Oasis Cottage

Name: Oasis Cottage
Address: 1093 Woodstock Road, Oxford, 7495, NZ
Telephone: +64210709729
Price range: $$$
Rating: 5

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Oasis Cottage

We are living the dream on our 5-acre oasis! Oasis Cottage is in Oxford, North Canterbury, New Zealand.
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Growing flowers, fruit and vegetables, encouraging wildlife into the garden and creating beautiful seasonal floral bouquets.

25/06/2024

A note for the gardening diary: The delicate little snowdrops have started flowering. The Latin name is Galanthus atkinsii. They are tiny flowers with striking green markings when you look closer. They are happy where I've planted them, as the clumps grow yearly!

24/06/2024

Today, I planted the last of the spring bulbs! A count-up reveals that I planted 2,205 spring bulbs this season. No wonder my back hurts! The last 100 daffodils were planted today in the orchard under the apple trees.

I purchased all my spring bulbs from NZ Bulbs and Bulbs Direct and planted them with my Power Planter. Now, I can look forward to all the glorious beauty that will fill my garden in the coming months. Spring is only 10 weeks away! 🌷🪻

22/06/2024

Today was another exhausting day. I planted the last 150 tulips in the cut-flower garden, 50 in pots for the verandah display, and 50 in the Entrance Garden. Then, I felt inspired to dig 100 Daffodil 'Fortissimo' into the bed of Rugosa Roses on the West Wing. I can hardly walk now, but I still love gardening! There is so much to look forward to! 👍🌷

21/06/2024

Today was a day to tick off ✔️ getting the last of the new 28 roses planted that I purchased from Tasman Bay Roses 2023. Quite a few new Rugosa Roses were added to my collection, which were planted in the orchard. I have some hybrid tea varieties for single-stem cutting (especially red ones for Valentine's Day) and David Austin Roses because I love them all. 😍

My back is very stiff from all the digging, but it is worth it for the anticipation of seeing these new roses bloom!

06/06/2024

It's a momentous occasion on a stunning winter day today as the second greenhouse starts to take shape. The first greenhouse is the Atelier Florale (floral studio), and the second greenhouse is where we will grow seedlings and flowers. Such an exciting time!

07/04/2024

I've been sowing half of my hardy annual flower seeds now instead of waiting until spring. I'll compare their performance to the other half, which I'll sow as normal in spring. I got inspired by Susie Ripley Gardening when I purchased her autumn seed sowing calendar. It's very helpful

The great thing about gardening is that there is always an experiment in progress! I've written a short little guide and made a video so you can follow my progress (and learn from my mistakes!)🤓

https://www.oasiscottage.com/blogs/blog/sowing-hardy-annual-flower-seeds-under-cover-a-kiwi-gardeners-autumn-guide

07/03/2024

This is another example of how Dahlias can be combined with other plants to make a statement. It's Floribunda Rose ' Natasha Richardson' from Tasman Bay Roses 2023 combined with Dahlia 'Rocco' (or is it 'Rococo? '). They look stunning, even now, at the beginning of autumn.

In the background is Russian Sage, which has passed its best performance, but the bees are still interested, so I have delayed giving it a haircut. You might also note the Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight,' which I will study this combination as it turns from cream into pink.

I tried the same planting scheme with Rose 'Ausblush', but the colours were jarring somehow. Not so with this combination.

I hope you find this helpful with your planting decisions!

27/02/2024

For fun, I planted Dahlia 'Happy Jill' amongst the mass plantings of Gaura 'Sparkle White' and Sedum 'Autumn Joy' in the Entry Garden at Oasis Cottage.

The intention was to have pom poms appear above the canopy without seeing any of the foliage of the dahlia. A whimsical planting idea, and I'm pleased with the result. So, next season, I will nestle more of this dahlia amongst the other plants for greater effect.

It is so much fun combining plants to create a picture. We are artists who use plants as our paints!

13/02/2024

Snow on the mountains in high summer when the grass is dried off and a fire hazard. I better mow the verge while it's still a bit damp!

04/02/2024

I've been converting my vegetable garden into a flower-picking garden! I'm still growing our veggies, but I wanted the flowers nearer the house, so the vegetables are slowly moving into a new area we've created (just a bit further away, but only a little). By evicting the vegetables, I now have 16 beds to play with!!!

This is Bed #1, which is based around an orange theme.

My favourite plant is the Echinacea 'Bee Orange' followed by Dahlia 'The Phantom'. The Cactus Dahlia at the forefront is 'Claire Obscure, ' which is in its first year of flowering. I think it looks good with the orange echinacea. The Decorative Dahlia 'French Cancan' is at the back, which is very tall.

Cosmos Apricotta is sewing it all together.

The red soldier poppies have finished now but their seedheads remain for free plants next year.

I don't like the yellow pot Dahlia at the front of the bed. Next year, this will be removed and put into a pot on the verandah. The tomato plant, kale, and silverbeet will also be given notice. Only flowers are allowed here now!

12/01/2024

Pretty Dahlias for my table arrangement today - The Phantom, Purple Gem and Park Princess. I just love Dahlia season! ❤️

29/12/2023

This is the view of the 'garden' from the kitchen window of our holiday home in Queen Charlotte Sounds. It's definitely not picturesque but it is a blank canvas. There is a stream that runs down the hillside and right under the house. It's dry in summer and trickles nicely down in winter. You can see a bridge that's been covered by mudslides which I need to uncover and there is actually a second bridge even further up the hill.

What does one do it improve this view? This is one of my next challenges! Any suggestions welcomed!

15/12/2023

A stunning sunset is reflected in the colour scheme of this garden bed.

