Sneak peek for November ramblers

   

Lorraine Hartley spends an awful lot of time in the garden but most of it is sorting out the garden woes of other people with her garden crew – because that’s her vocation. 

While she is very knowledgeable in the area of flora she also has a keen eye on what grows elsewhere – layouts and quirky little things that can be adapted to lift, attract and breathe new life into tired plots, and even her own garden. 

Regardless of how tired the gardener may be, getting down and dirty is generally therapeutic. 

Loraine’s Coal Hill Rd garden on the south side of Mangawhai last featured in the Garden Ramble in 2010 but is back in the mix this year having undergone some structural changes in the meantime and, like many large gardens, is almost always a ‘work in progress’. But isn’t that what gardeners thrive on?

Loraine’s sprawling two acres is large, impressive and will again entertain visitors in this year’s Palmers Planet Mangawhai Garden Ramble – not only for it’s variety of exotic and architectural plantings but also for the tui and wood pigeon who cruise in to see what’s going on, the water features and her eclectic choice of garden art. 

‘Nuff said, but we’ll have another teaser for you in the next issue of The Focus. 

As a new addition, Waipu artist and sculptor Greg Maddox is going to have some pretty funky stuff on show here too – you won’t want to miss it.