Smaller gardens can still bring plenty of pleasure, according to NZ Gardener editor, Jo McCarroll, informing prospects and future residents of Ryman’s yet-to-be-built Rolleston retirement village.
Ryman announced plans for its new $205 million dollar village in the fast-growing south Christchurch area. The new village, which is adjacent to Rolleston’s Faringdon development, will one day be home to more than 280 residents. The site is 9.5 hectares, and nearby Goulds Road will be a link between the growing retirement population to the south of Christchurch and mid-Canterbury.
Ryman’s Rolleston village will offer townhouse-styled residential opportunities, as well as serviced apartments along with a care centre offering a rest-home facility, a hospital wing, and a dementia unit as well.
Jo McCarroll has been editor of the New Zealand Gardiner for the past 15 years, and often gives public talks about her gardening passion. Although she admits that her own garden is a “work in progress” she does enjoy sharing her wisdom with those looking to resize.
According to McCarroll, there are tricks to maintaining a garden in a small space. She says that in a small space, a gardener needs to focus on making everything do double duty, from plants, to hard landscaping and more.
“Everything should do two things – that’s your plants, and your hard landscaping. So your seating should be storage and if you’re capping a raised bed, make it at a height you can sit on so it becomes seating,” said McCarroll.
A further emphasis was put on the use of indoor plants, as McCarroll pointed out the potential they can provide a space, as well as bring a room together.
“I think it’s always good to have plants in your homes. Plus if you pick up some of the colours from the plants inside, even some of the plant choices, and repeat them in your garden, it can really help your inside space flow into your outside space,” she said.
“It blurs the boundaries of where the edges are which can help small spaces seem bigger.”
The new village is said to employ more than 200 construction workers during its peak, and will further create approximately 120 full and part-time jobs once the village opens. In addition to Rolleston, Ryman is building new villages at Riccarton Park and Northwood, as well as being granted permission to build a new village on Park Terrace, overlooking Hagley Park in Christchurch.
