This beautifully structured New Plymouth garden is a testament to the family who have been transforming it into their ultimate outdoor vision since the 1980s
Structure and beauty in a New Plymouth garden
If walls could talk, her Taranaki house could tell a story or two, reckons Chris McCallum. Built over 90 years ago, the Arts and Crafts house was once part of a farm that supplied produce to New Plymouth Boys’ High School and later became a hostel for boarding pupils. “Over the years, we have had the occasional knock on the door from past boarders wishing to reacquaint themselves with their memories and also teachers (whose parties were said to be legendary),” she laughs.
When Chris and husband Bill bought the property in the late 1980s, the house had been extensively renovated and the large cottage-style garden with its swimming pool was already well established. However, many of the trees had grown too big and the couple were keen to create a better connection between house and garden. Despite the fact they both had full-on careers and an active young family, they gradually began to transform the garden, adding structure and creating outdoor spaces for the whole family to enjoy, including a fabulous outdoor chessboard. “In those days, I only dabbled with landscaping and gardening,” says Chris modestly, but her verdant, cleverly laid out garden says the opposite, revealing the hand of a skilled designer and plantswoman.
Words by: Carol Bucknell. Photography by: Jane Dove Juneau.
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Rosettes of aeonium and yellow-flowering abutilon feature in this Japanese-inspired corner at the rear of the garden.
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The pool provides the perfect chill out zone and the water ball provides a focal point that can be viewed from the rear veranda.
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Chris grew buxus from cuttings for topiary and buxus was also planted as hedging around the rear lawn to create a horseshoe shape.
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Agapanthus with fragrant star jasmine on the fence.
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The glossy leaves of the tractor-seat plant (ligularia) add interest to the stepping-stone path linking the front and back of the garden.
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The giant chess board Chris had made as a gift to husband Bill is surrounded by concrete columns to give the area a Roman feel.
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The bird bath and water ball attract a variety of birds.
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“Blackbirds flap in the trough, sparrows dunk themselves and wax-eyes sit atop the small fountain. It’s hilarious and delightful,” says Chris.
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The garden has a contemporary, formal style, its strong structure softened by generous planting and a variety of interesting spaces and features.
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“What I have attempted to do is develop natural privacy, soften the original fencing and make each area special, with focal points to draw you into and around the garden,” Chris explains.
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