When we bought our house, we didn’t really buy a ‘house’, we bought a garden with a house in it. This is not the first time this has happened, but that's a different story. We seem to be attracted to properties that offer ‘good bones’ in both the house and the garden. “Jasmine Cottage” was no exception.
Cooptown - Population 35?
Built in the late 1860’s in what was intended to be a planned village called Cooptown, the small cottage, like the many others along the tree-lined road, was built to house the men (and their families) working at Mr. Coop’s sawmill. The mill was busy processing the timber being cut from the beautiful hills of Banks Peninsula and being sent via rail into
Jasmine Cottage sits on a nice sized lot, or 'section', as it is called here, about 1300 square meters, or 12,000 square feet. We are bordered on one side by a very small creek, which is actually the overflow from the spring that provides our water supply.
When we first saw the property, we were instantly smitten by the garden. While many improvements and renovations had been made to the house over the years, the garden had clearly been neglected in recent years, but we could see beyond that and had visions of her in her previous glory. The realtor noted our keen interest in the garden and on the day the sale closed she gave us a copy of the “Yates Garden Guide”, a classic Kiwi compendium of everything gardening. I dove into the introduction and while reading “A Potted History of New Zealand Gardening” I came to quickly understand the influences time had had on our garden.
In the mid 1800’s…cottage gardens of the time were not necessarily recognised by their owners as such. The early ‘cottagers’ were working-class people whose cottage gardens were largely the result of the need to grow food and ornamentals in a limited space.
When formality returned to fashion in Victorian times…, even the humble cottage garden was planted in beds laid out in formal, geometric patterns.
In the early 1900’s…,
“Wow! That sounds exactly like what we have going on here!”
As we got ‘stuck into’ clearing overgrown vines and pruning back overgrown bushes only to discover other shrubs struggling without sunlight, the real layout of the garden started to take shape again, and the ‘rooms’ and ‘hallways’ became obvious.
The front garden, that which welcomes visitors, is a classic Victorian flower garden with a tidy oval lawn, just like the front parlor would be. Tall bushes and small trees create a block from the road, while a mix of seasonally changing colour dots the beds. We’ve managed to pull out a lot of the volunteering native grasses, nurse the old roses back to health and add in a few new plants as needed.
At the end of the drive is the antiquated garage that we seem to use for ‘storage’, and just past that, the ‘sleep-out’. Kiwi’s have an ingenious concept of building stand-alone bedrooms on their properties. These are often used as teen-agers bedrooms, granny flats, studios or offices. I adore ours. It reminds me of a grown-up doll house. It was used by previous owners as an ‘eco-cottage’ B & B, as it has solar panels, a composting toilet, a camp shower, a mud pizza oven and a wood-fired bath tub!!! This will be your accommodation when any of you decide to visit (yes, that is an invitation!)
Now, we go up the ‘stairs’ to what I like to call the ‘promenade’. We planted the succulents in the steps, and this year we let the poppies go wild, but back in the day, I imagine it was neat as a pin. The ‘black boy’ peach flanks you on the left, while the massively ancient olive guards your right. Old concrete-cast benches, beckoning to be water-blasted offer seating. Further along the promenade, a pergola which used to support grapes now is covered with jasmine.
Down the promenade’s central steps and onto the upper lawn, you are flanked by two elderly bay trees. As the walk continues, we take the path under the pergola of climbing roses, again sustained by branches of another era. The ‘buggy’ is on your left. Many friends have asked for the opportunity to give the old trap a re-do, craving it as a great winter project, but alas, no one has yet made good on their promise!
For the time being, we’ll ignore the vegetable garden to the left, and take the hedge lined pathway alongside the ‘orchard’ on the right. We have two plum trees, a Nashi pear, two old apples of unknown breed and a Granny Smith, as well as what we believe will be a quince once it is re-habbed enough to fruit!
Through the lovely old gate and we arrive on the back lawn! To the left, we have our grape vines, heavy with fruit at the moment (I think they are table grapes), and, in continuing the transportation theme, another vehicle that could do with a clean up!
The old oak tree does not wear any ribbons but provides shelter and food for many feathered friends, as does the feeding table. We also have other friends in the garden!
As we head down the far side of the property, where the creek runs, the soil is damp and clay like, and all but the hydrangeas struggle. Now we arrive full circle at the far end of the front lawn.
Now, if we head back towards the back of the house and epicentre of the garden, our ‘Dahlia Bed’ is almost at its peak. We love this bed, as it is the main view from the kitchen window and is so inspiring in summer.
Back around towards the sleep out is The Man’s ‘office’.
He truly has a green thumb and is doing so well starting so many things from seed.
Hanging Basket of Basil outside the kitchen door!
From the greenhouse, the seedlings go up to the veggie garden, yet another room situated in a sunny spot, but tucked well away from the ‘formal’ rooms of the garden. I think of it as the servant’s quarters!
Seed grown Witlof and Zucchini, amongst other things...
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PS _ I ain’t no good at Haiku…
