Peter Jackson, the director of the the Lord of the Rings trilogy and just recently the mega blockbuster King Kong recently took time out of his busy schedule to share his passion for gardening with gardeningtipsnideas.com.
G4D: Peter, you’re a fantastic director and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed your recent movies, how do you take time out to relax and where does gardening fit into your lifestyle?
Peter: Tough question. When I’m not shooting a film I like to get back to my little shack in Wellington, NZ and get my hands dirty in the garden. I find that gardening takes my mind off the pressures of producing million-dollar movies.
G4D: So what does getting your hands dirty look like on your average R&R break?
Peter: Well it’s metaphorically speaking of course. The landscapers are the real heroes of the garden I just point them as to where I think the plants will look the most dramatic.

G4D: In an industry such as film-making you obviously become immune to the critics. How do you respond to those who criticise your garden designs?
Peter: Pretty well, I think. (Laughing) Nobody’s died yet! Seriously, I like to hear other people’s opinions and I draw from their viewpoints. Even the most amateur gardener can sometimes come out with a pearler of an idea that can turn my garden into something bigger than King Kong.

G4D: Have any of the movies you’ve created ever inspired your garden design?
Peter: Sure, if you take a look down there (pointing to the most farther point in the yard) I had my landscaper F. Rodo create a little Rivendell for me. My children tell me that they’ve even seen glimpses of hobbits in the woods.
G4D: And your next gardening project?
Peter: The mountains you see behind me are an ecological disaster. I want to get a team up there and rejuvenate their environment. I want to plant trees, native shrubs and hopefully rid this mountain of that wretched snow forever. Hopefully we’ll have a tropical rainforest that won’t just be a prop.