Oasis Cottage

Oasis Cottage Oasis Cottage is a 5-acre formal English-style country garden in Oxford, North Canterbury, New Zealand.

It is 3-Stars with The NZ Gardens Trust and features a French floristry studio. Garden visitors and floral studio appointments are welcome.

The design of the planting scheme in this bed has been particularly successful, so I thought I would share the ‘recipe’—...
28/11/2024

The design of the planting scheme in this bed has been particularly successful, so I thought I would share the ‘recipe’—it only incorporates seven plants that are mass-planted to achieve a good effect!

This garden bed puts on a show, starting with tulips in spring and going through to mid-late autumn, with the dahlias and nepeta.

Oasis Cottage is in a high-wind location with well-draining soil, and we have a limited water supply, so I mulch every year. Hidden behind those clouds are the foothills of the Southern Alps!

The recipe is:

1. Nepeta (Catmint)
2. Stachys (Lambs Ears)
3. Heuchera ‘Green Spice’
4. David Austin Rose ‘Ausblush’
5. Allium roseum (Rosy Garlic)
6. Dahlia ‘Rococo’
7. Tulip ‘Cum Laude’

I hope you find this information helpful when planning garden planting combinations. Have a lovely day! Steph 💐

Strawflowers! This is my first time growing strawflowers from seed, and it was a joy to harvest their lovely flowers for...
26/11/2024

Strawflowers! This is my first time growing strawflowers from seed, and it was a joy to harvest their lovely flowers for drying. They have been subjected to snow, late frosts, high wind, and dry soil, but they have prevailed! Hip, hip, hooray! 💐

We all love pretty pictures on social media, but let me show you the ugly face of Buxus Blight. This fungal disease is w...
03/11/2024

We all love pretty pictures on social media, but let me show you the ugly face of Buxus Blight. This fungal disease is worldwide, and it landed at Oasis Cottage about two years ago. Once I recognised what it was, I took all the necessary steps to turn the problem around, but more drastic action was needed in this particular part of the hedge. It was not recovering like the other parts, so I decided to cut it right back to the base. I started the process in autumn with just a few plants and noticed that they were shooting lovely fresh green leaves, which encouraged me to cut back the remaining plants, which I did just this week.

The rest of the box hedges are on the mend, and I regularly remove leaf debris from underneath to ensure good airflow. I have been spraying with Top Buxus and cutting back any dead growth to encourage new growth. The prognosis is far better than it was two years ago.

So, if you have Buxus Blight, don't despair. You don't have to pull it out. It can be turned around.

Topbuxus NZ

Despite yesterday's heavy rain, a brief break allowed us to rush out and install our new sign on the front gate. We are ...
26/10/2024

Despite yesterday's heavy rain, a brief break allowed us to rush out and install our new sign on the front gate.

We are pretty pleased with how we designed this. I especially like the simplicity of the pencil sketch of the flowers. Do you like it too?

21/10/2024

The ornamental cherry trees lining the driveway are at their best now. Unfortunately, high winds are forecasted for tomorrow, so I will enjoy them before they get blasted!

This variety is Prunus serrulata ‘Shimidsu Sakura’. I planted them over ten years ago and pruned them every winter to raise the crown and thin out the canopy.

Darwin Hybrid Tulip ‘Ad Rem’ is one of the most stunning tulips I grow here at Oasis Cottage. They have super long stems...
02/10/2024

Darwin Hybrid Tulip ‘Ad Rem’ is one of the most stunning tulips I grow here at Oasis Cottage. They have super long stems and a colour that's hard to describe. They are advertised by the big bulb suppliers as red, but I think they lean towards orange, and there's an elegant glimpse of gold on the base and edges of the petals.

Plant them in the right spot, and they will return year after year. These are now four years old and looking better than ever.

I planted this new colour combination of tulips at the end of Autumn. It's so exciting in mid-spring now to see if it wo...
02/10/2024

I planted this new colour combination of tulips at the end of Autumn. It's so exciting in mid-spring now to see if it works, and it does! Wouldn't this be as lovely as a bouquet?

It is a mix of 20 tulips - ‘Kickstart’ (Peony) x 10. ‘Laptop’ (Triumph) x 5 and ‘White Dream’ (Triumph) x 5.

I delivered this tulip bouquet to a birthday girl yesterday. The pink tulips are called ‘Dynasty’, and I combined them w...
24/09/2024

I delivered this tulip bouquet to a birthday girl yesterday. The pink tulips are called ‘Dynasty’, and I combined them with the purple ‘Laptop’ to prevent it from looking like a bouquet made for Barbie. I like this colour combination! Sophisticated but girly 💃🌷

I planted 50 Pittosporum tenuifolium at Oasis Cottage today. I preordered them from Appletons Nursery earlier this year....
19/09/2024

I planted 50 Pittosporum tenuifolium at Oasis Cottage today. I preordered them from Appletons Nursery earlier this year. They arrive as plug plants, which means no plastic pot to deal with, but you have to be ready to plant them straight away. These were good, healthy plants and will grow fast now that they are in the ground.

