Creating a garden in the sand
Living with the sea nearby and nothing but sand underfoot can be a tough environment for plants. However, it doesn’t mean a richly diverse garden is out of reach.
Andrew Middleton’s garden at Waikanae Beach on the Kapiti Coast is a prime example of what can be achieved. Within its small confines there’s an amazing range of plants, a reflection of Middleton’s broad tastes and fascination with all aspects of the plant world.
‘‘I could have filled the garden with only natives, and I have no problem with anyone who does that,’’ says Middleton. ‘‘But for me that wouldn’t provide enough variety. It would be like listening to the Beatles music every night, whereas I enjoy hearing such diverse sounds as Bizet, Joni Mitchell and The Grateful Dead.’’
Middleton, who grew up in England, has an impressive horticultural background. He started at Birmingham Botanic Gardens at 15, doing a study year to see if horticulture might appeal as a career.
Not the least put off by the basic tasks he was assigned, such as sieving the waste coke from the glasshouse boilers by hand then spreading it over the lawns in winter, he went on to an apprenticeship.
Once qualified, he began his life of travel. ‘‘I wrote to botanic gardens in Europe and was soon off to Munich Botanic Gardens, where I spent seven years,’’ he recalls. He started out working in the orchid house, moved on to the main display garden, the fernery, then the arboretum. ‘‘It really opened my eyes to there being so many different plants.’’
‘‘It would be like listening to the Beatles music every night, whereas I enjoy hearing such diverse sounds as Bizet, Joni Mitchell and The Grateful Dead.’’
Different horticultural work followed, in England and New Zealand, interspersed with long periods of travel in Central and South America.
Shorter excursions to exotic locations continue today. It’s always a thrill when they include opportunities to see dramatic plants in their natural environment, such as a hillside of tree aloes in South Africa and the 8m high flower spikes of Puya raimondii in South America.
Some parts of the garden have been left in their original state, because the pure sand is ideal for the aloes and rare bulbs which Middleton is fond of. Among the latter are moraeas, babianas, brunsvigias and haemanthus.
The short-stemmed, big crimson flowers with dazzling golden stamens of Haemanthus coccineus make a stunning show tucked up against a west facing wall of the house and Brunsvigia gregaria is an autumn delight in the sunniest and driest part of the garden.
Salvias are favourites and they thrive, flowering profusely.
Having in-depth knowledge of plant origin and history adds to the pleasures of the garden. ‘‘It makes you appreciate the plants on a different level,’’ says Middleton.