Jelly Bean Border

The Jelly Bean Border is a very early garden which I dug in the Pond Paddock to provide shelter from the blustery nor-west winds. It's one of the few areas in my garden that hasn't really been able to expand wildly. And yes - it did start life shaped like a jelly bean sweet, and still looks like one, if you peep from the house balcony above.

From time to time the shrubs in the interior of the garden get a huge trim. The original elm trees are huge now, as is the original Cabbage tree. Dear thing - it was a knee-high juvenile seedling when planted.

Altogether the Jelly Bean Border is best described as a no-nonsense, no-frills garden, with no paths, very few flowery things, and definitely no garden gnomes. Phew!

Introducing the Jelly Bean BorderIntroducing the Jelly Bean Border...
The Jelly Bean Border is a wee garden area lying between the Pond Paddock and the house lawn, and yes - it is shaped like a jelly bean. It's not my most manicured garden, only getting a good clean out and mulching every five years or so.
Cat StoryCat Story...
There's a special tree in the Jelly Bean Border where I first caught sight of Minimus, my grey cottage cat. There she was, on one of the long branches of the Elm, tiny, starving, and wild. My dog Rusty had found her and chased her up it. It was summer, Friday 23rd January, 2009.
Jelly Bean Rhododendron GardenJelly Bean Rhododendron Garden...
Over several winters, some short and sharp snow storms broke many branches of the large Pittosporum in the Jelly Bean Border. Eventually I decided to saw it down completely. This opened up a large area of garden on the semi-shady side of the border. In went four rescued rhododendrons...
Jelly Bean Border ImagesJelly Bean Border Images...
Here are some images of the flowers, shrubs, and trees which are currently growing in the Jelly Bean Border.
White DaphneWhite Daphne...
Always plant Daphne near the house, where its beautiful fragrance can be appreciated. My best ever Daphne shrub (touch wood) lives in the front of the Jelly Bean Border. And better still - I planted the white variety. So beautiful!
Corner CordylineCorner Cordyline...
The Cabbage Tree (Cordyline) in the Jelly Bean Border was one of my first shrubby plantings. Now it towers above everything else in the shady Jelly Bean Border corner. It's an iconic New Zealand tree.
Dandelion WeedDandelion Weed...
Dandelions in the lawn - aargh! I wonder how this weed survived Non-Gardening Partner's lawnmower? Dandelions are very common paddock weeds in Canterbury, so one could argue that this picture represents the natural vegetation of the place. Aargh again!
Summer ShrubsSummer Shrubs...
Mid-summer means hot gardening days, lazy summer holiday days, and yellow summer flowering shrubs, like Hypericum and Senecio. Both shrubs lean over the fence of the Jelly Bean Border.
Ram PaddockRam Paddock...
The ram paddock backs onto the Jelly Bean Border, and naturally there's wire sheep netting to keep the ovines in their place! It's a tiny paddock, in which the ram can be separated from the rest of our small merino flock. It also makes a great paddock for any pet lambs.
Ligularia FloweringLigularia Flowering...
In the shady hosta garden under the Cabbage Tree I grow some Ligularias. These are the common type, whose bright orange flowers are as welcome as the round-leafed foliage.
Spring Flowering ShrubsSpring Flowering Shrubs...
The Jelly-Bean Border doesn't have any feature spring blossom trees, but there are many spring flowering shrubs to enjoy. The Choisya shrub blooms in mid-spring, and a neighbouring Clematis Montana is slowly but surely creeping along the fence-line...
Pretty PrimrosesPretty Primroses...
Primroses are so delicate in spring gardens - especially ones with yellow flowers. I have a small patch of these growing in the Jelly Bean Border, and I can see them from the house. That's so nice!
Rose Canary BirdRose Canary Bird...
The rose Canary Bird lives just over the fence in the Jelly Bean Garden. It is the first rose to flower in spring, and spreads out its arching branches covered in single smallish yellow blooms.
Jester in the BorderJester in the Border...
Jester is a salmon pink and green striped Hybrid Phormium with a slightly arching shape. It was introduced to New Zealand gardeners in the mid-2000s, when I bought several. A very, very exciting moment...
Deciduous AzaleaDeciduous Azalea...
There were two deciduous Azaleas in the Moosey Garden when I arrived. I shifted this pinky-red one around a bit - it ended up in the top of the Jelly Bean Border, and is finally growing well. Some plants just need their gardener to leave them alone...
The Big Gum TreeThe Big Gum Tree...
The large Eucalyptus Tree, affectionately called the BIG GUM, imposes its bulk and stature over the house lawn and the shrubs in the top of the Jelly Bean Garden. It is surrounded by a ring of plants in pots - particularly daffodils in Spring.
Liquidambar TreeLiquidambar Tree...
The trees in the Jelly Bean Border are all deciduous. Autumn colours are sparse, though the Tulip tree's leaves do turn pale yellow. But wait until winter - this is the Liquidambar tree's time to glow.
Graham Thomas Yellow RosesGraham Thomas Yellow Roses...
I knew I'd like the rose Graham Thomas - the soft, eggy yellow colour definitely appealed. He was one of the very first English roses I bought for my country garden, and I planted him on the fence at the top of the Jelly Bean Border.
Early Hosta GardenEarly Hosta Garden...
My first hosta garden was in the shady Jelly Bean Border, between the Lemonwood and the forked Cabbage Tree. Things started slowly with a few tiny mail order Hosta purchases...
Lemonwood - Pittosporum EuginoidesLemonwood - Pittosporum Euginoides...
As you go through the archway to the Jelly Bean Border you'll first pass a Lemonwood tree, or Pittosporum Euginoides. This tree has wavy green leaves which shine in the sun and smell like lemons. It's one of my most favourite New Zealand native evergreens.
Flax & Berberis - a Cautionary TaleFlax & Berberis - a Cautionary Tale...
Once upon a time, when the Jelly Bean Border was young, a little red flax sat proudly at the corner of the fence underneath the Liquidamber tree. Its best friend was a self-seeded Berberis shrub.
Early Cats in the GardenEarly Cats in the Garden...
I have many favourite pictures of the earliest Moosey cats in the garden. They've always tended to sit in interesting places - some silly, some sensible. Just as long as they can see what's up and going on...
A Red Flax CatA Red Flax Cat...
Here is a charming study of the tabby cat Sifter sitting underneath the corner red flax. He lazily surveys the lawn, hoping for a bird visit. Sifter could be described as an 'heirloom' Moosey cat. Sadly he is no longer with us.
Early Days in the Jelly-Bean BorderEarly Days in the Jelly-Bean Border...
Early in its life the Jelly Bean Border was definitely shaped like a Jelly Bean - hence its rather descriptive name. This was one of my earliest borders. I started digging it in the paddock lawn in my first and second summers at Moosey's...
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