult conditions. If you haven't been to Moss Green Garden then get packing!
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