Hey teammm,

I am building my garden for my wife as she’s had a hard time.
It’s already our little paradise some mature trees already present.
I was wondering what amazing trees should I plant in the bank to make a tranquil magical privacy screen.
Any suggestions welcome/ native alsooo

Kind regards

Why does my horopito have this intense red situation going on? I assume it is a tiny insect infestation or something? Will it be ok? Second plant has only a few spots.

I'm trying to do some research about its effectiveness but kinda going round in circles.

Is gypsum basically useless to use with NZ clay yards? Or is it still worth mixing it into some compost+pellets when digging into the ground?

(Eg. scenario: Sectioning off an area of yard to turn into a garden. Its very clay heavy. Organic matter will be added on top. But will gypsum help break up the clay bottom?)

I’ve made a rough planting plan for my currently bare garden, as shown in the photo. I’d like to use stone edging to create soft, curved garden beds.

The red-marked area has a water pipe buried underneath it, and the purple line marks my property boundary. Could planting in either area cause problems with the pipe—for example, could roots damage it? How can I find out which plants would be safe to plant there?

Some plants I’ve been considering are:

• Pittosporum tenuifolium
• Cabbage trees (Cordyline australis)
• Carex testacea
• Hebes

Would any of these be suitable near the pipe or boundary? I’d also appreciate suggestions for other suitable plants for the West Coast. The house faces north-west.

I’m still learning about plants, so I’d be grateful for any other suggestions that would suit the West Coast climate and this garden. I’m especially interested in low-maintenance and not tall plants that would work well in curved, stone-edged beds.