This property is full of history having been owned by three governor generals and one British high commissioner from the Fergusson family dating back to the 1800’s.
After driving up a tree lined avenue we were greeted by a very engergetic and enthusiastic Sally who quickly launched into the history of the garden.
There are many large and magnificient trees here, Californian Redwood, English Oaks, Douglas firs, Magnolia Grandiflora, Kauri and Camelia.
We wandered down a sidling which is a terraced garden that slopes down towards the road. In here there are Gingko, Scarlet oak, Maples, Avocado, Feijoas and even a Kiwifruit vine. This is all underplanted with many perennials and shrubs, many self seeding for Sally’s floral art.
There is also a large rose garden in front of the house that Sally grew for her floral art competitions, although she no longer competes. These have been interplanted with garlic by Sally’s husband.
This property has a swimming pool, tennis court and a bush garden. There is also an old school on the property that had been relocated.
After marvelling at the Kauri planted in 1963 by one of the governor generals in memory of his grandfather we headed off for our next garden.
Vicky
Clay and Earth Gardens
French Pass, Cambridge
Eunice Martin’s Clay and Earth Gardens was an education: from the delicate Princess of Wales clematis on the outdoor restroom, to the working olive press, to the doves in baskets, to the practice of ecostacking (leaving branches/twigs/trees to lie where you cut them).
The tour began at her rammed-earth home – a pioneering construction which was the first of its kind in the Waikato. Eunice and her husband moved to what was once the old French Pass sand quarry in 1994. On it, they’ve built a four-acre sanctuary boasting an olive grove, a striking Pacific Blue lavender bed, an outdoor kitchen, a pristine vege patch, a mosaic studio in an old barn, and a surprising and (as Mel said) whimsical flower garden supported by a dense backbone of established trees. In the early days, it was a bare plot of land and Eunice – then a novice gardener, now an encyclopaedic authority – had to employ a pick and shovel in order to plant trees in the rocky terrain.
These days, she plants 20 eucalypts as firewood trees every year. She harvests them after five years. She has tanks to collect grey water and a tap which draws sparking water from an underground stream 100ft down. Eunice uses feng shui principles to great effect. It was fascinating to feel the slowing effect of the circular lawn structure, designed to make the energy flow more slowly through the garden.
Eunice and her husband use scavenged concrete to create recycled retaining walls. Even though she’s 70, she clambers up ladders and steep banks to plant 30 camellias every year.
She and her husband are slowly rebuilding following devastating floods which ran through their home and stripped a planted gully 18 months ago. But the damage hasn’t dampened Eunice’s enthusiasm for the extraordinary. She has a tree dahlia, a mannequin called Mildred, vanilla essence she makes herself, and tabletops made from drain covers. The garden was a delightful spot to linger while we ate and we all learnt a huge amount from our ramble through the garden and, even moreso, from Eunice.
TOP TIP:
Traps for coddling moth:
Create a pheromone mix from molasses, ammonia and white vinegar. Put it in a bottle end and hang upside-down from an apple tree.
Keri
Gail Ebbett's
Thornton Rd
Cambridge
Matamata
When you arrive at David Irwin’s Matamata house you can’t help but be impressed by the angular topiared Buxus hedges. They were planted some 10 years ago and look amazing, spanning across the whole front of the property. Positioned at the entrance making a stunning feature is the beautiful Cornus Controversa - wedding cake tree as it grows in layers. Planted as the ground cover for the hedges is a beautiful purple Ajuga flower with pretty crimson/green foliage.
Covering the neighbouring fence on one side is Ficus Pumila (climbing fig). In front are 5 upright Hornbeam trees. Positioned opposite is the garage which has Ivy covering the outside wall and planted in front are 3 substantial Jacquemontii Betula trees (type of Beech) which have a beautiful silver and white trunk.
As you walk down the property to the middle section you come to an alcove on the left with a collection of Bay, Buxus, Hornbeam, Viburnum, paving and ground cover. On the right are espaliered Crab Apple trees. Under them are manicured Corokia Mangatangi clipped tight. This type is popular as it doesn’t get woody.
At the end of this area standing as a gateway to the back part of the garden are two Leyland Cypress trees. This opens out to a very special circular garden which has many pathways designed to lead you through the remaining parts of the garden. On the left you have a most spectacular exotic Hydrangea Nigra lylad with low Buxus hedging. In the middle are manicured Hornbeam trees surrounding a statue. At the back right are edibles; a large vege patch, green house with grapes on top, lemons positioned at the front of an entrance to a Summer house.
The Summer house is covered in Boston Ivy creating a large ball like effect from a distance. At the entrance is paving surrounded by Mondo grass. This is such a serene space to relax. When you are sitting inside there are little openings (like windows) to look out with different views; Blueberries, Christmas Lillies, Weeping Swamp Cypress.
There are just so many delightful areas to this garden with many hidden gems. Overall we were highly impressed and it seemed to touch each of us and we just wanted more.
Monique
We finished our fantastic and informative weekend off with lunch and a wonder around the Plantation garden just outside of Matamata.
