Surprises abound in shared garden space

Bonnie Wilson with her riverside garden. Photos/Bevan Conley

SUMMER SERIES: Gorgeous Gardens

It's a garden of two halves.

Bonnie Wilson and Jack Yalden, both keen gardeners, share the honours in their Anzac Parade garden.

"We have half the garden each - he has the front garden and I have the back garden," Bonnie said.

"We both have our own ideas about gardening."

The couple have lived in their brick bungalow for 19 years. For two of their three children, it's the only home they've known - and their placentas are buried in the front garden, one under a red rose bush and the other under a native tree.

"When we came here the garden was bare - there was nothing," Bonnie said.

The back garden had a lawn and a lemon tree; while the front garden - which has a beautiful view of the Whanganui River - was dominated by an enormous tree, which the couple only removed in October.

The children's old playhouse is now a greenhouse.

"It created too much shade in the front garden and it ruined the lawn," Bonnie said.

"We're hoping the lawn will start growing back soon, and we want to put a seat out here so that you can sit and look at the river. Jack also wants to start planting herbs."

Although the front garden is square, a wide edging garden bed has been created to make the garden appear circular. It's a friendly scramble of trees and plants - natives with roses and cinerarias and other flowers.

It's a lovely spot - but it's the back garden that has the wow factor.

"I love seeing people's reactions when they see the back garden for the first time," Bonnie said.

The bare lawn has gone, and in its place are numerous flower beds, edged by gravel and paths.

There are surprises all over the garden. A grove of native bush at the back of the garden encloses a sunken garden with a fire pit. An old bath serves as a fish pond. Succulents in pots pop up in every corner. A small conifer turns out to be a pine nut tree.

Bonnie Wilson likes plants that self-seed, such as poppies.

Bonnie said the soil was dry and pumicey, but they had worked on it for nearly 20 years.

The garden is far from tidy - yet that only enhances its charm.

"I don't do high maintenance. I love things that self-seed, like poppies, violets and granny's bonnets," Bonnie said.

"This garden took a long time to set up but now the maintenance is pretty easy. I like to potter - Jack does all the awful jobs."

Bonnie said she had always been keen on gardening, a love she inherited from both her parents and her grandmother.

"I spent a lot of time in the garden when I was a kid. I've always loved it."

The busy back garden was once a bare lawn.