I used them to beef up our wind shelter and privacy and to encourage birdlife.

The raised mounds give us a head start in creating wind protection. They are made by throwing building rubble, prunings, old logs, and grass clippings into a big pile over a year. Then, I asked a local contractor to dump a layer of garden soil on top. With some artistic shaping by a talented digger driver, I have something interesting to plant.

Grass and weeds were sprayed off a few weeks ago in preparation, so I can quickly drill a planting hole with my Power Planter and pop the plug plant in.

We've located pockets of native plantings all around the property, and birdlife has increased significantly over the past few years. Plus, the wind shelter is always welcome!

This is Hyacinth ‘Fondant’. I planted the bulbs in May. Normally, I plant hyacinths into pots on the verandah, but these...
03/09/2024

This is Hyacinth ‘Fondant’. I planted the bulbs in May. Normally, I plant hyacinths into pots on the verandah, but these were planted in the garden. They've had no special treatment, and just look at these gorgeous blooms.

Thank you, Bulbs Direct, for the large and healthy Dahlia tubers, which arrived today. I've potted them up and will plan...
27/08/2024

Thank you, Bulbs Direct, for the large and healthy Dahlia tubers, which arrived today. I've potted them up and will plant out in the garden after the last frosts, which we traditionally say is Canterbury Show Day. This year, it is Friday 15 November.

The tote bag was a wonderful surprise when I opened the box , and I love it! My husband took a photo of me showing it off to him when I came in from gardening today.

I love expanding my plant collection, and I'm excited to see all my new Dahlias flowers this year and share the excitement with my fellow enthusiasts at New Zealand Dahlia Growers.

Gardening is such a rewarding and exciting hobby 🌺

Spring is officially only a week away, and I'm so glad. It wasn't a bad winter, but I want to see the flowers again. We ...
26/08/2024

Spring is officially only a week away, and I'm so glad. It wasn't a bad winter, but I want to see the flowers again. We have hyacinths and daffodils on the verandah, and even more are in the central gardens. Today, I pruned a 100-year-old plum tree and brought the stems inside to admire.

A simple, joyful bunch of daffodils in a pasta jar to celebrate spring is only a week away! Yippee!
24/08/2024

A simple, joyful bunch of daffodils in a pasta jar to celebrate spring is only a week away! Yippee!

The winner of the 'First Daffodil to Flower 2024' is the variety 'Watch-Up'. I purchased the bulbs from Bulbs Direct in ...
19/08/2024

The winner of the 'First Daffodil to Flower 2024' is the variety 'Watch-Up'. I purchased the bulbs from Bulbs Direct in February and planted them straight away. They are advertised as mid-season but these bulbs seem keen to get going and have beaten all the other varieties. I adore their extra-long yellow trumpets with the wavy mouth and their creamy tepals. Gorgeous!

It was lavender day today! I should have done this in July before the daffodils started sprouting, but you know how it i...
07/08/2024

It was lavender day today! I should have done this in July before the daffodils started sprouting, but you know how it is. Nonetheless, I cut down all the Lavendula ‘Super’ plants and cleared leaf debris and weeds from under and around them. Lavender likes good air circulation and not too much organic matter stifling them.

The crabapple trees also had a winter makeover. The pruning wood gets cut up and used for kindling next season. The smaller twigs are thrown onto a bund to create insect hotels.

It’s great to get this task ticked off although I’m feeling a bit exhausted now.

And they have landed in my mailbox today! The arrival of these coveted seeds perfectly timed as a birthday present to my...
06/08/2024

And they have landed in my mailbox today! The arrival of these coveted seeds perfectly timed as a birthday present to myself. Thank you, Emerden and Floret Flower Farm, for allowing New Zealanders to grow these lovely flowers.

This is a Himalayan Cedar, planted over 100 years ago, according to the tree experts.I’ve slowly been establishing a fai...
05/08/2024

This is a Himalayan Cedar, planted over 100 years ago, according to the tree experts.

I’ve slowly been establishing a fairy circle around it. Every time I walk past, I place a few more stones. Then, I’ll fill the circle with soil and plant Clivias which have been patiently waiting for over a year.

When I stand on top of the grassy knoll, it gives me a good view of this stately tree and Mt Oxford in the other direction.

Address

1093 Woodstock Road
Oxford
7495

Telephone

+64210709729

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Videos

We created this new garden area at Oasis Cottage last winter to grow flowers I can cut for the house and bouquets. This is its first season, and I'm absolutely loving it—and so are the naughty chooks! #oasiscottage

Flowering Cherry Trees
Flowering Cherry Trees

The ornamental cherry trees lining the driveway are at their best now. Unfortunately, high winds are forecasted for tomorrow, so I will enjoy them before they get blasted! This variety is Prunus serrulata ‘Shimidsu Sakura’. I planted them over ten years ago and pruned them every winter to raise the crown and thin out the canopy.

THROW THE CLIPPINGS INTO THE CENTRE TO SELF SEED AND MULCH

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