An interview with Secret Gardener, Ali of Crosshill Garden — a century old garden in Hāwea, Otago.
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 Ali, who creates and tends to an incredible 115 year old garden in Hāwea, Otago.
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Meet the gardener — Ali Soper | Crosshill Garden
Ali has an infectious passion for gardening which she can trace back to visits to her grandfather’s glasshouse as a five year old.
“Over the past thirty something years, Nic and I have owned several gardens in Southland and Otago. I’ve nurtured vegetable gardens, planted hundreds of trees, worn out dozens of gardening gloves and gumboots, watched hours of gardening programmes, read countless gardening books and magazines. And Nic has spent literally years on a ride-on mower. We’ve been fortunate to have visited many stunning European gardens, and we’ve talked to so very many like-minded garden enthusiasts. We have gifted and received cuttings and produce, given bunches of flowers in sad times and happy times, or just because. We have watched the eyes of our children roll at the dinner table when advised that every vegetable was ‘growing just a few minutes ago in our garden’.”
Ali’s favourite part of gardening is getting her hands in the soil, being outdoors, thinking, planning dreaming… and then seeing her vision come to fruition through hard work.
Ali was a committee member of the Arrowtown Horticultural Society for 15 years. She hosts a podcast called Your Garden Coach NZ with friend and fellow gardener, Jen Anderson.
What changes in your garden do you most look forward to as autumn sets in?
Autumn — the third beautiful act in our garden’s four-season show. It’s the time when our 115-year-old specimen trees swap their summer greens for a breath-taking display of golds, ambers and fiery reds. The air turns crisp, the light softens, and there’s that unmistakable scent of change in the air. It’s a season of colour, crunching leaves and cosy garden moments.
What’s your favourite autumn harvest?
For me, nothing beats homegrown corn on the cob. Every year, I think I’ve planted too much, yet come harvest time, I’m already making diary notes to grow even more next season! There’s something special about the sweetness of freshly picked corn, straight from the garden to the table.
Meanwhile, in the Tea Garden, the final herbs are gathered and dried, ready for blending — a perfect way to capture the essence of the season.
What are the main tasks you’ll be tackling in your garden this autumn?
Autumn is all about pruning, chipping, mulching and amending to keep the garden in top shape.
Also, as soon as the leaves start to fall, I’m out there with wool fadges, collecting the bounty for compost making. We gather about 12 bags each season. Some bags are left to break down over a couple of years, they make perfect homemade seed-raising mix. I only collect leaves from the grass areas, the rest are left to supplement the soil beneath the trees, offer a weed barrier and create safe habitats for wildlife.
There’s also winter veg to plant, harvests to gather, and plenty of pickling and preserving to do. Casserole starters and big batches of vegetable soup for the freezer are a must — it’s a busy season, but such a rewarding one!
What’s your stand-out favourite thing about the autumn season?
That first deep breath of fresh, moist air after a long, hot, dry Central Otago summer — absolute bliss! The garden wakes up again, the light turns golden, and there’s that satisfying crunch of leaves underfoot. Add in the final big harvests and the nonstop buzz of autumn garden jobs. It’s a season that keeps us on our toes, and I love every bit of it!
Crosshill Garden is part of Secret Gardens.
To visit this garden, book a visit at: www.secretgardens.co.nz
