Blacks Point: With the nearest garden centre 80km away, the canny gardeners of Blacks Point on the South Island's West Coast tackle isolation with imagination and innovation

摘要

Six years have passed since I last stopped in at Blacks Point, just up the road from Reefton on the South Island's West Coast. Yet it seems little has changed in this enchanting small settlement, tucked into a gap between the beech-clad hills. There'ssuch a caring and sharing attitude at Blacks Point which, I'm pleased to say, extends to the gardens. One reason there is such a distinctive gardening style here is that the nearest garden centre is at Greymouth, 80km away - not that most folk have lotsof spare money for plant buying anyway. Instead, the local gardeners grow their plants from cuttings, divisions and seed passed freely around. As a result, their gardens are full of character, brimming with the old-fashioned perennials and annuals which are perfect for the cottage style that works so well here.