No Rhyme nor Reason
The name of the Third Street garden, “No Rhyme nor Reason”, came about simply because there was never a grand plan, not then, and not now. The garden has evolved naturally, with changes made along the way as ideas developed or something didn’t quite work out.
What brings Jo the most joy is watching everything take shape over time, seeing how the garden transforms year by year, and hearing the comments of people passing by who’ve noticed the changes. She enjoys the freedom to shift direction, try something new, or tweak things as inspiration strikes.
When Jo and her family purchased the property in 2015, the garden was a very dated 1970s design. Most of it was cleared, except for a couple of flowering trees. The only non-negotiable was creating a native walkway up the side of the house and removing the old wooden rose structure. From there, the garden morphed into a mix of plants and totara features, with hidden surprises that have entertained her grandchildren over the years.
The layout has already shifted several times, with experiments teaching Jo what works best. There’s no fixed long-term vision for the garden. In five years, it might look very different again. For Jo, that’s part of the appeal, the space is constantly changing and open to new ideas.
Her style is largely shaped by over a decade of visits to the Pūkaha Tour Gardens, but true to the name No Rhyme nor Reason, much of it has grown out of spontaneous decisions and creative trial and error.
There’s nothing formal about Jo’s Garden. Visitors might come across hidden chairs, children’s toys, and a healthy population of insects. A wide variety of native plants are slowly regenerating throughout the space, adding to its natural character.
Read More
The approach to gardening is practical and minimal. Weed control is limited to the driveway and paths. Pest control is rarely used, apart from some effort to keep snails out of the vegetable garden. Fertilising is done with worm wee from a home worm farm, and the aim is to work with nature rather than against it.
One of the real highlights is how easy the garden is to look after, and the annual return of the Tūī, which has become a shared success with a few nearby neighbours.
Jo’s advice to others is simple: don’t be afraid to do exactly what you want in your garden. Take ideas from others, but be open to failure, because often that’s where the best and most unexpected parts of a garden begin.
GALLERY
