Gardens to suit everyone

Israel and Daisy Dagg at home with their son Arlo. Andy Ellis and Danny Kamo came up with the ‘non-gardener’s garden’ concept for the couple. “It requires very little upkeep and even less gardening knowledge, but it’s also a great space for entertaining,” writes Andy in his book Kiwi Backyard.

Andy Ellis, full-time rugby player and part-time landscape architect interviews Kiwi celebrities in their backyards, giving readers a look into the varied gardens of our favourite personalities alongside some serious advice, tips, and layout plans . . .

Andy Ellis, ex-All Black, Cantabrian and part-time landscape designer, presents creative landscape ideas that you can adapt for your garden.

Kiwi Backyard features a wide range of backyards from Kiwi heroes such as Kieran Read, Richie and Gemma McCaw, Sir Graham Henry, Wayne Smith, Wyatt Crockett, Sir Richard Hadlee, Izzy Dagg, George and Kayla Whitelock, Jason Gunn, Razor Robertson, Dan Carter’s folks, Al Brown, Matt Watson and Jason Kerrison.

With themes including the inner-city sanctuary, the native haven, the Kiwi kid’s playground and the entertainer’s utopia, there’s something for everyone within these pages.

In addition, you’ll find planting lists for each different theme and generic plans drawn up by Andy’s friends at Kamo Marsh Landscape Architects giving you practical ideas for creating your ideal backyard.

Andy Ellis studied landscape architecture at Lincoln University on a Rugby Scholarship. He got three years through the four-year degree when professional rugby took over and he began playing for Canterbury from 2005 and the Crusaders from 2006.

In total he played 154 games for the Crusaders, winning two Super Rugby titles. He was selected for the All Blacks in 2006 and played 28 tests, including the 2011 final in which New Zealand won the Rugby World Cup.

While playing rugby in 2009, Andy worked with his friend and landscape architect Danny Kamo on an entry for the Ellerslie Flower Show. In their second year they won a supreme award and were invited to compete in the Singapore Garden Festival, one of the big three in the world.

With the help of Weta Workshop and Sir Richard Taylor they came up with a design that saw them become the first New Zealanders to win a gold at this prestigious show.

Andy’s degree has been put on hold while he plays rugby overseas in Japan but he loves to stay involved with landscaping. He has appeared in a series of segments on TVNZ1’s Seven Sharp where he visited Kiwi celebrities and learned about their passion for their backyards, something he feels many Kiwis have in common.

The following is an extract courtesy of Kiwi Backyard.

The Non-gardener’s Garden“It’s lucky Izzy is a good host and that his yard is low-maintenance, because he’s a terrible gardener!” writes Andy Ellis in a chapter devoted to Israel Dagg and his Gisborne-born wife Daisy.

“I won’t let him live down the fact that Daisy and her father built the raised vegetable garden without his help, and

I’m still shocked that he can’t point out which of the flowers in his garden are tulips.

“So, in honour of those who, like Izzy, want a great outdoor space but also need to keep it pretty low-maintenance, Danny (from Kamo Marsh Landscape Architects) and I have chosen a landscaping plan we like to call the ‘non-gardener’s garden’.

“It requires very little upkeep and even less gardening knowledge, but it’s also a great space for entertaining. It’s mostly hard surfaces, with only a small lawn and plants that don’t need much attention, so you can happily sleep in on Sunday morning . . . then get up just in time for eggs bene.

“Why spend time mowing and pruning when you could be brunching with the millennials, eh?”