Garden Photo of the Day

A Lovely New Zealand Sanctuary

Let's take a refreshing visit to Niru and Mohan Patel's garden in Auckland, New Zealand!

"Here are some photos of our garden in South Auckland, New Zealand. We love sub tropical plants, which thrive here in the summer, but need protection during the cold winter frosts. We live in a rural aspect, surrounded by green grass fields, which are being slowly taken over by new housing. This is our little sanctuary, away from the busy traffic, close neighbours and the city centre. The garden's have been grown and designed by my plant-loving husband. When we bought this property, 20 years ago, it was made up of bare grass paddocks, that housed horses. It has been a labour of love, and we still enjoy adding new plants that we like. Luckily, we both enjoy gardening!"

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Comments

  1. User avater
    user-7007816 01/14/2016

    Amazing garden in an amazing country.

  2. User avater
    meander_michaele 01/14/2016

    Your gardens look so serene and private...no signs of any hectic hustle bustle...must be so gratifying to walk along your gracefully curved beds and enjoy the flowers, bushes and trees. Speaking of...what is the swath of light blue flowers? I guessing agapanthus but I'm not completely sure.

  3. user-4691082 01/14/2016

    Oh Niru and Mohan, all I could think about was the word oasis! You have certainly make your corner of our world much more beautiful! Thank you for posting!

  4. greengenes 01/14/2016

    What a wonderful place to escape to, Niru and Mohan! Your beautiful sanctuary is awesome to say the least! The plant choices are stunning and when you consider what it use to be it just brings so much hope for areas in our gardens and lives that we can change! My sister just got back from visiting your beautiful country and she said that the plants down there are so interesting and drop dead gorgeous! The lupins which bloom wild all over is a real treat to see. Well thanks so much for sharing your piece of heaven with us! Have a wonderful new year ahead!

  5. User avater
    Tim_Zone_Denial_Vojt 01/14/2016

    New Zealand has always seemed like a magical part of the world to me. What a wonderful setting you have, and wow! the palms, bromeliads and large swaths of Agapanthus! Marvelous.

  6. annek 01/14/2016

    Your gardens look so lush and inviting. Simply wonderful

  7. User avater
    HelloFromMD 01/14/2016

    A beautiful sanctuary indeed with a lovely view of surrounding fields. Thanks for sharing your photos and please send more. Are the Agapanthus hardy for you? I am interested in trying them this year but suspect I will be bringing them inside to overwinter although some vendors claim zone 7 hardiness.

    1. User avater
      Tim_Zone_Denial_Vojt 01/14/2016

      Agapanthus campanulatus is zone 6, for sure. I've got two different strains that have been in the open garden for years, increasing each year. The past two brutal winters in the zone 5 range didn't phase them. The flowers aren't quite as big as the less hardy varieties. Laporte Avenue nursery in Colorado says A. campanulatus (which they sell) overwinters for them.
      Jeff gets Agapanthus inapertus to overwinter in his Tennessee garden with a good mulch. I'm trying it in a container; allegedly Agapanthus is a good container plant.

  8. GrannyMay 01/14/2016

    What a lovely lush garden paradise you have created! It's hard to imagine that you would be able to grow all those plants if you get frost in the winters. Thanks for sharing!

  9. GrannyCC 01/14/2016

    Thank you for sharing your wonderful tropical garden. A breath of fresh air on a rainy dull day.

  10. sheila_schultz 01/14/2016

    I have always heard that New Zealand is incredibly beautiful, but are you sure you are in New Zealand and not a tropical paradise? You must have a greenhouse hidden away to overwinter your tender beauties? So very beautiful... more photos, please!

  11. NevadaSue 01/14/2016

    Your garden is a delight to the eye. Thanks so much for sharing with us. I love the open feel and the fields beyond. Those agapanthus are beautiful! We grew them when we lived in Malawi, Africa but haven't lived in a zone that allows them in recent years. The palms seem like pillars in a cathedral. Beautiful!

  12. eddireid 01/14/2016

    Lovely to see a part in of New Zealand today. I had heard how beautiful it is and your garden certainly endorses that. It seems the climate could be similar to Northern Florida . An oasis indeed.

  13. perenniallycrazy 01/15/2016

    Whoa! Subtropical paradise are only in my dreams. How lucky you both are... I hope you live there forever.

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