An interview with Secret Gardener, Phillipa of Waihora — a historic homestead in Martinborough, Wairarapa.
Secret Gardens is a garden-share platform that enables you to visit a diverse and inspiring collection of New Zealand gardens, across the seasons — along with the opportunity to meet the passionate, knowledgeable gardeners behind them.
This autumn, we’ve invited some of the insightful Secret Gardeners to share their thoughts and tips for this time of year in the garden.
In this interview, we speak with Phillipa, who owns a Victorian homestead and tends to a three acre property in Martinborough.
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Meet the gardener — Phillipa | Waihora
Phillipa trained in London in art conservation and brought her degree and experience back to New Zealand to work at Te Papa.
She had always wanted to garden but between working, sailing and being a practicing ceramic artist, there never seemed to be the time. These days it’s ALL about gardening, and learning by doing and observing — especially coming to understand the site itself, its soil type, climate, limitations and opportunities.
“I’ve always loved the idea of being creative in the garden but I would never have dreamed that I’d have the opportunity to work on a beautiful canvas like this. The garden now surrounds my life and constantly fills my thoughts.”
Though just starting out on her gardening journey, Phillipa is looking forward to sharing her garden, her learnings and passion with other curious gardeners by offering Secret Gardens garden visits and workshops.
What changes in your garden do you most look forward to as autumn sets in?
Autumn, and leading into winter, for me are an underrated time of the year for gardening and projects. It’s a time to prune back, winter down beds, mulch and consider what worked, what grew well and what would you like to change or improve.
As the weather cools down I reassess areas of the garden as I do the ‘deadhead stroll’ in the evenings. It’s a good time of year to move plants, for their needs as much as the aesthetics of the garden. Their growth has slowed, and the soil is still warm enough for them to get a little established before winter.
I have been moving some hostas to a more shaded, damp bed — I think they will like it better. And I’ve moved some small shrubs into better positions.
This year’s vegetable garden was good but a poor showing, mostly because I feel I neglected that area through summer with all my other jobs. So, I’m planning to winter down the beds and mulch for spring.
What’s your favourite autumn harvest?
Autumn means the brassicas are all but picked, but the beans are still going strong. We have enjoyed beans with all our meals and have frozen much of our vegetable produce.
We have Granny Smith apples and pears, but my favourite harvest is the figs from both of our established trees. What a fabulous fruit to have in this garden — never have I enjoyed breakfast so much with Greek yoghurt and figs, and making fig and ginger syrup to have with cheese!
What are the main tasks you’ll be tackling in your garden this autumn?
One project is to revisit one of our large beds that, three years ago, I completely dug up, reshaped and reduced. It needs some editing with what my vision was then of hostas, hydrangeas and loads of Solomon’s Seal.
The poor hostas are being overgrown and eaten, so I’ll move them and make this area just hydrangeas. The bog sage (Salvia uliginosa) and canna lilies are thriving. I am also on a mission the plant all the cabbage trees (Cordyline australis) I find around the back of this feature bed to create a secret bush path behind it.
I had a big cylinder clipped Camellia at one end that died but while contemplating what to do about it, it rallied and sprouted from the top so we have given it a hard prune to encourage a tree shape. I will also under plant this new area and I added more limestone rocks to complete the bed.
I am wintering down the new picking garden as the raised beds need more time and work to improve the soil. I’ll add organic matter and heavily mulch, ready for next year.
What’s your stand-out favourite thing about the autumn season?
The autumn light in the garden as you undertake tasks, like pruning and deadheading the roses, is a very cathartic and reflective time — getting the garden prepared for the next growing season. It’s when all the hard work is done for the rewards in spring and summer.
Waihora is part of Secret Gardens.
To visit this garden, book a visit at: www.secretgardens.co.nz
