Never-ending story |
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When Rudi Steyn and Kay MacLachlan bring out the garden plan that Christchurch landscape designer Ben McMaster drew up for them almost 12 years ago, it’s easy to see how much they have expanded on his vision.
“The garden has leapt the fence a number of times,” says Rudi with a laugh. “In fact, we’ve moved one fence three times to accommodate new areas.”
The couple are passionate about their North Canterbury country garden, Breedenbroek, which is now a New Zealand Garden Trust registered garden. From the outset, they’ve worked together to turn half of their 2ha property into a flourishing English-style garden that has something for the whole family to enjoy. It’s been a labour of love divided into annual stages and, as the garden begins to mature, they now have more time to enjoy it. Neither, though, is averse to the idea of expanding the garden beyond its current one hectare.
“I made a second formal pond last year,” says Rudi. “I love trees and I love walking around the bigger natural pond so I was keen to add more water to the garden.”
The new formal 16-metre-long water-lily pond lies to the west of Kay’s spectacular herbaceous border. It will become the central feature of a large lawn surrounded by hornbeam hedges – the same hedges that form the backdrop to the perennial border on the other side.
Inspired by the gardens of Vita Sackville-West and Penelope Hobhouse, Kay was intent upon creating big, English-style herbaceous borders. “I’ve been to [Sackville-West’s garden] Sissinghurst and I loved it. I like the formality and the symmetry of formal English gardens so I was keen for Ben to design a garden that relied on that sort of structure,” she says. “He provided the design and the planting plan for the trees and hedges and I planned the herbaceous border, which was designed to provide a beautiful vista from the house.”
 The border is based around the numerous old English roses that colour it with varying tones of deep magenta-purple: roses such as David Austin’s ‘Othello’ and ‘Cardinal Hume’ and Rugosa roses such as ‘Magnifica’ and ‘Roseraie de l’Hay’. They are underplanted with a healthy forest of Alchemilla mollis, peonies, delphiniums, Solomon’s seal, violas and the brightly contrasting lime-yellow of Euphorbia polychroma, globe artichokes, salvias, penstemons and other favourites.
“The border starts flowering in November and goes all the way through to April before it starts dying back,” says Kay. “I work hard to keep a changing show of colour during that period. I like to drag the season out for as long as I can.”
Though most of her time is devoted to the maintenance of the herbaceous border, Kay also loves the potager.
Outside the kitchen window, espaliered apples form a backdrop to a riot of herbs and hot red and purple flowers. Alliums mix with red cabbages, mint, red silverbeet and scarlet soldier poppies.
From the wisteria-covered verandah, the pond is glimpsed through an avenue of the flowering cherry Prunus ‘Mountain Haze’. A second avenue of twelve much larger flowering cherries – Prunus ‘Shirotae’ – takes the eye beyond the wall of the herbaceous border. Between the two, buxus encloses the six formal rose gardens, each one featuring colourful displays of ‘Nancy Steen’, ‘Just Joey’, ‘French Lace’, ‘Margaret Merrill’, ‘First Love’ and ‘Spek’s Centennial’.
Rudi has given free rein to his love of trees. He’s planted at least 80 mainly deciduous varieties, including ash, elm, liquidambar, dogwood, maple, crab apple and plane trees. “All the trees were planted in our first year here so they’re doing well now. They’re slow to grow and one or two species haven’t liked the clay soil, but eventually we would like to create an arboretum behind the creek,” he says.
He has also enlarged the big pond three times, built several bridges, the formal pond, a pool house, a playhouse for the children, garden seats, boardwalks, pathways, a jetty and an elaborate rose-covered gazebo. “Kay is the real gardener with all the ideas. I’m more the building and maintenance man.”
Both confess to being perfectionists who spend long hours in the garden. “I spend about two hours a day in the garden year-round and it takes Rudi at least four hours to mow the lawns,” says Kay. “But we both love everything about it – the surprises, the seasonal changes. We stay at home much more now and enjoy the pool and the garden together. It’s a terrific place for children and we love sharing it. On top of that, the gardening keeps us fit and healthy and it keeps getting better and better every year.”
Story: Adrienne Rewi
Photographs: Juliet Nicholas
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