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Hen House Garden Tour

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The Hen House Garden starts at the old hen house under the fence-line gums and reaches out along the water race and the paddock lawn. It started off with two distinct areas, namely a New Zealand native plants border and a Rugosa rose border. For the first time in my gardening life I was going to have one theme in one section of the garden. I impressed myself.

You can guess what happened next. First some spare rugosas sneaked over the dividing path. Then a Coprosma and a Corokia quietly joined the roses, for foliage reasons. Then the native border got bigger and all sorts of exotics muscled in. The final betrayal was the planting of two scarlet oaks, plus some bluebells on the native border's edge. Oops. It's a common trap for gardeners whose garden design sense consists of intuition, faith, and the contents of the local nursery's bargain bin. Maybe the same thing has happened to you. Things are not settled in here yet, and paths continue to be moved in an attempt to restore design order.

Hen House Borders

Rugosa roses are my favourites. I admire their beautiful blooms and fragrances, and the hips provide winter colour. Reject roses from friends have found their final resting place here too. Perhaps the rugosa border has finally stopped expanding. Meanwhile the 'native' side contains pseudopanax, hebes, flaxes and cordylines, Renga Renga, and Pittosporums, plus a beautiful New Zealand Pepper tree. There's a dog-sized path to explore along the edge of the water race, where some of the more obviously exotic plants like gunnera, hostas, spotty ligularias, and Japanese irises have ended up.

Rooster Bridge is the official entry over the water to the Hen House Garden. The hen house, oozing rustic charm, has had some lovely egg-laying hens in official residence, too. Regrettably at the moment I am chookless. Wander around and you'll find something you like - even if it's only a beautiful Plymouth Barred Rock! That's a hen, by the way...

