Hazel Orchard Garden Tour

Take the Hazelnut Orchard Garden Tour

One of the latest major projects at Mooseys has been the creation of an orchard of Hazelnut trees. In the winter of 2003 over seven hundred small trees were planted in the large middle paddock over the water race.

Visitors from some northern hemisphere countries will immediately be thinking of seven hundred lucky feasting squirrels. In New Zealand we don't have any squirrels, or any animals to eat the nuts. So a hazelnut orchard is in theory a peaceful productive space.

Hazels are reportedly easy to grow, and their harvesting is a relatively relaxing process too. They don't need elaborate spraying or pruning regimes. To grow any crop in Canterbury you need irrigation, so each tree gets its own personal dripper. In the first summer there was a serious drought, so the watering system had to be used each week.

‘This is really Stephen's project, and he knows all the orchard details ...’

This is really Stephen's project, and he knows all the orchard details - varieties of trees, percentage of pollinators, trickle irrigation plans, etc. After a little pleading (and promising to help in the planting, which I did) he agreed to leave me an avenue of space, missing out a row of trees from his planting grid.

I'd always planned to create a rose avenue, which might eventually lead to a small rustic summerhouse, snug in the middle of the orchard. Already I have the connecting gate hidden in the shelter hedge, and a row of thirteen metal archways, planted with climbing fragrant roses. So far, so good...

Orchard Dog...
Sat 6th Jan 2007

If only Rusty the red Border Collie would spend more time in the Hazelnut Orchard chasing away the rabbits and less time chasing away the birds and planes!

Roses in the Orchard...
Fri 5th Jan 2007

Finally I have a collection of climbing roses, many of them old-fashioned, on thirteen metal archways in the middle of the Hazelnut trees. Roses look so natural in orchards.

Hazelnut Trees Growing...
Mon 7th Feb 2005

The Hazelnut trees in the new orchard are still growing - change is gradual, and sometimes it's hard to see any progress. It's important to take new photographs to show the growth - all of a sudden they'll be fully grown and producing hazelnuts!

The New Well...
Tue 20th Jul 2004

A new garden was to be created in the corner of the Hazelnut Orchard, by the new well. Here is a classic photograph of the area, when the drilling rig was here.

Hazel Orchard in Drought...
Sun 11th Jan 2004

This is an early photo of the Hazel Orchard, taken in the summer drought of January 2004. Note the peaceful rural ambience, with horses quietly grazing in the next-door paddock.

Hazel Gate...
Mon 5th Jan 2004

This is the garden gate in the Leyland shelter hedge which leads from the gardens into the orchard.

Hazel Row...
Tue 16th Dec 2003

This is the far row of hazelnut trees, the nearest to the hay-barn. They are a little hard to see in this early photograph.

Hay Big Sifter...
Sat 21st Dec 2002

I know that this photograph isn't strictly anything to do with the Hazelnut Orchard, but I couldn't resist letting this cat in. Sifter used to spend a lot of quality cat time in the hay-barn down the paddock. He is currently AWOL...

The Hay Barn...
Fri 20th Dec 2002

Here is an early view from the car bridge down to the hay-barn and beyond to the lucerne paddock, before the hazel trees were planted. The basketball hoop hanging on the top right of the barn has produced a Canterbury rep basketball player.

A Rural Farm Garden...
Sat 16th Dec 2000

This photograph is taken at the very limit of my garden (touch wood) looking through the new shelter trees to the next sheep paddock. You can see the hay-barn in the distance. The Hazelnut trees are still to come.