An Oriental Garden Disguising a Beautiful Truth
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“Mankind needs to live in a beautiful environment, because it conforms to what man naturally is: Beautiful."
- Tom Johnson [Auckland- Horticulturalist]
Nothing stirs the soul and stimulates the mind quite like a beautiful garden. I admit it, I'm an old soul. I love Earl Grey tea, classical music and getting my hands muddied in the garden. For as long as I can remember I have loved the great outdoors; whether I'm surrounded by an enchanting garden, wonderous landscapes or wild terrain, I love it all. Never questioning the ‘why’ of my adoration until now, it was while listening to this kind horticulturalist that it began to make sense: we, as mankind are made to live in beautiful environments. Tom and Ann's tended garden is undeniably beautiful and indeed a garden that conforms to who they are: beautiful and wonderful souls.
Hearing about this local and private Japanese inspired garden (created by a retired nurseryman) had me prying. Who were these neighbours of mine and what botanical secrets were hiding on their grounds? After the first moment of contact with Tom, making an appointment to visit the garden, my thoughts tricked me into believing that I would be an uninvited nuisance snooping through this quiet couple’s private residence and life. But that's the thing with Tom and Ann, it's not just a private garden, it is the fruition of a lifetime spent uniting people with beautiful surroundings. Suffice to say I was greeted with the warmest of welcomes.
Tom and Ann have spent the best part of their lives in horticulture; it's no wonder their garden is worthy of being front and centre on a house and garden magazine.
Stepping out of their sitting room to the pergola, I was in awe of the blaze of colour and the diversity of plants and trees — everything alive and flourishing brazenly. Being led by the swerving pebbled paths we walked through the garden taking in the variety of flora. I couldn't take two steps before noticing a plant that I hadn’t known existed. I would no sooner point it out when either Tom or Ann would enlighten me.
The built-in water feature was a clever execution of subtlety and detail, setting a comforting tone in the subconscious. It quietly flowed downward to a small pond where a native frog once took up residence and the occasional dragonfly darted about. Typically, in a Japanese garden water symbolises an ocean or lake and provides extra sensory interest; here it streamed prettily amongst the reeds, flowers and carefully placed river stones. We made our way over the red oriental bridge (a colour important in Japanese culture as it represents wisdom, transformation and all that is sacred) towards the outer boundary of the property, where a charming secluded garden shelter built of bamboo provided a quiet space to rest and appreciate the sights of the neighbouring park and waterway.
Tom educated me on what it takes to create a Japanese garden; it’s a combination of three main elements: plants, form and space. This was something that Tom and Ann easily connected with and was the inspiration behind their design. Strictly speaking, theirs is a “Kiwi formed" Japanese garden.
This garden, only two years old, seemed rather like a rediscovery of something ancient. Each plant often had a story, whether it was a rare flower no longer available on the market or a plant that was brought with them from a previous residence or nursery. It was, no doubt, nature's own art exhibition – beautiful and diverse. What made this small space so unique was how species that would never see each other in the wild seemed to cohabit seamlessly. I noted Bromeliads, Roses, Japanese Maples, New Zealand Ferns, Scottish Moss, New Zealand Alpine Moss, Irish Moss, South African Rushes, Old Fashioned Gerberas, Daphne, Dwarf Pines, Norwegian Spruce, Day Lilies, Irises, Grasses and Cotoneaster. Assembling these all together in a flattering fusion requires wisdom and rich knowledge.
Now, a garden of this calibre and beauty doesn't just happen without a remarkable back-story; Tom and Ann's began in the late 1950s. In 1958 Tom commenced an apprenticeship with Palmers nursery in Glen Eden (this was before Palmers became a chain of garden centres) studying horticulture. Unlike most of the apprentices of his time, Tom was avidly curious and eager to unearth all he could. Learning on the job wasn't enough: "I wanted to learn more, I wanted to know more." Hence, three demanding years into the apprenticeship Tom made an imperative transition to work with Bruce Haggo, an influential horticulturalist of the time who happened to be establishing a nursery of his own. To the surprise of many, they successfully grew Daphne, an extremely challenging plant to propagate, yet Bruce and Tom found ways to do it even though no one else in New Zealand could. Together they grew 10,000 Daphne plants in Te Atatu. Everyone desired this plant in their garden; it had a beautiful perfume and it even demanded a reasonable price. They also grew Azaleas, Wisteria, Chinese gooseberries (Kiwifruit) and hibiscus.
While Tom was in Te Atatu with Bruce during the week, Ann was an accomplished dressmaker in the midst of a 10-year stint at Flamingo Frocks. It was during this period that the couple took a shine to roses, so come the weekend they spent their time growing and selling these to neighbours. It was a budding beginning with 200 plants. Cuttings were planted in winter, grafting was completed in summer, the following winter they cut off the stock and it wasn't until the subsequent winter that they sold their fairest roses. It was a two-year process that Tom and Ann had down with the perfect rotation. They grew Floribunda, Hybrid Tea and climbing roses, eventually growing 50 varieties with a total of 30,000 planted yearly. Any spare or precious time was always consumed by the roses.
By now both recognised and highly esteemed in the horticultural industry, they coincidently accepted a gardener's role with Sir Douglas Myers at his Remuera estate tasked with establishing a top market garden, no expense spared. Having triumphed in this assignment within a few years, they were then beckoned to re-establish a defunct nursery in Whenuapai, thereby finding their way back into the business of cultivating and vending. They eventually invested in the business, and their trees, shrubs and perennials were sold to local gardeners and landscapers spanning the country; it was eighteen successful years before they decided the time had come to slip into retirement.
I agree with Tom's belief in humanity being drawn to beautiful things and our need for beautiful environments. I also agree that we are created beautiful and that we are instinctively attracted to beauty, and that it is in the natural environment around us is why we effortlessly connect with it. Blossoming flowers, pristine plants and lofty trees are our most reoccurring objects of natural beauty: visually dazzling, conjuring emotion, deep thoughts and linking us with what I now believe (thanks to Tom and Ann) to be the most basic of all our human needs, a beautiful natural environment.
Nicole Toni
“Blossoming flowers, pristine plants and lofty trees are our most reoccurring objects of natural beauty: visually dazzling, conjuring emotion, deep thoughts and linking us with what I now believe (thanks to Tom and Ann) to be the most basic of all our human needs, a beautiful natural environment.”
