by Samantha Cutler
 Gingko leaves |  Gingko tree |
My garden is a place to unwind under the shady canopies of our graceful trees, among the gold roses, purple hydrangeas or theatrical magnolias. It is a place of exertion, raking crunchy autumn leaves lifting in the swirling autumn gusts, stockpiling to make dank smelling compost or the scent of lush grass while mowing during the first warm days of spring.
It is no surprise therefore that I appreciate conversations with my clients around their gardens. I adore their childhood memories of gardens gone by, rich in detail, evoking pictures of activity, colour, sights and smells. During later recollections they impart knowledge of their own gardens, created as adults. Stories of a grandmother who gave her grandson a fruit tree each birthday until, decades later, he had created a sizable orchard; a young widow who wept silent tears amongst the shrubs in her horseshoe garden which she constructed with the husband she had just buried; the starving sister who climbed the fruit trees in the neighbour’s garden to steal fruit for her younger siblings to gorge upon.
I am charmed to have brought a touch of my clients into my own garden. The lady who wept silent tears also had a passion for Dublin Bay roses of which two are now established, climbing eagerly up our huge conifer tree stump. Another lady described her Gingko tree which glowed yellow in late autumn and dropped foul-smelling fruit which the Chinese community collected for medicinal purposes. The leaves (of a rubbery texture) drop to the ground creating a golden blanket which, as the leaves rot slowly, remains in full glory for some time. This client viewed her old home years later and was saddened to see her lovely Gingko had been removed – probably a result of the objectionable fruit!
I now have a baby Gingko laying down its young roots to the side of our gravel drive. Interestingly we found a second majestic and mature Gingko tucked away on our steep path down to the river and, with a little clearing of bush, the tree now leaps to view in golden splendour for all to admire.
Whenever I plant an addition I like to discover a little background on the newcomer:
It is believed that roses were grown in all the early civilisations of temperate latitudes from at least five thousand years ago.
The rose Dublin Bay was bred in 1975 by Northern Irelander Samuel McGredy who migrated to New Zealand where the rose was first introduced by its given name. It was created by crossing a climbing Bantry Bay rose with a climbing Altissimo rose. Dublin Bay is the most popular red climbing rose grown in New Zealand and is the most well-known around the world.
The bright red blooms are produced freely throughout the season and are complemented by the dark green foliage which covers the plant. Unfortunately there is no scent, but that is about the only thing missing from this rose. As far as climbing roses go – it would be difficult to find many better.
The Ginkgo biloba (commonly known as the Maidenhair tree) are large trees, normally reaching a height of 20 to 35m and some in China being over 50m. Some specimens are claimed to be more than 2,500 years old.
The tree was cultivated early in human history having various uses in traditional medicine and as a source of food. The apricot-like structures produced by female ginkgo trees are technically not fruits, but are seeds which have a strong smell that people find unpleasant. Today’s specimen’s, which can be purchased in most garden centres, are mainly male and do not produce the foul-smelling fruit which is off putting to gardeners. The Ginkgo is the official tree of the Japanese capital of Tokyo and the symbol of Tokyo is the Ginkgo leaf.
Ironically both clients, who each astonished me with their vibrant descriptions of blood red roses and golden trees, are now blind, but I have something in my garden with which to remember their sight.
It is no surprise therefore that I appreciate conversations with my clients around their gardens. I adore their childhood memories of gardens gone by, rich in detail, evoking pictures of activity, colour, sights and smells. During later recollections they impart knowledge of their own gardens, created as adults. Stories of a grandmother who gave her grandson a fruit tree each birthday until, decades later, he had created a sizable orchard; a young widow who wept silent tears amongst the shrubs in her horseshoe garden which she constructed with the husband she had just buried; the starving sister who climbed the fruit trees in the neighbour’s garden to steal fruit for her younger siblings to gorge upon.
I am charmed to have brought a touch of my clients into my own garden. The lady who wept silent tears also had a passion for Dublin Bay roses of which two are now established, climbing eagerly up our huge conifer tree stump. Another lady described her Gingko tree which glowed yellow in late autumn and dropped foul-smelling fruit which the Chinese community collected for medicinal purposes. The leaves (of a rubbery texture) drop to the ground creating a golden blanket which, as the leaves rot slowly, remains in full glory for some time. This client viewed her old home years later and was saddened to see her lovely Gingko had been removed – probably a result of the objectionable fruit!
I now have a baby Gingko laying down its young roots to the side of our gravel drive. Interestingly we found a second majestic and mature Gingko tucked away on our steep path down to the river and, with a little clearing of bush, the tree now leaps to view in golden splendour for all to admire.
Whenever I plant an addition I like to discover a little background on the newcomer:
It is believed that roses were grown in all the early civilisations of temperate latitudes from at least five thousand years ago.
The rose Dublin Bay was bred in 1975 by Northern Irelander Samuel McGredy who migrated to New Zealand where the rose was first introduced by its given name. It was created by crossing a climbing Bantry Bay rose with a climbing Altissimo rose. Dublin Bay is the most popular red climbing rose grown in New Zealand and is the most well-known around the world.
The bright red blooms are produced freely throughout the season and are complemented by the dark green foliage which covers the plant. Unfortunately there is no scent, but that is about the only thing missing from this rose. As far as climbing roses go – it would be difficult to find many better.
The Ginkgo biloba (commonly known as the Maidenhair tree) are large trees, normally reaching a height of 20 to 35m and some in China being over 50m. Some specimens are claimed to be more than 2,500 years old.
The tree was cultivated early in human history having various uses in traditional medicine and as a source of food. The apricot-like structures produced by female ginkgo trees are technically not fruits, but are seeds which have a strong smell that people find unpleasant. Today’s specimen’s, which can be purchased in most garden centres, are mainly male and do not produce the foul-smelling fruit which is off putting to gardeners. The Ginkgo is the official tree of the Japanese capital of Tokyo and the symbol of Tokyo is the Ginkgo leaf.
Ironically both clients, who each astonished me with their vibrant descriptions of blood red roses and golden trees, are now blind, but I have something in my garden with which to remember their sight.
 Dublin Bay climbing rose |  Dublin Bay rose |
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