IN BRIEF
What A horticulturist’s completely dry gravel garden.
Where Central Otago, New Zealand.
Size Half an acre.
Soil Very light gravelly alkaline soil.
Climate Hot dry summers, with cold winters.
Hardiness zone USDA 8a.
We all talk about rain – too much or not enough. We are inseparable from our need for water. So, many people thought I was mad to even attempt to create a garden on a completely bare site without any additional water in Central Otago, the driest part of New Zealand.
Having purchased 29 acres of rural pastureland, where sheep had grazed among the stones, I arrived with a degree, a new spade, a deep love of wild places and a strong sense of adventure. Back then, I was on my own, and I think the solitude gave me the creative space to focus deeply on designing the garden.
But soon, the battles with hordes of hungry rabbits, insistent winds, searing dry
