Middle Garden Plantings

Middle Garden has always been a messy, busy garden, crammed full of foliage shrubs and flowers. The garden was originally dug around existing Pittosporums and Viburnums. Nothing ever stays the same for long in the middle of Middle Garden!

How things are changing in this section of Middle Garden! The Magnolia Stellata (in the centre of this photo) is nearly two metres tall, and puts on brilliant spring flowering displays.

Middle Border - Spring 2003

The flax to the left in the picture is a large weeping hybrid called Tricolor. You'll see from these pictures how much I love spiky plants - parrticularly New Zealand native flaxes, cordylines, and astelias.

Middle Border Plants - 2002

This area is full of blue pansies every spring, thanks to my blue pansy mulching program.

Garden Designer Mess

In the beginning Middle Garden was full of different types of plants, a garden designer's mess - as seen in these archive photographs.

Middle Border Plants - 2000

Foliage plants like new Pittosporums with small delicately variegated leaves, flaxes, tussock grasses and rhododendrons shared space with sun-loving canna lilies and dahlias.

Middle Border Plants - 2000

By 2005 the rhododendrons had inherited the garden - so many of the sun-lovers had to be shifted out for the sake of their continued good health. And the Magnolia Stellata? RIP. Oops - too dry...