We’re back in New Zealand today to see more of Jill Hammond’s beautiful garden. She has spent the last 28 years transforming a 7.5-hectare (18.5-acre) piece of land in rural Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. When she and her husband moved in, it was a completely bare piece of land, so she’s created this entire garden from nothing.

The bank garden is on a slope, which allows the plants in the back to show off over those planted lower on the slope. There are melia trees (Melia azedarach, Zones 7–10) along the top, and the lower hedge is star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides, Zones 8–10).

‘Graham Thomas’ rose, birches (Betula utilis var. jacquemontii, Zones 5–8), and Pittosporum sheered into golf balls in the front

I love letting my elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum, Zones 3–9) go to seed—and so do the bees!

Crataegus laevigata ‘Paul’s Scarlet’ (Zones 4–8) and Bowles’s mauve wall flowers (Erysimum ‘Bowles’s Mauve’, Zones 6–9), with a hedge of ‘Six Hill’s Giant’ catmint (Nepeta ‘Six Hill’s Giant’, Zone 3 – 8) to the right

View down to the lower level, through ‘Blanc Double de Coubert’ rose hedges

My husband built our daughters a playhouse years ago. It remains a well-loved feature. It is surrounded by Carex testacea (Zones 6–8) and Stachys byzantina (Zones 4–9). To the right you can see a ‘Grosso’ lavender (Lavandula × intermedia ‘Grosso’, Zones 6–10) hedge.

The garden is on many levels, so steps are a common feature.

Here is another mixed bed, with burgundy lorapetalum (Loropetalum chinense, Zones 7–10) on the right. A weeping elm (Ulmus glabra ‘Camperdownii’ Zones 5–7) is still to come into leaf on the top level.

View of the garden from the upper level, looking through to the potager garden

Have a garden you’d like to share?

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

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