Discover & Learn

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Mauri tū! Mauri ora!

New Zealand Garden Trust gardens are the pinnacle of New Zealand horticultural expertise. The gardens pioneer designs and ideas which filter through to create trends in private gardens both within New Zealand and beyond. The species we showcase and the plant communities we create others aspire to. Our gardens are role-models. As we increasingly focus on climate resilience and environmental sustainability, we encompass Beth Chatto’s right plant, right place, reducing inputs of water and chemicals while improving plant health. On the surface this is positive; but herein lies a dichotomy: exotic species which thrive in Aotearoa without human intervention have a higher risk of invading wild ecosystems. Our good faith efforts to increase garden resilience may result in the obverse for the wider environment. This leads me to question whether the English phrase which has guided our gardening for over sixty years is still appropriate for New Zealand. I would like to suggest a more nuanced kaupapa; one which recognises the impact our garden plant choices can have on fragile endemic ecosystems.

Terrace Station - NZ Garden Trust’s first Collection Member

The New Zealand Gardens Trust is delighted to announce Terrace Station at Hororata as the very first member of our new Collections category.

UNEARTHED - The power of gardening

The British Library at Kings Cross, London recently held an unusual exhibition in its exhibit rooms, about the transformative power of gardening.

Reaching for an Earth Star

As the Trust announced in April at the annual conference in Auckland, we are now ready to launch the Earth Star initiative. You might recall that this came about as a way for members to engage in environmentally sustainable practices in your gardens. The award of an ‘Earth Star’ will be made if you meet the target points as set by the Trust.

Victoria Read 08/10/2023 Victoria Read 08/10/2023

Te Parapara Garden

The Te Parapara Garden project is a joint project between Nga Mana Toopu and Hamilton City Council. It extends beyond a physical development to include records of traditional knowledge, interpretive material and ceremonies all focused on the heritage and tikanga associated with the local area.

Half Light Studio 07/10/2023 Half Light Studio 07/10/2023

Sustainability in Gardens

Like so many things in our hyper connected world, the word “sustainability” is bandied around and applied to almost any human activity whether warranted or not, think greenwashing…….. I would like to outline my thinking on sustainable gardening by firstly asking the question; What does it mean in my context? 5 Min Read

Victoria Read 12/03/2019 Victoria Read 12/03/2019

Leave those leaves

Autumn is a favourite time of year not just for the visual feast of rich colour and those beautiful drawn-out sunsets, but for the prospect of all the organic matter that is about to become available. It is this time of year I start to plan where leaves will live out there second and third lives. 6 Min Read

Half Light Studio 12/03/2019 Half Light Studio 12/03/2019

Josie Martin awarded

The RNZIH has just announced that the owner of an NZGT 6star garden, Josie Martin, has been made a Fellow of Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture (FRIH). It’s a great honour to receive the FRIH, which is awarded to RNZIH members who have made a significant contribution to horticulture by their activities, interest in, or service to horticulture in New Zealand.