08/12/2023

The bay tree lollipops got a haircut today. Some are more established than others, and the little ones have much catching up to do!

I have been amazed at how well these standards have stood up to the regular strong winds we get from the northwest. They are also conveniently located near the kitchen door for me to pick a bay leaf for cooking purposes.

They require a trim twice a year, which takes little time. They are drought-tolerant, don't mind frost or heavy snowfall, stand up to solid wind and look great in a formal garden setting.

04/12/2023

What does one do with a big harvest of rhubarb? Make rhubarb crumble and a batch of rhubarb wine, of course! 😁🍷

At least I can eat the crumble now because I have to wait a year for the wine to be ready!

07/11/2023

Many aspects of gardening attract me to it as an all-consuming hobby. One aspect is that there is always something new to try. And yesterday, I did just that! 😀

Hippeastrum bulbs are enormous! And so are the blooms. I have never planted them, but I did yesterday and found it interesting that the top third of the bulb has to sit above the soil level.

I ordered seven different varieties of these unusual bulbs from NZ Bulbs, so now I have a collection. 🤓They currently reside in the tunnel house, and I will bring them onto the verandah when (if!) they flower!

And that's another thing about gardening that is so attractive. There is always something to look forward to. 🌹 I hope you have a lovely day today.

06/11/2023

I am new to growing flowers from seed, so this is a fun diversion from the serious business of growing vegetables. 😀 My first attempt is Cosmos; as I read, it was an easy flower for beginners. The results of my first experiment are as follows...

On 8th October, I sowed an entire packet of 30 seeds of Cosmos Apricotta into a large tray of individual compartments. I lightly covered them with seed-raising mix and left them germinating in the tunnel house. One seed packet is $4 from Kings Seeds, so each seed is 13c.

80% of the seed germinated, which now equates to 16c per seed. Today, almost four weeks after the sowing date, I planted the seedlings in the Cottage Garden and will post an update on how they perform! 🌸

The first photo is from the Kings Seeds catalogue, showing how they will look once they flower. Fingers crossed. 🤞

03/05/2023

Leaving an access path around the perimeter of the border allows you to maintain the hedging and back-of-border without trampling any plants.

Today I defined those paths with wood mulch. It keeps the weeds down and provides a clearly marked path. When growth starts again in Spring, this path will be barely visible.

25/04/2023

The saffron flowers are blooming! Aren't they stunning?

I purchased these years ago from a local commercial grower and planted them in the tunnel house. No special treatment, and occasionally dug up by mistake when I've forgotten they are there! So, give them a try because they are easy to grow.

The red saffron stamens can be picked and kept for up to 2 years if stored in an airtight container in a cool dark place.

Did you know that saffron is the official colour of Buddhist robes in India?

19/04/2023

This is Amelanchier. The common name is Shad Bush. No, not S**g Bush! 😂 It was quite an untidy small tree and I was going to replace it. However, I spent the past two winters shaping the framework and it’s looking quite good now! Lovely autumn colour.

09/04/2023

Happy Easter! 🌷🐇 I had a lovely day in the kitchen processing the autumn harvests. For me, this is living the dream! 💕 I hope you are in your happy place too 🙏

01/04/2023

Just had to share this pic I took of a rainbow! That was my reward after a day of trying to plant out a rocky 50-degree slope!

30/03/2023

It was a dismal season for tomatoes in the tunnel house this year. Luckily, I planted Sub Arctic Plenty outside as backups because this my first tomato harvest of the season!

It was around 7kg of tomatoes from three plants. I am so thankful to be able to turn them into tomato soup for the winter.

Awesome variety from

24/03/2023

I purchased 10 Buxus Sempervirens for $29 and repotted them into bigger pots. As I have Buxus Blight here (never before), I sprayed them with fungicide. My plan is to use these babies for experiments in topiary…
,

23/03/2023

Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ is just what it says it is! Such a joyful display in Autumn! The bees and butterflies go mad on it. I love this hardy plant!

The Guara is a good planting combination with its delicate foliage and flowers. Love it 😍

07/03/2023

Gardening on a steep slope demands different tools and gardening methods. I cannot use a spade as both feet must be on the ground! My two best implements are a tomahawk and this mattock/pickaxe.

Today, I have been planting daylilies, but before doing that, I had to carve a flat access path to make it safer for me to work on this 45-50 degree slope! This is where the mattock is so helpful.

28/02/2023

This little bed under the kitchen window on the shady south side of the house has had zero attention but it has performed so well. I was so happy to just give the buxus hedge a trim today and admire the fading colour of the hydrangeas on the last day of summer.

Getting the right plants in the right spot makes a huge difference! This is a lesson that has taken me decades to learn 😳

Roll on those gorgeous still Autumn days. I love celebrating the seasons. Do you?

21/02/2023

Simplicity and symmetry. The Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ are about to bloom. I can't want for the bee feeding frenzy!

19/02/2023

Today's harvest. 😂

13/02/2023

This was my table arrangement for Sunday lunch.

The cottage garden area is a shambles but I did find some Dahlia ‘Happy Jill’ and paired it with flowering (which means, out of control) herbs - oregano and dill.

has inspired me to try flower arranging and I think it looks good for an amateur! 🌸👍

Address

1093 Woodstock Road
Oxford
7495

Telephone

+64210709729

Website

http://www.oasiscottage.com/

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Videos

The entrance garden to Oasis Cottage is a bright happy welcome with its Triumph Tulips ‘Strong Gold’ and ‘Red Rover’ from Bulbs Direct. I was a bit worried about the colour scheme being childish but I love the uplifting visual effect. Do you?