Set across one and a half acres, Nikau Grove is a peaceful native sanctuary nurtured by owners Ian and Elsie Lind over many years. In this Q&A, Elsie shares how her passion for nature has shaped the garden’s evolution, her efforts to support the surrounding birdlife and the memorable visitors who’ve left a lasting impression.
What keeps you coming back to the festival year after year?
Seeing visitors really enjoying the garden and the people seeking knowledge about plants and how to create a garden keeps me coming back.
How has your garden evolved since your first time opening?
Since opening, our garden has matured a lot and filled in with native trees that will attract native birdlife. Also ground cover has increased with many lower shrubs, plants and native ferns. We have also become possum free and are constantly eradicating rats.
What’s one unforgettable moment you’ve had with a visitor?
An unforgettable and special moment I have had with a visitor was the day a lady seriously ill with cancer came to visit. It was a beautiful sunny day. I noticed her husband helping her down the drive so quickly took the golf cart up to pick them both up. I drove them around to the house and got the lady a cold drink. She sat in by the swimming pool while her husband took a quick walk through the garden. He said his wife particularly wanted to visit this one garden. I took them back up in the golf cart again. It has always felt well worth opening since then, especially knowing it can give so much pleasure in a time of need. She passed away two weeks later.
Will we see any new features or changed areas in your garden this year?
We have had our big magnolia tree removed this year. It was on our steep waterfall bank and the leaf drop was horrendous. They blew everywhere and picking them up was a lot of extra work. We have replaced it with three Pennantia corymbosa (kaikomako) trees to try to attract some bellbirds. Not in our lifetime though!
Is there a plant or feature in your garden that holds special meaning for you?
A plant that holds special meaning in the garden is a tibouchina variety called “Carol Lyn”. My sister-in-law gave me a plant voucher a long time ago when my own sister died, to get a plant to remember her by. I couldn’t think of or find anything for years. Sadly, in that time my sister-in-law also passed away. Her name was Carolyn. When I saw this tibouchina called Carol Lyn I decided to get it so I could remember them both. And I do every time I see it.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about entering the festival?
The advice I would give to someone thinking of entering the festival is – just do it. It gives so much pleasure to so many people – obvious when someone comes in looking quite disgruntled but leaves with a smile and is blown away with what they have experienced, wanting to talk about the plants and how it all began. A perfect way to give back to your community. We have social coffee mornings during the year, which is a great time to get to know the other gardeners also.