My Home, My Garden

For the past 30 years, Michael Edwardes has been creating his dream garden at Flaxmore Road in Upper Moutere. Quail Crossing Garden will be open to the public for the first weekend of November for the Motueka Toy Library Garden Trail fundraiser, and also by appointment throughout the year.

Photos: Tessa Jaine

How long have you lived here?

Over 30 years. The house is a building that we shifted here, it was a classroom on Tasman Street. Often people who visit here will remember it from when it was in Nelson.

What brought you out to Flaxmore Road?

My brother bought 25 acres, and then I bought five acres from him. There was no lake or garden here at all so we created the gardens. Later I got another acre from the neighbour who gave it to me for free which finished off the garden nicely as it was a raised area looking down.

What work have you done on the property?

The land was considered very poor as it’s mostly clay. It was a flax swamp, wet in the winter and bone dry in the summer, there was lots of blackberry and gorse with the odd sheep running around. We created the lake by digging out an area that two natural streams ran into. To give the land shape, we raised up mounds around the lake and added contours.

Initially, we planted plenty of trees and all their leaves go back into the soil which has improved it. You need to choose the plants carefully, but it’s surprising, lots of things do grow well in clay, once they get going.

How did you plan the garden?

I started from the house and moved out from there. I’m not a trained gardener, I’m self-taught. In a way that liberates you, because you aren’t restricted in your ideas. I think a lot of people go off to Europe and England and see the gardens there and try to replicate them, New Zealand is different. I’ve tried to do the garden so it’s all very natural, in England they have these huge borders, which is a lot to maintain. There is still an immense amount of work here and you have to do the work if you want to have a garden like this.

Had you done any gardening before this property?

No. My father was a gardener but he wasn’t a landscaper, so he had pots and plants all about the place. There are two kinds of gardeners basically; there are plant people like my father. They like plants and growing plants but don’t necessarily put them into the landscape. And then there are landscapers. I’m a bit of both.

If someone was new to gardening, what advice would you give them?

Get started. I’ve helped a lot of people to create gardens. Once you get them started and they have a bit of success then they’re away. Look around your district and see what trees grow and get them started, you need some shade. I think children in particular need to be encouraged to garden, if they grow a few vegetables and get to eat them then that helps them learn and feel encouraged. Nothing breeds success like success, that gets them excited, and next year they’ll want to plant more.

Do you have a favourite plant?

Yes, the Japanese Maple. I’ve got lots of maples, rhododendrons, iris, roses and perennials. I like woodland gardens more than anything. In woodland gardens, all the little treasures like the bluebells come out before the leaves come on the trees.

Do you have a favourite place in the garden?

No, lots of places are my favourite. I think you need many seats around the garden so you can sit and enjoy your efforts. So much in a garden is fleeting, the bluebells will be in flower for a couple of weeks and blossoms only last for a few weeks, so you’ve got to enjoy it while it’s there.

There are gazebos, bridges and structures around the garden, mostly made from recycled timber. They give the garden character and make it an interesting place to wander through.  

How much time do you spend in your garden?

In the early days, I used to spend lots of time in the garden. Now I don’t spend as much, probably anywhere from two to three hours a day, most days. I’ve got friends and a couple of neighbours who come over to help too. The locals on the road have sort of adopted the garden as their own. It’s plenty of work, but it’s a hobby too and you need hobbies.