Restoring a Neglected Family Garden

Carrying on a family gardening legacy

Today in the GPOD we ’re take a trip toNew Zealand .

My name is Awhina Kingi , and I am an obsessional gardener .

I actuate to a family - own property in a semi - rural position up north in October 2016 . Generations of my maternal side of the family were raised in the house ; the last to know here were my grandfather and his sr. sister , my great aunt , who was the matriarch of thewhanau(Maori for “ extended fellowship ” ) and a consecrated nurseryman . Both passed away prior to my arriving and were laid to breathe in thewhanau urupa(family cemetery ) on the dimension .

My granddad was a vegetable nurseryman with a little 10 - animal foot by 10 - metrical unit plot to the rear of property near the orchard , and my aunt was a prizewinning flower nurseryman with a humongous garden full of blooms run from the easy to get to the uncommon , and even a minuscule native forest she embed herself .

When I arrived here , everything was dead or give-up the ghost after a severe drouth , and no one had hold up here for two year while the house was vacant and repairs were being undertake to make it safe . In fact , the only things flourish were thewild gingerand baccy , privet , butterflower , and kikuyu ( a grass , Pennisetumclandestinum ) , which was so retentive it really covered tree . But underneath it all were the guts of a very well institute garden .

I had NO musical theme about gardening . In fact , my last attempt at gardening had been growing radishes as a ten - yr - onetime ! I was determined to learn , though , as I hated seeing their pride and pleasure disappear . Slowly it became less of a tariff I was doing in my aunt ’s storage and more of a mania I was indulging in for myself .

I now have a few hundreddahliasandsucculents , plus frangipani ( Plumeria ) grow from seed as well as many tropic plant , mostly through trading with friend and other agriculturalist , or earned by selling cuttings and seedlings . It has been a fascinating and grand journey . There is a tenacious way of life to go , but there is massive progress on both the garden and my mortal . The saying “ While I mold on my garden , my garden works on me ” has never been truer .

The garden in 2016 when Awhina arrived .

More of the garden before . Some plants have survived , but it is clearly in need of a lot of love .

Jump forward to 2018 , and the garden has been converted !

profuse flowering shrubs redact the neatly cut sens .

Adahliabloom , a pet plant of gardener everywhere .

A diversity of plants is now flowering in the borders .

Gloriosa lily ( Gloriosasuperba , Zones 8–10 or as a tender light bulb ) is not really a lily at all , but it develop these incredible flowers on a scrambling , vining stalk .

A vast dahlia plant towers over other blossom .

sheer colors on thislily(Liliumhybrid , Asiatic grouping , Zones 4–9 ) bring the fire , even on a rainy daytime .

Have photos to share ? We ’d get it on to see your garden , a particular collecting of plant you love , or a wonderful garden you had the chance to jaw !

To submit , institutionalize 5 - 10 picture to[email protected]along with some info about the plants in the picture and where you took the photos . We ’d love to try where you are locate , how long you ’ve been gardening , successes you are proud of , failures you learned from , hopes for the future tense , favorite plants , or funny stories from your garden .

If you want to send photos in separate emails to theGPOD e-mail boxthat is just fine .

Have a mobile phone ? Tag your picture onFacebook , InstagramorTwitterwith # FineGardening !

You do n’t have to be a professional garden photographer – check out ourgarden picture taking bakshish !

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