Why visit our gardens
Our member gardens cover a broad spectrum of garden design, from both the public and private garden sectors. They offer the garden visitor an exciting opportunity to visit some of the best open gardens in New Zealand.
They have been visited and assessed to ensure the information provided is correct. Importantly, they have also been graded to provide you, the garden visitor, with the confidence to make informed decisions on which gardens to visit.
Garden of International Significance
These are NZ's top gardens which offer the visitor a guaranteed quality destination throughout the year. They are gardens which we recommend that visitors should not miss.
They achieve and maintain the highest levels of presentation, design and plant interest at all times of the year, and provide good facilities for individuals and tours. They may be uniquely designed private gardens or publicly funded gardens, with widely different attributes, but whatever they offer is delivered as described by NZGT to the very highest standard. Presentation is of the highest order at all times, and the garden is a model of the very best horticultural practice. They are a complete package, and the feelings they inspire lifts them above other extremely good national gardens.
Gardens nominated for this category are chosen by the entire assessing team.
Garden of National Significance
These are gardens which we highly recommend travelling to. We have confidence in their level of presentation, design and plant interest throughout the year, and their capacity to provide adequate facilities for visitors. National gardens are outstanding in most ways, and have a distinct identity of their own, a character that gives them an edge.
They exhibit good design, good plant collections, and are well maintained, especially in their identified optimum season(s). They show attention to detail. Signage is informative, and plants are used in imaginative and innovative ways. They may have special features appealing to specialist interests, which outweigh a seasonal lack of visual impact at certain times, which will be identified.
Gardens of Significance
Gardens of Significance display a good degree of design and plantsmanship. They have some special attribute(s) that distinguishes them from the Registered category – perhaps design or an important plant collection. A consistent level of maintenance is a key factor, as is the overall presentation of the garden, especially during the open season. These gardens may not be open all year round.
These are worthwhile gardens to visit, and we recommend that if you’re in the area you take the time to enjoy them.
Registered Garden
Gardens in the Registered category have been inspected to ensure that the information we publish is correct, and describes each garden accurately. They are of a reasonable standard, having adequate maintenance, especially in their identified optimum season. They have an acceptable design without over ornamentation.
Some of our 'Registered Gardens' will surprise you with their quality and standard, with many excellent gardens listed under this category.