THE other day I came across photos of a stunning Australian garden, a modern take on the cottage garden. Created by a top landscape architect, it is exceptionally pleasing if not perfect.
Yet when it comes to the indefinable, heart-warming quality we call charm, Bernadette Munn’s humble Wellington cottage garden we feature in this issue (page 10) outscores it easily. I’ll leave readers to work out why.
A Matakana garden we also visit (page 22) scores for the charms of native birds that flock there – due to the work its owners, Warren and Lois Agnew, have done and are happily sharing with us other gardeners.
We have some great food-growing features too: Gillian Vine shares the secrets of successful early spring planting (page 16); Mark Rayner makes raised beds (page 18); and Jane Bellerby tells us how to grow perfect peas (page 28).
Garden when you can – spring is in the air, as busy birds are telling us early morning. Isn’t that wonderful!
Susie Longdell, Editor.
