The miniature men are standing proudly outside their sheds. Wooden Jack and Jill keep an eye on each other as they ponder a hill climb.
The pansies on top of the mailbox stand to attention, ready to put a smile on the face of even the most frazzled postie.
Thelma Romp's Hokowhitu garden is a cornucopia of quirky sights for all ages.
Thelma has always been a gardener and the Chilton Grove section she's tended to for about 35 years is her hobby. She used to do handiwork but her hands now don't take too kindly to fine crocheting and tatting shuttles.
Thelma Romp got the idea for the shadow boxes from a Waverley garden. Photo / Judith Lacy
Thelma gets her ideas for additions to her garden from books and magazines and seeing things in other people's gardens. "Mine won't be professional, mine's very amateurish, done on the cheap."
While weeding Thelma will also be thinking what she can add or take away from her garden. Gardens are meant to change and there's never a dull moment in hers, she says.
There is a silver birch growing on the berm and its roots were making it hard to mow around - so she created a garden. Her neighbours started arriving with wheelbarrows, not to shift soil but to add to Thelma's collection. There's also a "retired and out of order" push mower.
She is part of Hokowhitu Hidden Books and there's a specially made box outside her house for books, plus a seat for people to read them on.
The planted milk separator is a nod to her rural past while the wooden form on the berm could be Tom Tom the piper's son one month, Prince Philip another, and dressed in green for St Patrick's Day another.
The jury is out on whether chickens can read. Photo / Judith Lacy
The sign telling her chickens not to scratch sparks some amusing comments.
"I had some little kiddies in who said 'can chooks read?'" In response, Thelma laughed inside.
Ready for another day's work in his shed. Photo / Judith Lacy
She occasionally opens the garden to groups and Menzshed Manawatū members have helped out by making some wooden ornaments, including some miniature men's sheds.
Watching the tūī, waxeyes, sparrows and blackbirds feeding from a range of containers gives Thelma and her husband Jack much pleasure.
A member of the iris club, Thelma is also a keen begonia grower.
She doesn't let the weeds get to her, saying if she misses them this time she'll get them next time. Plus the bigger they are the easier they are to get out. "A weed is only an uneducated plant."
Dotted around the garden are posts with sayings on them. "Stitch a geranium on your hat and be happy."
