There is always an element of sadness when marking a death. But it seems that Shirley Greenhill’s time had come and she managed an appropriate ending – dying at home yesterday, mere days after she had her garden open for her final time in the annual Taranaki Garden Festival.
I bought the last copy of Shirley’s self-published book a few years ago, less because I wanted to read it than because I wanted a little bit of Shirley to live on in my bookcase. Not only was Shirley an excellent gardener for more decades than many of us would like to count, she was a marvellous woman – pragmatic, down to earth, warm, characterful and empathetic.
For many years, she and her good mate, Jill Kuriger would bowl into our nursery. Both were knowledgeable about plants, extremely capable gardeners, genuinely interested in what Mark and Felix were doing in the garden here, lighting up our day with their good humour and no-nonsense approach. Many people will remember both Shirley’s big garden in Fenton Street, Stratford and Jill’s country garden on the lower slopes of our maunga, Mount Taranaki, and then their smaller town gardens as they scaled back their gardening efforts in recognition of passing years – but they never scaled back as far as tiny retirement projects.
Stratford had a reputation for producing gardeners. I think Shirley might have been the last of her generation – Jill Kuriger, Russ and Biddy Barrett, Jim and Molly Hopkirk, Gwyn Masters, Erica Jago, Les Taylor and there may have been more.
Shirley, you gardened right up until you died and you made it to 90, creating beauty, bringing pleasure to countless garden visitors and delighting many of us with your warmth and practical humanity. RIP. You have earned a peaceful rest.
Tikorangi The Jury Garden 
It’s tremendously sad to lose old gardening friends. They have been the community of our gardening lives, the companions, the sharers of plants, the company for so many cake and tea sessions, the sharers of news (and gossip!), the co-celebrators of our successes and theirs, good dear friends. As I age I feel I appreciate them more and more and miss those who are gone greatly and now, regularly, feel out of touch with a younger generation of different values. It is good to remember her so warmly.
Yes. I like that we can celebrate a life well lived. And Shirley is a great role model for us all, especially those of us closing in on our later years!
Lovely tribute Abbie.
Shirley was always so enthusiastic and full of life. A great role model
It is sad, she was such a lovely lady, but I can’t think of a better ending for an avid gardener than to die at home just days after talking to lots of appreciative people about your garden. We only met her once, 5 years ago, wandered round her garden and had a good long chat to her about it afterwards and she left a big impression on us. We’d intended to buy her book as she’d told us about it and said there were still a few copies available, but we never managed to do so.
I figure that it was highly likely that this was the ending she wanted. And how lovely that so many people remember her with warmth.
Dear Abbie
I really loved your tribute to Shirley Greenhill, obviously a passionate gardener for her entire life.
I would really like to know what the plants are in the last photo, the meandering and inviting path of flowers. I can see parts of my pocket handkerchief garden benefitting from this use of colour and ground cover.
Many thanks,
Natalie Aitken
R & N Aitken aitkens@waipiata.co.nz
📱 Ross (+64) 0211106903 📱 Natalie (+64) 0274408312
Mail to: 34 Cheltenham Road Devonport Auckland 0624 New Zealand
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Those are rhodohypoxis. So pretty!