Hazel Orchard Garden Tour

In the winter of 2003 over seven hundred small trees were planted, slowly and carefully, in the one of the back paddocks. This was a major project at Mooseys - the creation of an orchard of Hazelnut trees. There was space for an avenue of climbing archway roses, and a row of memorial trees for dearly departed cats (and Stu the pet lamb).

Hazelnuts are easy to grow, and don't need an elaborate spraying regime. Non-Gardening Partner knows the varieties of trees, percentage of pollinators, etc. He has several harvesting 'machines': a whizzy-blower, a scooper-sucker, and a roly-poly nut-cracker. I'll need him to give you the proper names and details!

Visitors from some northern hemisphere countries will be thinking of seven hundred lucky squirrels feasting on the nuts. In New Zealand we don't have any squirrels, so a hazelnut orchard is squirrel-free. But you're likely to find Rusty the dog in here munching the nuts, shells and all. He loves them!

Hazel Orchard Garden Henhouse Garden Driveway Garden Island Garden The Jelly Bean Borders House and Garden Septic Tank Garden Water Garden Frisbee Lawn Apple Tree Border Dogpath Garden Middle Garden Willow Tree Garden Wattle Woods
Introducing the Hazelnut OrchardIntroducing the Hazelnut Orchard...
The Hazelnut Orchard fills the large paddock immediately behind the water race gardens. Enter through a small gate in the fence underneath the big Leyland Cypress shelter belt and immediately you'll see the rows of hazelnut trees...
Roses, Roses, Roses...Roses, Roses, Roses......
I've always had a rather casual attitude to the archway climbing roses in the orchard. I've expected them to live an independent life out in the fresh air - to behave and bloom, and not need any looking-after. And while some have moved in and got on with it, yet others have been needy...
Cat Memorial TreesCat Memorial Trees...
The Hazelnut Orchard is the perfect place for dearly departed cats to have their final resting places, complete with memorial trees. Not that I want too many of these, you understand!
Rural Farm PaddockRural Farm Paddock...
Cats, dogs, and gardeners often wander down the long drive to the haybarn for some gentle exercise. Dogs enjoy the smells and the possibility of rabbits to chase. Cats usually play chasing with each other, and the gardener checks out the Hazelnut trees.
Harrier HawkHarrier Hawk...
For some days in autumn, 2010, the Hazelnut Orchard was the ground-hospital for a beautiful chocolate brown female harrier hawk. She was found dazed and confused - a phone-call to a bird expert told me she was likely starving. My job was to feed her back to health.
Orchard Roses - Early DaysOrchard Roses - Early Days...
Finally I have a collection of climbing roses, many of them old-fashioned, on thirteen metal archways in the middle of the Hazelnut trees. Roses look so natural in orchards.
White Large-Flowered ClematisWhite Large-Flowered Clematis...
I've finally got a large-flowered Clematis growing. I must have gained semi-elite gardener status, acquiring a proper Clematis - after all these years of making do with the rampant, common Clematis Montana... A chance trip to a nursery that was closing down and voila!
Weeping Silver Pear TreeWeeping Silver Pear Tree...
Good gardeners know that weeping Silver Pear trees are super-stylish and very ornamental. They should be planted in highly visible garden spots. For some unknown reason, in a moment of style rebellion, I planted mine out of sight in the Hazelnut Orchard.
Free Range HensFree Range Hens...
The Hazelnut Orchard is a huge poultry playground. Every day my hens (and their bossy rooster) scratch and forage for grubs in the orchard paddock, following the sun.
The Hay BarnThe Hay Barn...
The hay-barn in the Hazelnut Orchard paddock has an eclectic collection of Moosey junk, neighbour's junk, plus bales of hay - just in case the sheep need feeding out.
Cat Lounge in the Hay BarnCat Lounge in the Hay Barn...
My reclusive grey cat Lilli-Puss has always been shy, and early on decided she didn't want to live in our busy cat-filled house. So I set up a cat lounge for her in the hay barn. My lovely Lilli deserved the comforts of home.
Hazel Orchard in DroughtHazel Orchard in Drought...
The Hazelnut Orchard isn't always a lush, pleasant, green place. There may be peaceful rural ambience, with horses quietly grazing in the next-door paddock, but often in summer there's a drought.
Orchard DogOrchard Dog...
If only Rusty the red Border Collie would spend more time in the Hazelnut Orchard chasing away the rabbits and less time chasing away the birds and planes!
Hay Big SifterHay Big Sifter...
I know that this photograph isn't strictly anything to do with the Hazelnut Orchard, but I couldn't resist letting this cat in. Sifter used to spend a lot of quality cat time in the hay-barn down the back of the orchard paddock. Then he went AWOL...
The New WellThe New Well...
One of my garden plans which didn't work was to create a new garden in the corner of the Hazelnut Orchard, by the new well. Here is a classic photograph of the area, when the drilling rig was here.
Hazelnut Trees GrowingHazelnut Trees Growing...
The Hazelnut trees in the orchard seemed to take ages to grow - change was gradual, and sometimes it was hard to see any progress. But it was important to keep taking photographs to show what was happening.
Hazel GateHazel Gate...
This is the garden gate in the Leyland shelter hedge which leads from the Moosey garden into the Hazelnut Orchard. Non-Gardening Partner built it for me in 2003.
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