They left Auckland to restore a century-old house and garden in the Wairarapa

For nearly 150 years, any visitor to the doctor’s house on Johnston Street in south Wairarapa would have received resuscitation treatment for ill health, or perhaps stay at the hospital next door.

Fast forward to May 2016, and the arrival of an energetic, visionary couple keen to give their dose of medicine to breathe new life into the historic villa (circa 1877) and its surroundings. Drawn to the property by the potential of the home and garden restoration – both on good bones but in need of love – veteran restorers Kathryn Seagrave and Jeremy Thompson were ready to take on the challenge.

It meant heading south from the other end of Te Ika-a-Māui to the small but growing town of Featherston.

After 40 years of living in Auckland, Thompson and Seagrave eagerly packed their car, squeezing a few favorite plants—Poor Knights lily for him and a piece of Seagrave’s daddy fern.

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Wairarapa was a far cry from the subtropical conditions of the North where the cultivation of gardenia and frangipani was the norm. “We took our time to establish ourselves in Featherston, where we met the people and learned what grew locally,” says Seagrave.

It didn’t take long to find like-minded people in the community who would be happy to share cuttings from their gardens. “We got a lot of plants and that was very special. We had no idea what some of the plants were; they were mostly from Jeddah’s garden.”

“It was great to live in a historical place and have plants that also had stories,” Thompson adds.

However, upon moving, they found the back garden so overgrown, they couldn’t even find their boundary. Tradescantia has taken root in the wet dark bottom. The dead wood needed clearing and hundreds of rengarenga were taken to the locals. “It made us feel good about not wasting plants,” says Seagrave.

One of the benefits of not muddying the land for a long time was “beautiful soil that is rich and healthy”. Thompson created leaf litter boxes (simple cylinders of chicken wire tied by warratahs) to collect fallen leaves. “We collected the foliage over the winter, and leave the rest to nature. It brought in a lot of worms. We spread the rotting leaf droppings as cover all over.”

Seagrave and Thompson visited nearby gardens on a local garden fundraising tour in November 2016. “We wanted to see other gardens in the area to see what thrived in the area, especially in the shady areas. We loved talking to the gardeners—that’s the nice thing about the Wairarapa Garden Tour. In Pūkaha, the owners of gardens are the gardeners.”

By taking notes and collecting tips from those who knew, Seagrave felt they were finally on their way. They knew they wanted a lot of different decorations for their newly cleared forest garden. “Although we bought a lot of plants, we also got beautiful talents, bleeding hearts, and the Seal of Solomon,” Thompson explains.

Choose a variety of rhododendrons from Cross Hills Gardens in Kimbolton To provide early, mid-season and late flowering. Delicate cream colors were a favorite to stand out among the darker greens, especially on rainy days. In summer, the cool shade of the forest garden provided a respite from the sweltering heat of the Wairarapa sun.

A double stand of mature eucalyptus trees on the northeastern frontier was Thompson’s favorite spot. About 15 trees of different types of gum are 80 years old to form a unique road. He found the bark engraved on the pale trunks captivating and wanted them to be more accessible to park visitors “to make room for a more pleasant and satisfying stroll along the way.”

Agapanthus plants were released from the gum base and skilled local tree expert Henri van de Weyer of All Seasons worked his magic to create a beautiful light-filled street wide enough for park visitors to wander through.

Afforestation skills were also necessary for the garden’s century-old trees. The park includes five oaks, a redwood, a couple of cypresses, and Norfolk pines. Several heritage species are listed.

The couple remember the day they learned that a pair of kārearea hawks (New Zealand’s endemic and threatened hawks) had visited. “We learned that they used a redwood tree as a navigation point, and sometimes would stop to feed their young in the oaks next to the tennis court. We had evidence of this one day, when we found Kiro freshly destroyed on the grass. His chest cavity was open and his guts completely disemboweled,” he recounts. Thomson.

Another perennial seasonal observation was the wintering of monarch butterflies on a Lawson cypress tree. Also known as Port Orford Cedar, Chamaecyparis Lawsoniana It is native to northwest California and Oregon. Seagrave dubbed it the “Butterfly Tree” when she noticed a flock of monarchs revisiting for up to a month each winter. “The tree shimmers like silver as hundreds of delicate wings flutter. As the sun moves, the butterflies will collectively change their position, moving with the light.”

The age of the tree is important because kings search for the same tree for multiple generations to spend the winter.

The Seagrave and Thompson Garden philosophy is a thoughtful and thoughtful way to work with nature. In the “walled” vegetable garden, near the kitchen, there are always flowers for bees.

Seagrave’s father and grandfather were commercial vegetable growers in the UK and New Zealand, so it was always the case that she would grow her own food.

I noticed in their second year buxus . pest In plantings established at the entrance to the garden. She sought advice, and, against her better judgment, was sprayed to deter the deadly fungus. When it didn’t work, she had a luminous moment, realizing that despite her strong desire to honor the former gardener’s vision, the garden was now in her care–and so, she allowed herself to start over.

The diseased scepter was removed and the worst of it was burned. Because the spores remain in the soil and can reactivate years later, Thompson and Segrave replaced all of the land to ensure their new plantings would be healthy. The wool rugs from the home’s renovation were reused outside to suppress weeds.

A new design appeared in Thompson’s mind. It included a vertical apple—perfect for compact home gardens—planted with roses, lavender, and viburnum. Seagrave salvaged some of the original buxus and “balled” many to provide structure and a link to his past. Several glorious white “iceberg” roses remained, as were the tiered rows of tulips hugging the base of the veranda.

The result is a more relaxed and more spacious formal entrance yet still in keeping with the charm and character of the historic villa.

Two years later—after the park’s successful opening in November 2018 at the Wairarapa Garden Tour, and a home and garden tour in early 2019 to raise funds for breast cancer—the couple began to feel the pull of a new venture. They were sitting on a rural plot north of Masterton, and for a moment or no they had decided it was time to design and build (from scratch) their forever home and garden.

Enter Leslie and Brett Hoskin of Wellington who transferred The Doctor’s House into their care in early 2021. If you’re looking for a home that the extended family can come and stay in, the beautifully restored home and stunning garden immediately attracted the couple.

Brett and Leslie both have a sense of calm wandering in the coolness of the garden in the early morning lull. Leslie describes herself as a novice in the garden but admits she is amazed at how much she is learning and achieving so far, thanks to knowledgeable friends and modern tools like plant identification apps.

When high winds flattened the iconic ivy-clad fence that once connected the doctor’s house to the adjacent hospital (through an old green door), a few alterations to the garden were needed. A new fence was erected, warm-loving lavenders were planted, and a passion fruit vine was planted to green the space.

In the woods, the fish pond is now a fire pit, but overall Leslie says they plan to enjoy and preserve the garden in its current form—a chapter written by Thompson and Seagrave.