Q&A

‘I’m not a fussy gardener and if things self-seed, then they must be happy and they have a place here’

BEST TIME OF DAY IN THE GARDEN: Early morning, just as the sun lights up the Waipā River valley below us. (Liz)

TRUSTY TOOLS: My battery powered Stihl hedge cutter, chainsaw and leaf blower. Brilliant. (Evan)

My niwashi – it’s a Japanese tool that doubles as a miniscythe, weed executioner and planting aid. (Liz) FAVOURITE NATIVE: Kauri – my father-in-law, Arthur Cowan, gave me one when our son Nicholas was born 30 years ago. (Liz)

GARDENING HERO: Vita Sackville-West, creator of the famous Sissinghurst Castle Garden in the UK. Her best piece of advice was to visit a nursery every month and buy plants that caught the eye. That way you automatically have something colourful, interesting or attractive in the garden all year. (Liz)

IRRIGATION: We have recently installed a solar water pump that pumps from a shallow well, and have swapped the house supply to it. This means that we have a 25,000 litre tank of roof-collection water that can be used to water bits of the garden that need it without compromising the supply to troughs and other houses. (Evan)

WHO DOES WHAT: I have built most of the retaining walls and generally been responsible for moving anything heavy. Mowing lawns is also my department. Liz does everything else. (Evan)

I do have help every few months from the wonderful Cathy Wilson who helps with mulching, cutting back spent plants and generally coming up with good ideas. (Liz) VISITORS OFTEN SAY: “You must spend hours in the garden every day.” I don’t! Nature hates a vacuum, so I try to keep the ground well-covered with plants and they do their bit to limit the weeds. (Liz)