Introducing Middle Garden
Middle Garden is one of my waterside gardens - it was created in 1999 when the rows of huge trees across the water race were felled and I dug my way around the resulting stumps. Back then large species Phormium tenaxes lined the water's edge, while and Viburnums and Pittosporums grew in nearby in the rough paddock grass.
Big Pink Rhododendron
I filled the space with assorted shrubs - mainly Rhododendrons, striped hybrid Phormiums, Cordylines and Astelias. One fateful spring a batch of Gunnera seedlings arrived from plantings upstream. They liked the watery edge of Middle Garden, and stayed, quickly blocking the waterside path with their dramatic huge green leaves. Now the Gunnera is fast taking over the garden. I love it in spring and summer, but can get rather cross when it needs trimming in winter.
Middle Garden Gunnera
A functional wooden bridge (wide enough for a gardener with wheelbarrow) crosses the water race, and Middle Garden's main path pops you out onto a very shade piece of lawn. Here there's a gap in the Leyland shelter hedge, with a gate through to the Hazelnut Orchard. You'll have to duck underneath the huge rhododendron-tree to get through.
Me on Middle Path
Middle Garden is not the tidiest of my gardens and I don't try to control it. It's definitely a garden with different seasonal personalities. In winter (when the Gunnera has been trimmed) the edge of the garden opens up and its many spiky evergreen shrubs can clearly be seen. There's room for a garden bench, and it's possible to take a long waterside walk over the Gunnera roots. As long as you don't wobble off into the cold water!
Wheelbarrow on Duck Lawn
Pink flowers from the big rhododendrons and the Malus tree dominate Middle Garden in spring. For the rest of the year it's a beautiful collection of foliage evergreens.
Regrets? That I gave this beautiful garden such a functional, non-creative name! Oh well. But it should be easily found by Non-Gardening Partner when he's been asked to do some garden maintenance. Where's Middle Garden? In the middle!