Dorothy's garden was in the Peninsula on a corner section. She had some big trees on her property but had still managed to grow a semi-woodland underneath, with geraniums and bromeliads and fairy like toadstools. She had giant staghorn ferns on two of her trees, one was a albizzia, another a silky oak, and a magnolia with giant creamy flowers.
Being a flower lover she also had roses, hydrangeas, fuchsias, alstromerias, cosmos, and primulas. The primulas in hanging basket chandeliers which she got the idea from one of our garden tours. She had a sunny vege patch, several fruit trees, swings, plants in pots, and a carpet rose over her welcome arch - a nice sturdy wooden one.
Next garden was Pat's in Te Atatu South. Pat was the winner of the sweet pea flower show and she had many growing up the walls, trellises and wig wams. She had an amazing floral and butterfly filled border between her and the neighbour's property, with every annual flower you could think of - lobelias, dahlias, tweedia, gerberas, phlox, pelargoniums, alyssum, daisies. She had gazanias at the front by the berm, and flowers by the house, down the side, and extra flowers by her vege patch.She had roses climbing the walls Many had been given to her as gifts which she lovingly tended and coaxed into flower. Some flowers were even growing in the cracks in the driveway. One tomato self seeded by her drainpipe so she left it there and gave it compost and it's going great. It was immaculately maintained and a joy to see and smell!
Linda's garden was a short drive away on the main road down a long drive lined with mini aggies, where we stopped and chatted for morning tea. Garden club conversation tends to be about plants, flowers, recipes and weddings and home renovations. Linda had hanging baskets of fuchsias, orcids and streptocarpus, pots of succulents, a weeping cherry tree and a mysterious 'secret garden' trail under one of her large oaks. By the sunny wall she had rambling roses, more sweetpeas, lychnis, catmint, hydrangeas, abutilons, and other flowery delights I can't pronounce (opthigian? Ornhithagalum? O-something!)
I didn't get time to visit Bev's terraced garden again or Thera's Glendene DIY renovation, or Sid and Janes wilderness in Swanson, as I had to rush off to work my afternoon shift at the bookshop, but there's always next time.
Today is not much of a garden day being wet and cool. But I have very much enjoyed the sunny spring weather while it lasted.
Linda said that what she wanted most for Christmas was a sack of compost but Santa never seems to grants her that request - I think what I'll be receiving this year are bars of soap, although I'd rather have a real tree (in a pot,) and no presents than a fake tree and lots of presents.
So one tree please, thanks Santa.
A lime tree or tree tomato, or maybe another mini apple tree.
