GARDENING PATTERN CHANGING IN N.Z.

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30761, 27 May 1965, Page 2

GARDENING PATTERN CHANGING IN N.Z.

The modern home with its small section, the flat with its patio garden or a mere strip of ground under a window, had changed the whole pattern of gardening in New Zealand, said Mrs Barbara Matthews, the well-known gardening writer, in Christchurch yesterday.

“People are realising that the garden is part of the home — part of living,” she said.

Even Christchurch, undoubtedly the garden city of New Zealand, was breaking away from the English style. “It is good to see the Californian, Swedish and Japanese influences creeping into landscaping here,” she said.

The courtyard garden, the patio garden, the greater use of plants in pots—inside and outside the house —trees in tubs on a terrace, little rock gardens and windows boxes were part of the new trend, which needed far less maintenance that the big rambling gardens ot the past. Laned Gardens “The tiniest space can be made attractive by imaginative planting and landscaping,” she said. “But too many people still plan small gardens for others to see from the street ‘lf they planted them as inner gardens for themselves, thinking of them as part of the house, they would be more satisfying.” Dwellers in multi-storey flats could have most effective window boxes by planting brilliantly coloured flowers for the summer, such as petunias, and replacing them with pots of hardy ivy for the winter, depending on taste and aspect of the window.

“Hanging things, like hang-

ing rosemary, cotoneasters, dwarf nandinas, hebes and colifers are a few of the wide variety of suitable plants,” she said. Box Of Alpines For an elderly person, no longer able to stoop, she suggested a window box of little alpine plants to keep up an interest in gardening.

“I feel that gardening is one of the few hobbies left that can bring the whole family together,” she said. “With flower arrangement, it is a wonderfully creative outlet for women who cannot go out much.”

It was estimated that 78 per cent of the country’s home gardeners were women. They were the buyers of plans and the trend-setters. Produce Magazine

Mrs Matthews and her husband, Mr J. W. Matthews, produce the magazine, “The New Zealand Gardener” with a circulation’Of 23,000. “We do all the writing for

it and take all the pictures,” she said. At Waikanae they have a four-acre garden where they grow a remarkably large variety of plants to write about from personal experience.

Mrs Matthews began her interest in gardening when about 12, developing a special interest in rock gardens. “When I was 17 I made my first visit to Christchurch and spent all my pocket money on rock plants to take home. And many of them are still thriving at Waikanae.” Mrs Matthews said.