Irises

Iris bank

(can anyone name the blue flowers – they are like mini agapanthus?)

The highlight of November was the flowering of the new Iris bed. Thanks to the Iris Garden at Motukarara and Lisa Ashworth’s donations I have created a bank of Iris.   I count this as  my greatest achievement – yes better than the MA!  Not all flowered this year but it was still an amazing display.  For some the short flowering defeats the purpose – somehow for me it just makes it more dramatic.  Almost finsished now I am already anticipating next year!

The natives that form the backdrop to this garden are all sourced from the Motukarara DOC nursery and are the species that would have originally grown here.  Decapitated pines are the remnant of the clean up after the storm of 2000. Chips on the path are from the trees that were removed for the building site.

At the other end of the house

Setting up to survive the building process has involved ensuring access and the maintenance of some aesthetics at the other end of the house.   We now enter from the other side of the property and have moved the fish pond to the lawn by the pear tree.

What was sort of a back water  has become and important oasis although the tear drop lawn making a peaceful shady place to sit in summer has been on my drawing board from the beginning.  The boys set up the fish pond and the fountain using the stones from the old garden at the eastern side of the house and our second generation fish are doing really well.  Fresias, peony and blue agapanthus type bulbs have all tranferred from there too to maintain the heritage of the garden as much as I can.

Rhodos by the tennis court that we nearly lost seem to be holding their own.  Thanks to a advise from a nursery man, the gardeners at UOC  and layers of pea straw. ( Thanks Ralph!)

Fish pond and peaceful lawn

Looking towards the building site

Iris bank

New Rhodo garden

Footbridge to Rhodos