May Moir’s Garden

The late May Moir created a marvellous tropical garden in Hawaii called ‘Lipolani’. May designed the garden for privacy and to screen the house from passers by, but also to maintain the dramatic mountain views beyond. She developed a series of walled gardens or courtyards and filled them with bromeliads, orchids and tropical foliage plants. May, who was an artist and floral designer, had a simple philosophy when it came to gardening: "You let nature do what she’s gonna do, you don’t have to have it all spick and span". May wrote several books on floral arrangements, and was the floral designer for the Honolulu Academy of Arts for many years.

Don met May Moir in 2000, when the Burke’s Backyard team visited Hawaii. She showed Don around the garden, which is divided into many different areas or garden rooms. May said that the areas are just "invitations that we’ll go from here to there". The garden relies on foliage plants rather than flowers to provide interesting texture and form, as well as colour all year round. The garden walls are built from concrete blocks (each with three holes or windows in them called Puka Puka), which allow good air circulation for the plants. The entrance courtyard is mass planted with bromeliads and cordylines. A brick terrace that receives only filtered sunlight is planted with ferns, mosses and epiphytes, while more exposed parts of the garden feature gingers and heliconias.

Australian examples

Dennis Hundscheidt’s garden, Brisbane, Qld

The sort of garden that May Moir created has inspired many people. The Queensland garden belonging to Dennis Hundscheidt is very similar to May Moir’s garden. In fact, Don regards it as the best tropical garden that he has seen in Australia.

Although this garden is only the size of a normal suburban block (around 1000 square metres) its clever design makes it appear larger. The garden framework is provided by more than 100 palms, which are underplanted with massed tropical foliage plants such as crotons, cordylines and bromeliads. Several species of clumping bamboo are also featured in the planting scheme, including the giant Buddha's belly (Bambusa vulgaris ‘Wamin’). The use of bright, vibrant colours and the sound of running water from many water features create a feeling of happiness and good karma in this garden. Balinese statuary and ornaments complete the effect, which is both exotic and very private.

The Olive Branch, Brisbane, Qld

These days there are wonderful new varieties of bromeliads, which can be used to create ever better effects around any suburban house. They are available from growers such as Olive Trevor, who has a specialist bromeliad nursery in Brisbane. Olive first started collecting bromeliads 20 years ago. Bromeliads were very hard to buy in those days, so Olive began to import and propagate them. Her hobby became a thriving business, and today she sells her bromeliads all over Australia. Olive goes to the world conferences of the Bromeliad Society and she gives talks and slide presentations to bromeliad groups throughout Australia. Olive’s nursery in Brisbane has a large range of bromeliads available, both for landscaping and for decorative pots. Olive has imported many bromeliads from the United States, including guzmanias, neoregelias and cryptanthus.

Further information

For information on garden styles from all around the world, visit the extensive archives section of the Burke’s Backyard website.

For information on open gardens in your area, consult the Australia’s Open Garden Scheme Guidebook 2003/2004, or ring the AOGS Information Line on 1902 261 026.

Dennis Hundscheidt's Tropical Garden
173 Young Street
Sunnybank, Qld
Open February 27-29, 2004 with Australia's Open Garden Scheme.
Phone: Dennis Hundscheidt, Palmyra Landscaping and Design, (07) 3345 6836 or 0408 073 780.

The Olive Branch
232 Canvey Road
Ferny Grove Qld 4055
Phone: (07) 3351 1203
(The Olive Branch is a wholesale nursery, but it does open by appointment.)

Copyright CTC Productions 2003