The Bell Cottage By Jan Shoemark

When I bought my property, the garden was very haphazard, with trees scattered around the flat front section. The garden now curves around a central lawn area, giving it a natural flowing effect. It was easy to bring it together at very little cost. It was just a matter of moving the trees and shrubs into the curved areas that I created by boxing with an old piece of flashing. It's only a small garden, made low maintenance with bark to keep the weeds down, but it allows me to show my art in a natural setting. I love the different colours, shapes and textures that the mainly native plants display.

A wooden bridge made out of builders' off cuts over a pebbled area allows people to walk across and view the garden from a different perspective. It is a restful, thoughtful place to be, providing a tranquil setting for the house, an old villa painted dark green with a cheerful yellow trim. Amongst the plants are many scattered rocks all depicting different native birds of new Zealand made of reflective glass that shines as the sun hits them. The glass also glistens in the rain so on a winters day looking out my window I can enjoy the warm colours of my art mixed in with the garden setting A row of camellias by the front porch add colour also. Down the driveway amongst the trees and on the house you will find more of my art . This time mainly mosaic pictures some in tile others in glass combinations. Also down the edge of the driveway you find more rocks which have a more native theme. I use the koru shape a lot in my art with silver and gold blue colour themes.

The back of the house is more a working space. Although there are plants here, too, they are more closely grouped and generally smaller growing perennials and shrubs. A dove cote waits for tenants, the driveway leads to workshops and storage areas for the materials I use to create my artworks. Decorated pots and paving stones add brightness and a hint of colour. Here you will find pumice-crete birdbaths and pots also with korus and lizards inlayed with glass. I am in the process of cultivating another display area out the back for more art. Locals now just wander around and bring there friends it's a very relaxed garden in a small town that suits the villa that didn't require a huge budget to complete. I don't charge for people to wander but do ask if they like what they see to spread the word. Bell cottage was named after my bell collection of over 500 bells and it is in my plans in the future to have all the bells on display and possibly a bell tower built in the back lawn.

Visit Bell Cottage Crafts here.