Rugosa Rose Hips and Leaves... Sat 16th Apr 2011: Do I need lots of reasons to love rugosa roses? Of course the flowers in spring and summer are just lovely. But then I remember the wonderful autumn leaf colour, and the red rose hips which brighten my garden throughout the winter.
Bluebells... Sat 2nd Oct 2010: Swathes of bluebells underneath glades of Oak trees - such was one of my early visions for my country garden. But this is not England, and I learnt very early on to celebrate my special place in the gardening world - New Zealand.
Rooster Bridge... Thu 26th Aug 2010: Rooster Bridge is the gateway to the Hen House garden borders. Just across the water a dog-path wanders along close to the water race. There are many exciting foliage plants in the garden by the water.
Garden Bench by the Darmera... Sat 16th Jan 2010: The Hen House Garden only has two seats. This wooden bench sits by the water near a slowly spreading clump of Darmera. It takes time to reach this secluded spot, and the journey is definitely worth it, even if the hot cup of coffee might be a little cold!
Early Flowering Hen-House Roses... Mon 20th Oct 2008: The rose parade in the Hen House Gardens starts early with the yellow Rugosa Agnes and the once-flowering Kordes rose Fruhlingsmorgen. Both these shrubs are big and beautiful.
Rugosa Rose Garden... Sun 6th Jan 2008: The rugosa roses in this part of the Hen House garden flower early in summer. There are many assorted perennials in between them, and some flaxes and grasses to add all year round texture.
Welcome to Henworld... Thu 6th Dec 2007: Good (and serious) gardeners are allowed a few quirky things in the garden, to bring a few giggles. Henworld is my personal quirky garden space - a circular garden designed as a 'playground' for my hens.
The Hen House... Mon 15th Oct 2007: You can't have a whole garden area named after you and stay hidden in the background of all the photographs. Here is the famous Moosey Hen House. Oops - the photographs are a bit old...
Representing The Natives... Sun 14th Jan 2007: There are always several New Zealand flaxes in the Hen-House Gardens, representing the natives, of course. I started this garden with the regulation red flax, and gradually larger green varieties were added.
Green Astelia... Sun 14th Jan 2007: Astelias are another spiky New Zealand native shrub which I love growing in my garden. And there is nothing nicer than the clean green variety, shining in the beautiful New Zealand summer sun.
Irises by the Water... Sat 4th Nov 2006: The rich blue flowers from these Japanese Irises by the water can finally be seen and properly enjoyed. My rational clearing of overgrown Phormium Tenaxes (flaxes) from the edge of the water race has born fruit - or in this case, flower.
Hens in the Hen House... Sat 4th Nov 2006: Finally, the finishing touches have been made to the Hen House Gardens. Some proper, well-behaved hens and a cute rooster are installed, and a chook run has been built. Long may the egg laying continue!
Trough Pelargoniums... Thu 10th Mar 2005: The concrete trough was originally placed here for stock water. Each year I fill it with variegated cherry red flowering pelargoniums, which I promptly forget to look after.
Perennial Daisies... Mon 7th Mar 2005: The Hen House Gardens are fast turning into a foliage feast, but there's still space for hardy perennial flowers on the sunny side by the lawn. In summer it's hot and dry, and I've planted a number of perennial daisies here.
Autumn Oak Leaves... Tue 25th May 2004: The two Oak Trees planted together at the far side of the Hen House Garden are both Scarlet Oaks. They turn quite different colours, though, in Autumn.
Blue Iris... Mon 24th May 2004: This glowing mid-blue iris grows in the Hen House Garden on the side of a little path. I have to keep the neighbouring hebes well trimmed to give it enough early summer sun.
Cistus Shrub... Mon 24th May 2004: Cistus shrubs are always available in the bargain bins and plant sale tables I visit. This white flowering Cistus is on the edge of Duck Lawn near the water race flaxes.
Cat on the Oak Tree Seat... Mon 24th May 2004: Jerome the cat looks pensively and lovingly at the camera. She is sitting on her favourite seat - the Oak Tree seat in the Hen House Garden.
Duck Lawn in Autumn... Thu 15th Apr 2004: Duck Lawn is one of the most peaceful lawns in the Moosey garden. It is often duckless, so a tired gardener and attendant cat can rest here without disturbing nature.
Japanese Iris & Pulmonaria... Sun 19th Jan 2003: At one end of the Iris Japonica patch I've planted some Pulmonarias. They are growing well in the partial shade offered by their strappy neighbour.
Lavender, Iris & Canna Planting... Sat 11th Jan 2003: These early plantings in the Hen House border are mainly perennials, planted in between the Rugosa roses. A favourite combination was lavender and Iris Japonica.
Heuchera Leaves... Thu 2nd Jan 2003: This close-up shows the incredible design and markings on the Heuchera leaves at the edge of this garden. Heucheras naturally grow propped up, so the stones complement their design.
Garden Designer Dog... Sun 22nd Dec 2002: Here is Taj-dog the landscape architect and garden deisgner dog on the water race path by the Native border. This path was originally designed by Taj-dog. It's dog-sized, efficient and close to the water race.
Echinops Thistle... Wed 18th Dec 2002: My son, who takes a lot of the photos of the garden, thought that this Echinops thistle was a weed, and took some close-up photographs just to annoy me. It backfired.
Canna Tropicanna Lily... Wed 11th Dec 2002: Look closely at the colours in these striped leaves of Canna Tropicanna. They are truly beautiful.
California Poppy Flower... Tue 10th Dec 2002: There are many bright orange California Poppies (Eschscholzia) flowering in the Hen House Border. They are encouraged to self-seed, and have orange daylilies and orange cosmos nearby for colour company.
Achillea... Wed 4th Dec 2002: When you look at the flowers of Achillea Feuerland close-up you'll see that the overall colour effect comes from small separate colours, red and yellow.
Hen House Trees... Sat 6th Apr 2002: Under the gum and wattle trees by the Hen House the ground is dry and difficult. I am encouraging a small Pittosporum and Hebe forest to grow in here - and things are just starting to look good.