Waipara Dry Garden

24 April 2024

This highly colourful, textural and seasonal garden has been lovingly put together by a Waipara vineyard owner - in part as a memorial to her late husband.

The garden is a mixture of NZ native shrubs, exotic plants and flowering perennials, all chosen for their ability to withstand dry conditions. The plants fall into layer categories of border plants, small shrubs and trees, textural grasses, for structure, and perennials for seasonal colour. Surrounding the gardens is a shelter planting of Olearia lineata. With other lower formal hedges being Choisya ternata and Viburnum tinus.

The inspiration for the mixed style came from overseas landscaper Piet Oudolf with the New Zealand twist. Flaxes, for nectar and colour, Austroderia richardii (toetoe), Chionochloa rubra (red tussock), and striking swathes of colourful Carex species are planted in the mid range along with Lomandra species to give a more spiky texture.  There are multiple seed heads for the birds insects and butterflies. Borders include Thyme, Oregano alongside orange and yellow Helianthemums and Rockroses. The soft rounded shapes come from Veronicas (hebes) such as Veronica odora and Veronica traversii, Teuchrium fruiticans and Ceanothus.

Lavender, Rosemary and Santolina complement the NZ dry cliffhanger Brachyglottis monroi, with its silver texture and yellow flowers.

Coprosma rugosa with the reddish blush protects the summer flowering geraniums. At one end of the garden walk Choisya ternata flowers in late autumn, while the Agapanthus gives a display in summer. At the other end of the pathway, a peaceful bench sits against a border of Dianella, a mid range of Ozothamnus leptophyllus, Prostrate kowhai, Corokia cotoneaster and Muehlenbeckia astonii, with the heads of swan plants and Rudbeckia peeking out.

The garden works well in the dry season, is hugely colourful and textural, and is interesting all year round - assign plants to My List.

Native grasses

Pittosporum, Teucrium, Rosemary and Lavender

Toetoe, Choisya, Chionochloa, Coprosma, Veronica, Olearia