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Island Garden Border Tour

Island Borders

Here is the part of the garden where I first flexed my garden designer muscles. I was sitting in the legendary breakfast chairs, peering through the bay window. It was winter, and the Island Bed looked totally silly - it was far too small, out of scale, with small finger shapes spoiling its main curves. The gardening book I was reading was right - the shape and bones of a garden were terribly exposed in winter.

I started remodelling the Island Bed edges, moving grass from here to there. Down came a Pittosporum, in went a Cornus - the perfect specimen tree, not too big to be near the house...

But the Island Bed still looked silly, like an after-thought, as if it had been dug out of the front lawn and abandoned. One day, sitting in the breakfast chairs, I found the answer! The Island Bed was to be expanded towards the Hump, then joined up to the next part of garden.

And so the new Island Bed came to be.

Those breakfast chairs ($10 for the pair) are still priceless in the inspiration they have given over the years. They look out at Mary roses, the nicotianas, angelica and salvias in the bay window border. Further out is the bossy Toe Toe which fills one half of the Island Bed. There's beautifully mown grass in all directions, and spring blossom, tulips and daffodils to look forward to. Here autumn catalogues are devoured and plans are made for next summer, while cats snooze in the sun.

Westerland Roses... Thu 17th Feb 2005: In early summer foxgloves grow through the rose Westerland in the front of Island Bed. This is a tall shrub rose with a beautiful fragrance, and repeat flowers throughout the later summer weeks.
The Fairy Rose... Wed 16th Feb 2005: The Island Bed houses a small collection of roses, most of which were already planted here when we arrived. The Fairy Rose grows as a weeping standard at the front of the border by the grass archway.
The Island Bed... Sun 13th Feb 2005: Island beds look totally different from different viewpoints - this is the general idea! My Island Bed looks at its best when viewed side-on, standing on the (hopefully green) house lawn. The plumes of Toe Toe seem to fill the middle of the garden.
Flowering Cherry Blossom... Thu 10th Feb 2005: A grass path separates the Island Bed from the small garden by the car layby. In spring the flowering cherry tree in the next lawn looks particularly beautiful.
Dogwood Tree... Wed 9th Feb 2005: Some years ago, towards the back of the Island Bed I planted a Cornus, or Dogwood Tree. In my gardener's imagination I could see it instantly filling in the newly extended garden with its beautifully variegated leaves.
Red Penstemon... Wed 9th Feb 2005: Up the back of the Island Bed I grow colourful perennials like this red flowering Penstemon. There are lots of red dahlias nearby, and a bright green flax.
Yellow Spiky Dahlia... Wed 9th Feb 2005: The Island Bed should be renamed the Dahlia Bed - at least in the heat of mid-summer. Many original plain red dahlias are flowering by this time, as well as this bright yellow spiky flowered variety.
Choisya Plant Border... Wed 9th Feb 2005: This is the Choisya corner of the Island Bed. When the Choisya is in flower I love it, then at other times I decide it's taking up too much room. One old diary entry mentions a plan to march straight outside and dig it up. It's still there, and has survived some severe prunings.
View From the Patio... Thu 30th Dec 2004: It's hard when showing photographs of an Island Bed to get any sense of position. Each side blends into the next if the edges are curved. The most common view of the Moosey Island Bed is from the house patio.
Mugsy in the Grass... Fri 28th May 2004: This is the littlest cat Mugsy in the grass by the Island Bed. She rarely ventures further from the house than this.
View From the Paddock... Thu 15th Jan 2004: These majestic Toe Toe plumes are eyecatching when viewed from the next paddock. The two trees are Eucalypts and are responsible for all the dropped gum leaves which spoil the look of the house lawns.
Top of the Island... Fri 9th Jan 2004: The Island Bed has quite a settled history at Mooseys. It is possibly the part of the garden where the least changes have taken place - so far!
Island Garden Plantings... Mon 5th Jan 2004: This is a recent photo of the Island garden taken from the patio path. You'll see the summer flowering catmint with an Iceberg rose in the foreground, and tall cabbage trees in the Hump at the very back.
Island Garden Back View... Sun 28th Dec 2003: This is another view of the top of the summer Island Bed, looking down to the house. The plants at the top of this garden are quite slow to fill out.
Sally Holmes Rose... Fri 12th Dec 2003: There are two Sally Holmes roses in behind the Choisya shrub who fill most of the middle of the garden every summer with their flowers.
Pink and Cream Flax... Sat 26th Jul 2003: No part of the Moosey garden is without a warm coloured New Zealand flax. This plant brightens up the winter days, as the head gardener sits inside gazing at her sleeping garden.
Yellow Dahlia Flowers... Mon 3rd Jan 2000: I'm not a fan of dayglo yellow dahlias. This, however, is a soft lemon colour,and it appeared in the Island Bed a few years ago.
Toe Toe Grass... Wed 29th Dec 1999: I associate the plumes of Toe Toe with my childhood. We used to strap them to the backs of our bicycles like huge standards. They look good in a dried arrangement.
Veined Viburnum... Wed 29th Dec 1999: There is a large Viburnum Rhytidophyllum just through the grass gap, on the far side of the Island Bed. It has creamy white flowers in spring, and the leaves are distinctly corrugated.
Red Dahlias... Sun 12th Dec 1999: There are many red dahlias in the Island Bed. They put on a great show in summer, contrasting with the frothy white Gypsophila and the feathery Toe Toe plumes.
Nandina & Lupin... Thu 11th Nov 1999: I planted a Nandina on this corner to give some colour contrast. This picture shows the Nandina with a Lupin neighbour.
Heuchera... Tue 2nd Nov 1999: I use Heuchera a lot, particularly the brown and purple coloured hybrids. They work well for me at the edge of a border, and after a few years are easily increased by division.
Umbrella Grass Seed Heads... Tue 12th Oct 1999: This grass has interesting seedheads, and so far has not caused any problems. I grow it in the Island Bed as a filler plant.
Silver Lace Cineraria... Sun 10th Oct 1999: The leaf of the silver cineraria is delicately formed. This is an easily grown short-lived perennial, and should be more popular, even if only for its foliage.
Spring Cherry Blossom... Thu 7th Oct 1999: Here in spring the President Roosevelt rhododendron makes a pretty picture with the flowering cherry. There is another smaller blossom tree in the bed just around the corner.
Beautiful Patio Roses... Tue 5th Oct 1999: The front patio is a place where I often sit and stare at the Island Bed. I make outrageous plans, which usually include planting specimen trees and redirecting the Choiysa.