Splashes of bright colour in amongst shades of green are a feature of Darien and Mike’s Waipu Cove garden which has been a work in progress for the past 15 years since they moved permanently from their farm in Maungatapere in 1995. The garden has evolved over time from a vague plan determined by the contour of the property and Darien’s desire to keep the existing mature trees to provide shade and shelter. Through a process of trial and error with success dictated by the coastal conditions they have developed their property into a  peaceful  haven with an impression of natural rather than manicured growth. 

Natives, dominated by a stand of kauri together with cabbage trees and pukas are complemented by palms, ferns and flaxes with colour supplied in large by underplantings of bromeliads and vireyas dotted throughout. Darien loves lots of colour in her garden hence her passion for the beautiful blooms of vireyas which do well in the coastal conditions where there is little danger of frost. But she also favours the tropical excitement of bromeliads whose foliage provides such a variety of colour and texture.

Darien’s vireyas are everywhere in her extensive garden, dotted among plantings of natives and exotics, showing their gorgeous displays of flower heads in a variety of situations.  She plants them in bark in a frost free position, ensures they enjoy at least half a day in the sun, preferably in the morning and feeds them twice yearly (spring and autumn) with a slow release fertiliser. Vireyas are epiphytes so they need to be planted in a shallow depression in a free draining medium such as open bark and or peat based mix - they do not like clay or sand, or soil compacted around their roots. They can be grown in containers, preferring to be slightly pot-bound to flower well with plenty of bark in the potting mix. Vireyas can be propagated from cuttings but take at least a couple of years to mature enough to take their place in the garden.

Bromeliads suffered from the drought this summer as they really prefer a cooler median temperature and certainly thrive in shady conditions. They provide brilliant splashes of colour without dependence on flowers, providing a tropical dimension to the coastal garden.  Like Vireyas, many bromeliads are also epiphytes so they thrive in shallow gardens and rockeries. They can be kept in pots and moved aorund to suit the conditions and Darien’s garden has quite a few pots dotted amongst plantings to provide interest and colour. Seen below the green tiger striped Vriesea contrasts with Neoregelia and Aechmea in shades of scarlet and deep purple.

This stunning Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) brightens up a background wall behind the clothesline. Darien has two planted here – they were her mother’s  favourite and like the  neighbouring Hibiscus, Poinsettias are a subtropical plant that need excellent drainage, good air circulation and shelter from cold winds. They thrive in humid conditions and will flower year after year outside in the right spot.

The raised beds in Darien’s garden are bordered by stones,’ lovingly’ moved by Mike from the farm at Maungatapere. Shown here a low spreading cypress is flanked by Yedda Hawthorne (Rhaphiolepis umbellata) with their luscious evergreen leaves and tiny pale pink flowers that attract bees to the garden almost all year round.

Darien has favoured colours of red, maroons and silver to complement myriad shades of green but she also likes to introduce splashes of gold and yellow for winter warmth.

Plants she has found to thrive in her coastal garden include the red tipped Darwinia, dark leaved Polynesian Cabbage Tree (Codyline fruitacosa ‘Nigra’), Loropetalum ‘Burgundy’, Marlborough Rock Daisy (Pachystegia) with its silver foliage and Dwarf Australian Frangipani (Hymenosporum) with its tiny yellow flowers. Camellias and citrus also do well , an Australian grass tree waves its flower spikes impressively outside the front windows of the house and an Alberta magna (Flame bush) blooms all year long.

Walking around Darien’s garden is a journey of discovery – there are so many treasures tucked in amongst mature plantings and the variety of texture, colour and shape all works together to create an overall impression of nature at its best. It is truly inspirational for the coastal gardnener – and this is during the winter months . Imagine how bright and lush it must be in spring and summer!