Green Essence Garden Design and Maintenance

01/12/2023

Todays planting job. While it looks simple it took a whole lot of welly to get the old root bound plant out of the pot! The poor Buxus didn't survive the horrible weather earlier this year.

The new plants are a dwarf Pohutakawa (Metrosideros 'Silver Glory') and Fuschia procumbens. Both are natives, hardy and very pretty.

I'm hoping the Pohutakawa will flower in time for Christmas. A much better option for a Christmas tree and no need for decorations!

11/11/2023

Todays project was clearing and planting out the driveway. The clearing revealed a few more interesting plants and gave the roses more room to thrive.

I planted some spare succulents I had, a lovely white flowering Lavender and Dietes grandiflora. All plants are easy maintenance and drought tolerant, although I gave them a good water. It was so hot today I had to keep watering myself as well!

09/11/2023

I turned up to this afternoons job and these cheerful cuties greeted me. I planted the Gazania a couple of months ago, but with summer almost here they have come alive.

They are in a rock bed between a fence and the roadside footpath. It was a difficult area to find plants for as it's hot and dry. They are the perfect choice for here. I deadheaded them and planted the seeds into the spaces, so the client can get more plants.

These were all planted from seedlings, so a very cost-effective solution for a difficult space.

I love the bright colours, but can't decide which is my favourite.

04/11/2023

Some more before, during and after photos of todays job. The garden beds were pretty much all grass and w**ds, but there were a few hidden treasures underneath it all including some Daffodils.

I planted the front bed with beautiful white flowering Manuka and H**e 'Otari Delight'. Then put down bark mulch, hopefully the birds don't scatter it too much.

Just the driveway beds to finish off planting with a lovely white flowering Lavender and Deities. Then the garden will be ready for the new owner.

28/10/2023

Some before, halfway and after pictures of todays clear through. The w**ds in this back garden had taken over, which often happens over winter. There was so much space hidden under the w**d jungle.

At least with the large w**ds growing over stone mulch and w**dmat they were pretty easy to remove.

I love jobs like this when you can see an instant improvement.

I also cleared some of the front garden, a little more to do then the fun part....planting new plants. More pictures to follow.

25/10/2023

A beautiful white Wisteria from one of our Mediterranean style courtyard gardens. Even with limited space a simple statement plant can make a garden.

Mediterranean style gardens are great for dry climates and many of the plants from this area of the world are drought tolerant. Ideal for a long dry summer and water restrictions.

23/10/2023

Every Monday I volunteer at a cat shelter, looking after the Mama's and kittens and the stray and abandoned adult cats. It's rewarding but can also be emotionally challenging.

When I have time I've been working away at the garden and planters for the cats to enjoy. It's starting to look lovely and the cats really enjoy the catnip, catmint and pet grass.

There are many plants that are toxic to cats, so I've had to do a little research into what won't harm them. I also wanted to find plants they really love. Today I put in Verbena and pink Gaura which are favourites. In the hanging baskets are Bacopia, Veronica and Orchids.

It's nice for the other volunteers to enjoy a plant filled space. Especially on the more challenging days.

We also care for Rabbits at the shelter and one of the benefits is taking turns to bring home the rabbit poo. This is an amazing fertilser for the garden. It was my turn today so my compost bin is very happy right now.

With a little consideration it is possible to create a garden space your pets will love.

20/10/2023

I'm loving Dianella right now with it's beautiful flowers. This is a planting I did a while ago, at the end of a driveway. It's lovely to see the plants thriving and flowering.

Even with limited space and no soil it's possible to create some green space and bring beauty to an entrance. Plus container gardens are pretty low maintenance (or no maintenance with me looking after them!).

All the plants here require minimal water, which is perfect for hot Auckland summers. I added some water retaining Saturaid which helps keep soil moist between watering.

The owners love the Rosemary for cooking and keep trimming it for me. With limited space it's great to combine culinary plants with decorative ones.

08/02/2023

We hope you all avoided damage in the recent bad weather. With more bad weather possibly heading our way soon, there are a few things that can help prepare your garden and avoid some flood damage.

Central Landscapes have some tips on their blog (follow the link) and we are happy to provide some advice as well.

The best thing you can do is allow any water to flow easily through your garden. If water keeps moving it will cause less damage. When there is heavy rain, track where the water wants to go. Then create a natural path for it. Avoid solid materials in this area and look for permeable options that allow for drainage.

There are also planting options that can help absorb some of the water and hold soil and banks in place.

It's always best to try to create a garden that works in harmony with nature. Not easy in a city, but possible.

Stay safe.

The Auckland floods have caused immense damage to homes, gardens, parks, and property—disrupting lives and putting even more stress on housing, transport and household budgets. These extreme weather events are undoubtedly increasing in frequency and severity, so what can we do to make our suburban...

09/06/2022

An update on our previously cleared area. We had to do a little w**ding, but nothing as major as the first time. Rodney trimmed the Karo hedge, which gave us plenty of space to plant.

Elese got stuck in finishing the w**ding and I followed her along planting. We planted Dietes grandiflora. They are ideal for large spaces, as the spread pretty quick. Not so good in small gardens, but lovely in pots where they can be contained.

Elese timed today's work well, finishing up before some heavy rain. The best thing about Dietes is they burst into flower after rain, so ideal for all gardens at the moment!

Next visit we will finish off the planting and put down some mulch, to hopefully keep the w**ds at bay. You can keep following our progress here.

01/06/2022

Todays planting job between the showers, at least we didn't need to water the plants!

We planted a stunning combination of Ruby Iresine, Golden Libertia and gorgeous green Rosemary. We also split and replanted some of the original Aeonium. Once the plants spread over the area it will be a river of loveliness.

Planting in between rocks can be difficult, but they can also make great supports for pockets of soil. As the plants grow we can increase the pockets and add more soil.

This time of year is perfect for planting and mulching the garden. Especially as we don't need to worry about watering and droughts at the moment.

26/05/2022

Utility areas can be pretty too. Today's job was making an area between two storage tanks look pretty. Hopefully the tanks will be painted to match the pretty new garden area.

We planted Dietes, Dianella and Dwarf Flax all of which will spread to fill the space. We added compost and a thick layer of Arbour Mulch.

There's plenty more to do at this property, but it's nice to have one area finished.