The Curators Garden

6 autumn’09 autumn’10
6
The
Curator’s
Garden In
the Christchurch Botanic Gardens
there’s a must-see kitchen garden.
But it’s not just there for show.
Every fruit and vegetable harvested from
this garden goes into fresh culinary delights
created for diners at the on-site Curator’s
House Restaurant. Here, chefs and gardeners
plan together for the coming season.
Curator’s House Restaurant

The charming heritage building that now houses the
restaurant was once the private home of the curator
of the Botanic Gardens. In 2000, it was developed by
new owners, Javier and Jackie Garcia as a fine dining
restaurant, and a feature of the Botanic Gardens.
A garden for learning
Initially set up by the Friends of the Botanic Gardens,
the Curator’s House Restaurant garden continues as
an educational facility under the guidance of Jackie
Garcia’s father, Colin Knight and Section Curator,
Louise Young.
Packed full of useful ideas and inspiration, this
beautiful demonstration garden is free to visit and
entered directly from the Botanic Gardens. It’s a
place to see sustainable gardening practices in
action, including ideas on plant supports, fencing,
paving, mulching, composting and which plants to
grow in which season.
Colin says “We’re always looking for something a
bit different to use in the restaurant, so we like to
try new varieties. Some work well but others don’t
enjoy our climate. For instance some of the heritage
tomatoes didn’t prosper for us. It’s all a matter of trial
and error.” A noticeboard in the summer house keeps
visitors up to date with the latest monthly plantings
and gardening activities.
Saving space
One of the most intriguing things about this garden
is just how many different edibles have been slotted
into a relatively small area. The garden is divided
into six distinct parts: an informal orchard, a potager
containing veges and companion plants, a formal
raised vegetable garden, a berry fruit area, a herb
garden and a composting area. Plants are grown and
trained in ways specifically designed to make the
most of available land area. Dwarf peach trees and
triple grafted apples produce excellent crops for the
minimal space they occupy. Pear trees are trained
on archways; apples are espaliered on fences; feijoas
and Chilean guavas are grown as hedges. Cocktail
kiwis and grapes scramble over a pergola and
adorn fences.
Ornamentally edible
Such space saving methods also make a huge
contribution towards the garden’s charm and
ambiance. The garden has been designed to present
the edibles as ornamentally as possible. The pear
clad archways form a lovely central walk through
the orchard area, while espaliered apples in full fruit
add wonderful colour and texture. Peeping though
boundary fences in autumn are masses of cheery
red Chilean guavas. Citrus trees in large tubs provide
Pumpkin
‘Wee Be Little’
The potager section of the
demonstration garden.
autumn’10
7

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8 autumn’10
amazing winter colour when in fruit. Raised vege
plots with heavy wooden plant supports add a
Victorian air. Even the potatoes have been given the
decorative touch in their stack of brightly painted
tyres. Flowers, most of them edible, add colour
appeal while also acting as companion plants,
helping ward off garden pests.
Herbs, flowers and weeds!
The restaurant also prides itself on innovative
presentation. A beautiful selection of herbs and
edible flowers adorn every dish and are therefore
high priority on each season’s planting list -
although many of these self-seed of their own
accord. The odd weed also finds its way onto the
menu, with dandelion, chickweed or wild sorrel
likely to form part of your gourmet salad!
Jackie and Javier are dedicated to running their
business under the principles of environmental
sustainability and the belief that the quality of the
basic ingredients is fundamental in producing good,
flavoursome and honest food.
So if you’re lucky enough to be visiting the Ellerslie
International Flower Show in Christchurch this
March, pop down the road for a culinary treat - and
an extra serving of edible gardening inspiration.
For more about Ellerslie International Flower Show
turn to page 10.
FROM TOP TO BELOW:
Pear archways create a lovely central walk.
The formal vege garden demonstrates different
methods of supporting plants.
A pergola is the perfect support for fruiting vines.
Chilean guavas make the perfect low growing hedge.

Autumn Harvest Tips
Beans taste best when young and tender. Pick them daily.
Beetroot tastes best when harvested small. Harvest evenly to
allow space for remaining beets to grow.
Peppers and chillies may be harvested at any stage. Chillies
get hotter as they ripen from green to red. They can be strung in
‘ristras’ to slowly dry for winter use.
Pumpkins are ripe if they sound hollow when tapped and
when the vines start to die off.
Tomatoes - a month before expected frost, cut off the top of
the plant and remove new flower clusters to redirect energy into
Beans
the ripening of remaining fruit.
Cucumbers should be picked regularly, daily if ready, to encourage more fruit.
Main crop potatoes are ready for digging when the leaves have died down completely. Dig
on a dry, windy day. Spread unwashed tubers in the shade to dry for a day or two in a shaded,
airy place before storing.
Apples and pears are ready to pick when they
separate easily from the spur without breaking the stem
and when fruit starts to drop.
Figs are ripe when soft to the touch with full colour.
Unripe figs exude white sap and will not ripen once picked.
Dry ripe figs by laying them in the sun for 4 – 5 days.
Apple cucumber
Once dried, they’ll last 6 – 8 months.
Companion planting
Colin says of sweet peas “They are one of
my favourite companion plants. They’re
pretty, grow up any vertical support, are
lovely for picking for the restaurant and
they add nitrogen to the soil!”
Edible Flowers
The Curator’s House chefs’ favourite edible
flowers include chives, nasturtiums, violas
and borage.
Sweet Pea
Viola
Nasturtium
Chives
Colin Knight checks the pumpkins in the Curator’s
House demonstration garden.
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