Welcome to James's Garden

In this article series we’re chatting with Kiwi gardeners, to discover what it is about gardening that brings them the most happiness and satisfaction.

We’ve all heard about the emotional and practical benefits a garden can bring, so we’d like to share some of that good stuff with you. We’ll look at some amazing gardens, listen to great advice, and ask happy gardeners to talk about their pride and joy.

Today we’re visiting James McCallum’s garden.

James describes himself as a semi-experienced, free spirited, curious gardener and suggests the quirkiest thing in his garden is himself (his wife and daughter would wholeheartedly agree). James started gardening in earnest seven years ago, although as a child he did propose a garden (or two) to his non-gardening parents - inspired by his Nana, a big gardener with a joyous soul.

James freely admits he isn’t one for following the conventional rules of gardening and is terrible at planning. He's led by his curiosity for trying new things, and looking at different ways of doing things. Not everything works out; but he's undeterred by epic failure.

“For me the joy is often in the trying and not always in the results.”

Sunny Northland is where he recently established this garden. It's the third garden James has started in the last five years. Before moving to the family's forever home, a small lifestyle block north of Whangārei, James gardened on small suburban plots in Auckland. Initially the idea of moving away from the hustle and bustle of city life was daunting, but he fell in love with the empty section of old orchard and immediately saw the potential for a garden. Being surrounded by good people, friends and family who really went out of their way, helped make the dream a reality.

Up North the growing season is longer, and the days are warmer than Auckland (with only a single light frost so far). This leads James to question his decision to plant cherry trees - but has him grinning like a Cheshire Cat as he admires his thriving pineapples.  Adapting to the new climate is keeping him on his toes; James is feeling like the moniker "The Sunny North" might be a bit optimistic, as the weather has been pretty unpredictable since the family made the move.

As all gardeners soon realise; every year brings something different. It can be frustrating at times, but it teaches a gardener to be adaptable! The first season in the new garden, James encountered so much rain and humidity, the entire tomato crop was lost to Late Blight. James however, believes the way to rise above a disaster is to look for the good in amongst the bad. Undiscouraged, he researched which tomato varieties would be better suited to the new climate zone, which led to very satisfying results. “Even in winter this year, we were harvesting tomatoes in our wee greenhouse from a 'Big Beef' tomato we planted last winter!”

The new house is flanked at the front by an enormous lawn, with an old macadamia nut tree saved from the original orchard. However, it's behind the house where the real garden magic happens. At the base of a large bank that's festooned with wildflowers is the main focus, where James has a productive edible growing space to feed the family. The garden includes a small greenhouse and seven raised beds, with plans for more.

Scattered throughout the property are a multitude of fruiting trees and shrubs, including a large collection of citrus, apple, nectarines, plums, cherries, grapes, feijoa, guava and passionfruit. There are also nuts galore, with chestnuts, macadamia and almonds, as well as plenty of summerfruit berries to round off the sweet treats.

“My garden really is my happy place. It’s a quiet place, where I can clear my mind and de-stress. It's a place where I marvel in how amazing God is and a place where I stand in awe.”

Q&A with James

What do you do with the things you grow in the garden?

“We tend to eat a lot of what we grow, and we share with family and neighbours. I try to grow more than what we need because it feels great giving stuff away. Every spring I grow surplus plants to share. I think it’s the giving that makes gardening so much more rewarding.”

What do you struggle with?

“I struggle with planning and putting things down on paper. Every year I end up with way too many plants to fit in the garden, or with everything coming ready at the same time. I’m getting better at it, but still a long way to go.”

What's your favourite Yates product that you love to use, or swear by?

“This would have to be Dynamic Lifter. They're the gold nuggets of gardening. This isn't a paid advertisement but if I was to recommend one product, it would be this one. You get what you pay for, and this stuff is worth every cent.”

What advice would you give someone starting out?

”Just get stuck in and give it a go. Don’t take it too seriously and don’t let failure put you off. Learn to celebrate the small wins and successes, and try to laugh at the total disasters...and learn from them.”

James’s Top Tips for August

• Consider what you want to grow - and where you'll grow it
• Prepare the garden for spring with a good tidy-up
• Check the garden for emerging pests and diseases; do a clean-up preventative spray if needed
• Give the seedling pots a good clean, so they'll be ready when you need them
• Start sowing spring seeds in the greenhouse, or under cover

“The thing that I've come to love the most about gardening is the community. For me, the real joy of gardening comes when you're able to share your garden with others.”