It’s 10 years

since I moved into my home. Ten years since Dad and I finished the last little detail on the house we built ourselves. We missed a line of silicone grout beside the laundry sink where it butted up against the wall.

I had big dreams of what would come next. There would be a whimsical cottage garden, filled with borders of pastel flowers. Out front would be a big, lush lawn, and a feature tree acting like an umbrella. Under it would be a French country seating area for guests.

There were a few problems with that plan. Firstly, it turns out I’m pretty shy when it comes to inviting guests over. The ‘umbrella’ tree I coveted was really expensive. Now I have dogs and a lot of holes in a dry, dusty... lawn isn’t really the right word.

You also need to be a very dedicated gardener to have the cottagey look. It turns out, I am not a dedicated gardener. I’ll do the heavy work. I’ve dug drains, retained walls, moved garden beds (again, and then again). I do ok with the vegetables. Until I decide to move the beds. Then it gets too hot and I throw up my hands and have a nap.

However, I have made a couple of discoveries. Choose the flowers that make you look like a genius gardener. I’ve done barely a thing with the big clumps of dahlia tubers gifted to me by my Uncle Graham and Aunty Val. I literally throw sheep manure pellets at them a couple of times a year and deadhead them over summer. They are glorious.

Listen more to the wise women you know. Our garden writer Jane Wrigglesworth (see pages 38 and 50) and my friend Lynda Hallinan are the queens of gardening and so inspirational.

Something interesting I learned from Jane. See those cute yellow ball-shaped flowers in the bouquet on the cover? Craspedia. Native to NZ. Super easy to grow. Get some seeds (www.egmontseeds.co.nz)! Nadene Hall, Editor

Get the flowers that make you look like a genius gardener