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Septic Tank Garden Tour

Septic Tank Border

The Septic Tank Gardens are some of the original house borders, situated on the east side of the house. Rose-covered archways and many shrubs and flowers can be seen. Herbs and lavenders encourage the bees, while hydrangeas and ferns fill the shadier spots. Phew - a cluster of pots camouflages the cover to the septic tank.

Some garden borders just can't help their name. The Septic Tank Border is a messy mixture of plants - dahlias, lupins, lychnis, roses, irises, geraniums and small daylilies. Originally this area housed an old Ceanothus, but the winter snow of 1996 cracked and killed it. The old stumps are now completely covered with euphorbias and some large Sparrieshoop roses. Assorted pots (ferns, a red flax, etc.) sit on the cover to the septic tank, and there are two beautiful Prosperity roses in the centre of the bed.

Go through the house side arches past the big pink Camellia, an original shrub. Clair Matin and three Abraham Darby roses flower on the fence-line, and peeping through to the Pond Paddock you'll see many more pink beauties. Plantings in the Pond Side Border have changed over the years as the nearby flowering cherry and oak trees provide more and more shade - out go the irises and daylilies, and in come foliage plants like hostas. Sadly, feature New Zealand flaxes have had to be dug out, as they were cruelly flattened by the snow in 2006.

The small Laundry Garden has a reading seat surrounded by herbs and lavenders. A Philadelphus shrub shelters the gardener when she's relaxing in late spring. Summer brings out a mass of white Shasta daisies, and autumn shows off with yellow perennial daisies.

What's in a name? The Septic Tank Gardens are some of the prettiest in the garden.

Garden Bench... Tue 15th Sep 2009: The Septic Tank Garden has two sides, with an old sheep fence running through the middle. On the pondside I've put one of my new garden benches. There's even a tiny path to lead you there from the Laundry steps.
Non-Gardening Cat... Fri 2nd Jan 2009: Tiger the cat does not do gardening. But just occasionally she'll venture out into the Septic Tank Garden to provide some lightweight cat-company.
Lily of the Valley... Sun 5th Oct 2008: I forget who gave me my first Lily of the Valley plant. I knew about its perfume, but not its tendency to spread - and spread - and then spread some more. Oops!
First Camellia to Flower... Fri 27th Jun 2008: Gardeners are allowed to make a fuss over the first Camellia to flower in their gardens. My first Camellia is in the Septic Tank Garden - it's pale baby pink, really beautiful, and turns up in late winter.
More Hostas... Sat 17th Nov 2007: In 2005 I overheard a friend talking about the hostas she was digging out. 'Yes please' I said, and came home with a whole car-load! I decided to plant them together in the Pond Paddock side border.
White Dahlia... Thu 17th Feb 2005: My dahlias are randomly scattered throughout the Moosey garden (and throughout the Moosey web site!) - they seem to survive my attitude of total neglect. This large white flowering dahlia is a real beauty, surprising me every mid-summer.
Pink Rhododendron... Thu 3rd Jun 2004: This is one of the first rhododendrons I planted in the garden. This shrub grew quietly at first, minding its own business, then suddenly a few years ago burst into spectacular Spring colour.
Phyllis Bide Rose... Fri 21st May 2004: The top rose arch has two Phyllis Bide roses growing either side. After a slow start they are finally fluffing themselves out and reaching together, as all well behaved roses on archways should.
Heuchera & Astelia... Fri 26th Dec 2003: I love this combination of the perennial Heuchera and the New Zealand native Astelia. Their colours are subtle, like tarnished silver or pewter.
Cherry Tree Blossom... Sun 19th Oct 2003: In 1996 two flowering cherry trees were transplanted into the Pond Paddock from another part of the garden. Every spring I photograph their beautiful blossom - before the winds blow it all off!
Rose Garden in Summer... Tue 25th Feb 2003: Roses, roses, roses - climbing over archways, and growing sedately surrounded by perennials. This is the Septic Tank Garden in all its summer glory. Pity about the name!
Pond-Side Garden Border... Sat 22nd Feb 2003: The side border of the Pond Paddock backs onto a fence, and contains a great mixture of plants. One beautiful rhododendron shows off in late spring, followed by pink roses and foliage perennials. Dahlias grow here in late Summer, and Honesty in Spring. And don't forget the hostas...
Spring by the Septic Tank... Thu 24th Feb 2000: The Septic Tank Border in spring is always full of little flowery plants - frothy blue forget-me-nots, tulips, miniature daffodils and aquilegias flower underneath a flowering Deutzia. Favourite foliage plants are little, too.
Scrophularia & Fungi... Fri 18th Feb 2000: This has to be called 'Still Life in the Icing Sugar Border' - a composition of fungi, tagaste (tree lucerne) stump, and new scrophularia leaf, tastefully recorded by an artistic son.
Red & Pink Rose Arches... Wed 16th Feb 2000: The two archways along the house-side of the Septic Tank Border look like they were always meant to be here, whereas they were quite a late garden addition. The borders and the grass path seemed the perfect shapes to be 'archwayed'.
Lavender Rosemary Garden Path... Sat 15th Jan 2000: This stone path leads from the laundry to the top of the Icing Sugar Border, You have to push past the lavender on the right and the Tussock and Rosemary on the left, often competing with bees.
Lavender Garden & Azaleas... Wed 12th Jan 2000: There are a lot of lavender bushes in this part of the garden. Some are getting rather woody and are due for renewal. Other shrubs of interest include a deciduous Azalea, a Philadelphus, and two Daphnes.
Jerome the Cat... Mon 10th Jan 2000: Jerome the cat is sitting by the pots on the septic tank cover, thinking about cat things!
Yellow Hypericum Flowers... Sun 9th Jan 2000: Between the rose arches in mid-summer the shrub Hypericum steals the limelight with its bright glowing yellow flowers.
Hydrangea Flower... Sun 2nd Jan 2000: On the way to the washing line from the back door you'll pass through the Laundry Garden. A blue hydrangea was well established here in this dry spot when I first came to Mooseys. Plants, like gardeners, have to be tough in the country...
Gardening Writer... Thu 23rd Dec 1999: The laundry seat is sheltered and gets the morning sun. I can sit here with a cup of tea and pretend that nobody can find me. Trouble is that it's between the laundry and the washing line.
Garden Path Stone Ferns... Thu 23rd Dec 1999: This is one of the darkest parts of the garden. The flat stone laundry path was already here, as was the Hydrangea on the left, when we came to live here. Ferns line the path up to the Laundry seat.
Foxglove Flowers... Tue 21st Dec 1999: I love using foxgloves, and am very happy to let them decide where they'd rather grow. Originally I tried to remove all the magenta pink ones, but now I'll welcome any colour.
Carex Plantings... Sat 4th Dec 1999: Walking back down from the washing line there is a small garden which I used to call the Icing Sugar Border. Originally it was sprinkled with white and pink roses, but now there are some compulsory foliage plants like this small brown tussock.
Banksia... Wed 1st Dec 1999: As you walk towards the washing line you'll pass this oldish Banksia with its corn cob-like husks. This plant is an Australian toughie.