Gardens, for a change.. Pam Neville takes over the itinerary-planning.

What better way to explore the diverse regions of New Zealand than by following a garden itinerary? With a must-see list of our best open-to-the-public gardens - especially the privately-owned ones - the route for any holiday ramble falls happily into place.

Of course, some curmudgeons (like my travelling companion) might prefer a Fishing Itinerary. Our trips usually involve following the fisherman’s nose – sniffing for salt air in search of surf-casting spots and coastal launching ramps.

Ayrlies east of Auckland City is one of New Zealand's best known gardens

But no more. I have discovered the ‘build an itinerary’ tool on the NZ Gardens Trust website, and have appointed myself chief planner. In the spirit of compromise, I point out that future trips, though based on gardens, need not be fish-less. The gardens website has a handy ‘advanced search’ box which allows an itinerary to be built entirely of coastal gardens. There are 14 designated coastal gardens on the planner, and more coming. Where there is a coastal garden, there will be sea and fish. Divorce averted.

(If coastal gardens are not to your taste, there are other ‘theme’ options. The itinerary builder makes it possible to plan a country-wide garden tour based on fern gardens, pergola gardens, edible gardens or scented gardens.)

My recent jaunt involved driving from Masterton to Palmerston North, onwards to Wanganui, thence to journey’s end at New Plymouth. I mapped the route with only minor diversions to take in gardens. The magnificent Richmond at Carterton was an excellent way to start. This is one of four New Zealand gardens adjudged by the New Zealand Gardens Trust to be Internationally Significant.

The Dunedin Botanic Garden, established 1863

Not too far away at Te Whanga is Assissi, a steep hillside garden of stunning massed planting achieved despite a difficult climate. Assissi is a Significant garden under the garden trust’s category system – two ranks below Richmond. It works like this: The trust is a non-profit organisation set up to promote great gardens and provide a reliably happy experience to tourists, national and international, who visit our gardens throughout the year. Garden owners apply for registration and pay a subscription. (So there are potentially excellent gardens outside the trust’s realm, and also some fine gardens ‘registered’ but not judged into categories as mere registration requires a lower subscription.)

The vast majority of our high-quality tourist gardens have recognised the benefits of joining the trust, so itinerary-planners are assured of independently assessed information before committing to visit. NZ Garden Trust judges assess gardens each September, ranking not only gardening prowess but facilities and opening hours.

Under the ranking system, we have four gardens in the category of Internationally Significant. There are more than 30 Nationally Significant, and a similar number of Significant gardens, followed by 50-plus Registered gardens.

Te Kainga Marire in New Plymouth s a showcase for New Zealand native plants

They can all be pin-pointed with the itinerary-builder, newly launched this year on what is now a user-friendly website. (Though I would have liked to access a map of the whole country with the handy little pin markers indicating gardens – rather than having to find them province by province. And it’s not simple to navigate from the ‘advanced search’ back to a general map of garden locations. But I am not an expert, and I did manage to construct a rewarding itinerary quite quickly.)

From the Wairapapa, we drove to the Manawatu, checking out the traditional rhododendron collections at Heritage Park, Kimbolton, and the exotica of Paloma. Both Westoe, near Martin, and Ohorere, overlooking the Whanganui River, are interesting country gardens and picnic-stops. For car-bound tourists, the Bason Botanical Gardens at Wanganui are worth noting. Here the extensive roading means you can tour the gardens without leaving your vehicle.

Onwards towards New Plymouth, and time runs out before the list of gardens is complete. There are a couple of dozen to consider, including the famous publically-owned gardens such as Pukeiti, Pukekura Park, and the Hollard gardens at Kaponga. On a smaller scale, I fancy the Oakley Gardens at Manaia for exceptional design, Puketarata as a fine example of a large, informal country garden, perhaps Mountside, near Stratford, for a touch of fantasy (a topiary fantail in golden marcrocarpa anyone?), and Thorveton, New Plymouth for its espaliered apple trees and vegetable gardening in a confined space.

So much awaits on our next garden itinerary road trip.

(Build your garden itinerary at www.gardens.org.nz)

Not to be Missed: Four gardens of International Significance:

The large garden surrounding Larnach Castle is over a century old

Ayrlies, Whitford, Auckland. Five hectares of sweeping lawns and detailed gardens roll gently downhill to wetlands and the Hauraki Gulf. Clever seasonal planting means every day of the year features at least one plant or area at its best. Open all year by appointment.

Te Kainga Marire, New Plymouth. A showcase of New Zealand natives, this garden is said to be the essence of the ‘real New Zealand’. Wonderful birdlife as well. A garden to lift the spirits. Open September to April.

Richmond, Carterton. Reminiscent of the structured, formal gardens of 16th and 17th Century Europe. A classical bronze statue overlooks a long reflecting pool amidst an all-green garden of European beech and hornbeam hedging, pleached limes, and topiary. Open all year by prior arrangement.

Larnach Castle Garden, Otago Peninsular. Combined with a visit to the historic castle, this garden is one of the major attractions of the south. More than a century old in some areas, with new plantings such as a South Seas garden featuring relatives of the pohutukawa and Pacific palms. Open all year.

Some gems of National Significance to look out for:

Kerikeri: Palmco Display Garden. An oasis of tropical and subtropical planting, lit for night time use. An international collection, from palms and cycads to gardenias and orchids. Also a commercial plant nursery.

Coatesville: Mincher for it rural idyll around a Georgian-style house, complete with walled kitchen garden and Victorian glasshouses. Also Woodbridge for immaculate lawns, lavender hedges, arches of sweetpea and white foxgloves below weeping silver pears.

Taupo: Ora Garden of Wellbeing. The Gold Medal-winner at the 2004 Chelsea Flower Show, rebuilt and replanted at the Taupo Museum. Native bush in a geothermal landscape with recorded birdsong.

Wanganui: Paloma. On a sheep farm at Fordell, 20km from Wanganui, is a rural amphitheatre bursting with the unexpected. Exotic palms, cycads, bamboos, aloe, agave, yucca, succulents and cacti.

Blenheim: Brookfield and Barewood. Owned by sisters, Barewood is reputed to have the best potager in the country, while Broomfield is known for its wisteria tunnel, topiary evergreen oaks, and its European style.

Cromwell: Briar Dell. A formal park-like garden in the grounds of the old Cromwell Hospital with beautiful colours in spring and autumn. A focal point is an historic stone morgue, now a nursery for lavender.

This article has been contributed to blog4NZ by New Zealand travel writer Pam Neville

Pam Neville is a New Zealand travel writer and regular contributor to Listner Magazine

Comments

• Sarah Bond says:

  Hi Pam, I love your article and I’ve been inspired to go adventuring even though I don’t have my own pair of green thumbs. My fav garden is Larnach Castle, after all what's not to love about a beautiful garden with 'Alice in Wonderland' sculptures AND a castle ;-).

  1 year ago

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