Garden Design #75

Pyrus Aristocrat is a beautiful and ornamental tree, highly prized for its stunning display of flowers in the springtime. This deciduous tree has an upright growth habit, reaching a height of up to 8m at maturity. It has an attractive, narrow pyramidal shape, with branches that spread out in a graceful and symmetrical pattern.

The leaves of the Pyrus Aristocrat are oval-shaped, with a glossy dark green colour that turns to a reddish-orange in the autumn. The tree produces an abundance of white flowers in early spring. It is easy to grow and maintain, requiring only regular watering and pruning to maintain its shape and vigour.

Coprosma Hawera is a fast-growing, low-lying New Zealand native that creates a dense mat of small, narrow olive-green leaves. Its hardy nature allows it to thrive in various conditions, though it has a preference for dry areas. Its cascading growth habit is especially stunning over walls or down banks. When fully grown, Coprosma Hawera typically measures around 50cm in height and can spread up to 1m wide, offering excellent ground cover. A great native for supressing weeds. 

Chionochloa rubra, commonly known as Red Tussock grass, is a distinctive tussock grass native to New Zealand. This perennial grass forms large, dense tussocks with long, narrow, red-tinged leaves that often roll inward, giving them a tubular appearance. Red Tussock typically reaches heights of about 1 metre but can grow taller in favourable conditions. From February to April, it produces attractive seedheads, enhancing its visual appeal. Thriving in damp and infertile soils, it performs well in full sun to partial shade and is adaptable to a range of soil conditions, from moist to wet. Its medium growth rate and evergreen foliage provide year-round interest, making it a resilient and low-maintenance choice for various garden styles.

Ideal for naturalistic and contemporary gardens, Chionochloa rubra adds texture and movement, especially in windy, exposed locations. It works well in mass plantings or as a buffer plant around wetland areas, helping to reestablish wildlife habitats. This grass plays a vital ecological role by providing shelter and nesting sites for native birds, preventing erosion with its extensive root systems, and regulating water flow in alpine catchments by trapping and storing snow. Its drought tolerance and adaptability to poor soils make it particularly suited to coastal and urban gardens, where it offers both aesthetic beauty and ecological benefits.

Gaura 'So White' is a tidy, upright perennial that produces clean white, four-petalled flowers from late spring through to autumn. The flowers sit on slender stems above narrow green foliage and appear over a long period, attracting bees and other pollinators. Growing to around 60 to 80 cm high and 40 to 60 cm wide, it fits well into cottage, coastal, dry, and low-maintenance garden styles.

Plant in full sun with free-draining soil. Tolerates heat, wind, and light drought once established. Space plants 40 to 50 cm apart. Trim back lightly during the season to prolong flowering, and cut back hard in late autumn or early spring. A reliable, fuss-free plant for consistent colour in sunny garden beds.

Acer palmatum Bloodgood is one of the most popular and hardy varieties of Japanese maples, celebrated for its reliable and vibrant deep purplish-red foliage that lasts throughout the season. In spring, the leaves emerge with a brilliant red colour, intensifying to a deep burgundy as they mature. The tree maintains this rich hue into the autumn, providing a striking contrast against the landscape. It also features small purplish-red flowers that enhance its decorative appeal.

Bloodgood is an excellent choice for creating dramatic focal points in diverse garden settings, from modern minimalist to traditional Japanese gardens. It thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers moist, well-drained soil with a slightly acidic pH. This variety is known for its excellent colour retention and resistance to sunburn, especially in cooler climates.

Acer palmatum Bloodgood reaches a mature height of about 4-6m with a spread of about 3-5m. Its robust size and vivid foliage make it a standout choice for adding structure and colour to any garden.

Pseudopanax crassifolium, commonly known as Lancewood, is a distinctively narrow-growing tree with a tall, erect trunk. Its unique appeal lies in the long, narrow juvenile leaves that dangle from the main trunk, giving the tree a somewhat primitive appearance. Over time, often after many years, this foliage transitions to form a compact head of leaves, creating a stark contrast to its earlier form. Lancewood provides a striking focal point for locations with limited space where a hardy, dramatic tree is desired. It's quite similar to Pseudopanax ferox, but the leaves of Lancewood are less prominently toothed. In a span of 10 years, Pseudopanax crassifolium can achieve a height of 4 metres and a spread of 2 metres, showcasing an impressive growth rate