9 June 2015

The Wedding Garden

28 May 2015


The Wedding Garden, Oropi
Joanna Debrowsky

Garden design Vicki garden mentors

Nestled up in the hills behind Tauranga is Joanna's ever evolving "semi formal"garden. With breathtaking views that lead you through from room to room, archways, vistas & trellis framed windows catch the eye & offer glimpses into the gardens beyond.


Joanna & her husband embarked on transforming the garden to host their daughters wedding in March, the site is sloping and multi levelled connected wonderfully by structures, trellis and archways.



Joanna enlisted the help of Vicki from Garden mentors to assist in the remodelling of the garden.  For those who have met Vicki Joanna's comment about the advice to just sit with a cup of tea in the garden resonated!

We commenced our autumn stroll at the rear off the property which is bordered by an array of boxed & raised vege gardens. The layout of which lends to a semi formal area whilst retaining a great lawn. The area was dug out 10 years ago to provide a level and very lived in backyard.  After several years of battling to keep a couch free lawn, Joanna has now given up and embraced the durable & functional nature it provides especially as the space has a very multifunctional life.


The use of potted strawberries, seats, art works and a climbing rose add interest and breaks to the structure; the centre piece is the washing line framed by large pavers with green mondo growing neatly between them.

We continue on past a lovely bicycle popped against a wall with covered with ivy & detailed with wrought iron to a swing sitting in a structured garden. Planted with standardised camellias, mini familia (quintessence) bordered with liriope & climbing rose behind.


We then turn the corner to a central archway with fairy camellia' espaliered each side leading through to a citrus grove to the left and a butterfly and bee garden to the right.

The butterfly garden is bursting with blues and purples and is more cottage garden in nature. Lavender, daisy, marjoram, status,tibischina, carnations to name a few. The garden is bordered by China pinks which then drops off to the levels below. In each corner grows a friendship salvia.
Back through the archway into the citrus grove with blood orange, kafir lime, tamarin love  & ruby fantasy mandavilla climbing in the corner.

The garden slopes down leading you under the tool archway a very clever use of old/antique implements past macrocarpa and Mexican orange blossom to a magnificent large lawn area (tennis court) bordered by corokia and conifers.
The area has been left open as a multifunctional use area the walls are detailed with grapevines espaliered & trained in shapes.



The stairway is central to the garden and leads you up through the various levels, the sides of which has ficus, orange blossom, buxus leading up to a central concrete water feature at the top. On one level leading to the left there is a vista of wisteria planted in varying shades of purple which at this stage all stand alone separately.


Gardens with star jasmine training up trellis & structural planting of buxus balls edged with liriope show the versatility of semi structure with a relaxed and changing seasonal flowers this coming spring poppy sand stock will fill the garden.

The gardens wind up around the house with a garden planned around alternating height and shape. featuring curly camillia, pittosporum golfballs. The pool is bordered by tropical plants and sits unobtrusively in the garden. Wild flowers and alstroemerias are on the opposite side of the pathway especially planted for the wedding bouquet.


Standardised ice berg roses under planted with silver lace & bordered by lavender lead down to the wisteria and along to the gazebo with fantastic central lighting.

The recent addition of a native garden to block the view from the drive was planted just weeks prior to our visit, the addition of camellias ties the garden to the existing and makes it look as though it has been there for much longer.

Joanna fertilises regularly with sheep pallets and rose manure, is not afraid to shift things and between her & her husband maintains the whole garden.

The garden has a wonderful feel and is like walking through a house with well thought out areas almost in the structure of outdoor rooms.
The structure alongside the changing seasonal planting and use of colour create a tranquil and inviting garden.
The garden may open for wedding ceremony's in the future.
We wish Joanna & her husband well with this future endeavour.

Megs