Oak Tree Path

The Oak Tree path was constructed at Easter 2001, and redirects gardeners through the Hen House Borders. The area planted with New Zealand natives is now separated from the end plantings around the two Scarlet Oaks.

The original path which bisected this garden has had its entrance moved, and now the Oak Tree path curves away from the central path and joins the Dog-Path by the water's edge. The meeting place of the path with Duck Lawn has also been quite flexible - this most recent photograph shows Path Entrance Number Three!

Scruffy One Dollar Shrubs

Originally this area was pathless and lacked form. There was a scruffy berry shrub and various filler plantings (a one dollar shrubby lilac Lavatera, a one dollar Genista and an unknown silver leaved tree). Some reject roses were temporarily planted in here as well, and were sulking as the fillers crowded them out.

I decided that the Oaks needed their own separate area, and so crashed and bashed my way through creating a rough path. In my mind I could already see drifts of bluebells. Out came the one dollar fillers, and the reject Lilian Austin roses were actually thrown out. In the rose books they look beautiful, but in my garden they'd black-spotted, flopping weakly onto the ground. Sorry, Lilian!

Bluebells Under the Oaks

There are now a lot of bluebells in here, sharing space with small blue aquilegias. Firmly restricted to the other side of the path are the New Zealand native tussocks and corokias. The new path almost divides the area into two, separating the natives from the British plants (though a rogue red flax has crossed the line).

Favourite path-side plants are the Rugosa roses, whose red rose hips form in the middle of summer. These are bright, big, and a shiny red - many get pecked at and partially eaten by the birds.

Final touches are the stone edges, and a railway sleeper seat, remarkably called the Oak Tree Seat, where the Dog-path curves down to the water's edge.

A Seat by the Water

Naturally the Oak Tree seat, positioned by running water, is a winner! And thr path (of course) has been consumer tested by dog and cats. It's a bit of a wiggle for a tired, stiff gardener, but the ambience makes up for any inconvenience.

Lately I have been sensibly and gently pruning the variegated lemonwoods (Pittosporums) to clear the right-of-way. I also give the rusty-red tussock grasses haircuts every month - they flop onto the path, and can be quite slippery in the wet!

Autumn Colour

No doubt the Oak Tree Path will mature as its resident Oak trees get bigger. I will limb the trees up and hopefully they'll have enough room to spread out naturally.

The trees have a beautiful change of colour in the autumn weeks - even by their second year the autumn colour was stunning.

Oddly the two Oaks have different leaf colour changes, going through different shades of red, even though they're supposed to be clones. I often stop and stare at these trees, squinting my eyes trying to imagine how big they will get. And I can always shift the path again if things don't work out. Stone edged dirt tracks are nothing if not versatile.