Wellington Gardens. Successful gardening for Wellington, Kapiti coast and Wairarapa, by Jon Muller .

Garden photos and analysis

Click on each photo for a full size view - note these are often big files - 60-100k (but they are lovely pictures!).

Karori: Steep banks like this eastern bank are typical in Wellington. Note the use of the climbing rata and rengarenga on the bank. There is a shrubby form of the climbing rata in the foreground, propogated from cuttings. The native plants at the top of the bank are now well established.	Wellington Inner City: Part of this small townhouse garden is exposed to the south, so the plants have been selected for their hardiness to the wind. All the plants are in containers, such as the pansies chosen for their seasonal interest. The variegated hakea is under-planted with thyme, while the Metrosideros 'Tahiti' is in flower at the back.
Ohariu Valley: Water garden: alder trees provide shade for the bog iris, primulas and hostas.	Lower Hutt: The weeping elm provides a focal point in the front garden. the puriris and karakas in the background provide privacy and wind protection.
Eastbourne: In the front garden, the existing karo and agapanthus have been retained and sleepers used to create a raised garden. Plants thriving here are echium, libertia, carex, chionochloa, astelia and Pachystegia insignis, all of which prefer these free-draining soils. Note the alyssum growing along the sleepers edge.	Pauatahanui-Judgeford: Specimens of flowering cherry on the left and alders on the right frame the view of this water feature. In the foreground are hebe, zantedeschia and carex. later in spring irises and hostas emerge. It was a council requirement that the plants used around the dam were shallow rooted.
Waikanae Beach: This view of the western garden shows the closeness of the river and sea, with Kapiti Island in the background. This part of the garden is on the roof. Plants that thrive in the salt-laden winds include rockrose, carex, lavender, santolina, and leucadendron. Note the pingao at the base of the chimney - it is planted directly into sand, but as it prefers moving sand it is not growing well.	Silverstream: A delightful water feature has been created under the shade of large trees like beech, or the nyssa, which can grow in boggy areas. Planted around the sides are gunnera, hosta, daylily, iris and rodgersia. This pond has water pumped into it from the creek, and the overflow is directed back into the creek at the other end. Sleepers are used around the edges.
Whangaimoana: To the left is the woodland garden, shady, sheltered and dry. Amaryllis, agapanthus, cineraria and lavender all grow at the sunny end. Oxalis is a problem weed in this garden, as a lot of bulbs are used under the trees, and oxalis is a bulbous perennial. To the right is the very dry south-east garden, past the two flowering praire crab trees and rows of lavender.	Martinborough: Under the shade of this large oak tree on the southern part of the garden, woodland plants thrive, such as hostas, hellebores, clivia, aquilegia in the foreground, and rengarenga in the background. Euphorbias grow well in the shade as well as the full sun.
	Masterton: Climbers are used extensively to cover the brick walls of the house. In this case Rosa 'Shotsilk' is used in the back garden. More frost-tender plants, such as the climbing rata in the front garden, are successfully grown under the eaves.

Excerpts

A successful Maungaraki Garden analysed

21 gardens
Photos and comments

Wellington's
Ecological zones
Map & Suitable plants

Praise for Wellington Gardens

Introduction
Contents
How to use this book

Buy books

General garden information
· Wind - Temperature - Sunlight · Rainfall · Topography · Compost · Weeds · Lawns
· Using professionals

Acknowledgements