I've Taken My Garden From Boring To Wild And Seasonal: Here's How

Julia Atkinson-Dunn is the author and creator of Studio Home.

THOUGHTS: At the start of the year, I spoke about myself and my garden, reflecting on the changes I've made over the past five years and the park's incredible tolerance for my learning curve.

My yard in Christchurch took me on a gardening journey, and in the process, I shed its dull greenery in search of its wild seasonal sanctuary.

My last report in March reveals our latest changes that restored the turf, bringing in freshly sprouted plantings and giving you "hopefully" little plants covering your forehead, waiting for winter and rest.

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Winter has come, to put it mildly, damp. The frequent waterlogging of the grass (due to the lack of a rain system outside of our studio) forced us to figure out and invest in a water tank with a small, very reliable pump and a very long hose.

Now here, officially at the beginning of summer, I swing in a hammock under a cherry tree and admire its abundance. While I still agree that gardening is mostly a long game, I no longer get frustrated by the fact that "everything takes forever to grow and look good."

This positive shift in perspective must have been due to the acceptance of the use of perennials, which, under the right conditions, quickly bring benefits.

I was worried I wasn't planting close enough and it would take years for my vision to become a reality, but I'm delighted with the immediate fullness and maturity that many of my plantings find in their first spring. Of course, there are some hidden problems and loopholes in what I consider to be a very reliable start based piano for beginners.

Significant Success

Propagating Sisyrinchium striatum in beds seemed a bold move to me as I had never used this plant before. I am drawn to its turquoise foliage all year round, and its clusters of buttery yellow flower spikes contrast beautifully with the softer, airier plants around it.

As one of my gardening gurus told me, after three years they start to die off from the clump, and this is a good time to uproot the entire plant so that the modified seed stalks around it take over the torch.

After a brutal August mowing, I was struck by the smoothness of the fast-growing grass. The muted silver green of Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' is the perfect backdrop for deeper green surroundings, and two Stipa gigantea are already spraying delicate flowers on incredibly long sturdy stems.

Their real moment of glory will come this fall when we enter winter, but so far I'm very pleased with their contribution to the chorus.

Islands of Phlomis russeliana radiate from bubbly green buds to sturdy yellow petals topped with thickets of leaves. I was a bit taken aback by their graphic form, despite warnings about their imminent threat to take over the park.

Obstacles still to be overcome

Gaura doesn't like my rich clay.

Ignoring any advice that clearly stated that they needed full sun and well-draining soil, the specimens I placed in the mother plant position completely drooped and pulled away from the center of the pile.

This is in stark contrast to plants grown in raised brick pots, which receive more sun and better drainage, resulting in large, healthy specimens that will stand up.

I tried to press it back into the soil to encourage straight growing shoots, but I think I should replace it with something more suitable.

A great idea suggested to me by an Instagram friend is an airy perennial Penstemon 'Garnet' with long blooming deep pink flowers, or maybe I doubled down on Salvia nemorosa, which I currently only have a few plants. This will be a big change to your color palette, but worth a try for now.

My fancy ixia factory wins and loses at the same time. Since I first used this plant last year, I didn't pay enough attention to the flowering time, which meant that Ixia elvira 'Duck Egg Blue' didn't bloom as expected with white-yellow columbine and Japanese iris. Instead, the white version (of which I had so many) came right after and fell all over the place on the ground.

On the other hand, blue is rugged and dazzling as it glides past its neighbors.

Now I'm excited about the prospect of seasonal transitions to yellows, purples, pinks, rusts and blues as my summer perennials begin to show.

Echinacea, Verbena bonariensis, Sanguisorba officianalis, Knautia macedonica and Coreopsis 'Moonbeam' among others will add a different flavor to my outdoor space. All of these plantings should be attractive but also drought tolerant and have yet to be tested this wet spring.

Time will tell and I hope to share another update in a few months.

You can join Julia Atkinson-Dunn @studiohomegardening or at studiohome.co.nz