TASMAN

- The secret life of the owner of a small specialist nursery.

Ihad left the corporate world to work part-time in a local garden centre in Island Bay, Wellington. Bloomers was small, but had the most fabulous selection of perennials and these plants captured my heart instantly. Lots came home with me as I came to recognise the beauty, tenacity and strength of many different varieties.

I began propagating them, resulting in a large number of plants, so Bloomers’ owner Sandy Collings suggested placing an advertisement in the NZ Gardener.

To my surprise, letters came flooding in asking for my catalogue. I didn’t have a computer then, so phoned Dad in Invercargill. “If I send you my handwritten catalogue, could you type it up and post me 50 copies?” He gladly did, bless his heart.

Eden Cottage Perennials (as my nursery was known then) was born and until 1999, I sent plants around the country from home each week. My personal circumstances changed so the nursery went to “sleep”, reawakening as Heirloom Perennial Nursery in 2004 when my husband and I settled on 2.1 hectares in Tasman District.

I began establishing a large perennial garden, and was awestruck that a lot of the treasures I used to have “found” me again through small local nurseries. And I’m constantly increasing my range of perennials; I can’t seem to help myself. So many older varieties are becoming hard to find and need to be kept going. The “heirloom” in my nursery’s name doesn’t necessarily refer to perennials though – I love the idea that my perennials will become heirlooms as they are shared with family and friends.

My first loves are hardy cranesbill geraniums – especially Geranium pratense and Geranium phaeum varieties – herbaceous clematis and woodland perennials, thalictrum, Salvia confertiflora and Salvia madrensis, trillium, Cephalaria gigantea (large lemon scabiosa), perennial phlox (these thrive beautifully in partial shade here), Primula auricula and woodland anemones, to name just a few.

Running a nursery from home does have its downside. A very real conundrum is how to propagate enough stock year-round whilst keeping up with website orders, enquiries, maintaining the nursery areas and tending my garden.

This truly is the trickiest aspect. My poor garden has suffered over the past couple of years because I simply don’t have as much time to work in it.

Keeping a propagation-office work balance can be hard too. My years as a corporate personal assistant have helped with time management. I try to check emails just once a day and work on sowing seeds, potting up seedlings, dividing plants, taking cuttings and getting plants ready to be packed on Sunday and shipped Monday.

Sending my plants around the country has been a learning curve over the years and it isn’t without some stress. My plants are my children and every shipment that leaves is like sending children off to school alone – you hope they are going to reach their destination safely and unscathed. I’ve developed a packing method that helps ensure my plants arrive in good condition, even if they are stuck in transit for a few days (thankfully this doesn’t happen too often).

One of the most challenging things about having a home-based nursery is taking time out. Going away, even just for a weekend, requires careful planning because it means nothing is shipped and friends need to water my treasures.

There are four different nursery sites – sun, part-shade, shade and “not for sale”, so setting up irrigation in all these areas would be tricky and impractical. I’m also a firm believer in hand-watering; it’s the best way to keep an eye on the health and stock levels of my plants.

All that aside, I wouldn’t change what I am doing for the world – the contact I have with customers is very special. It brings me such joy when someone is so excited to have found a perennial they have spent years looking for, or one that holds special emotional ties to family. What has evoked the most reaction? The true English violet, Viola odorata.

Everyone who asks about this plant has a family connection to this tiny treasure and one, in particular, brought tears to my eyes: “My grandmother always grew English violets and she used to take me out into the garden to pick some when they were in flower, telling me stories about fairies living amongst them. Grandma has been gone for many years and I’ve longed to grow some for so long. Thank you so much for growing it. You’ve made my day.” Incredibly, this happens with a lot of my other perennials too.

My nursery may not make me monetarily rich but I’m rich in so many other ways. Having little pieces of “me” in gardens all over the country, including the Wellington Botanic Gardens is incredibly special.

Perennials fill my days. When I’m not propagating them, they’re in my dreams. My love affair with them began in 1993.