Vegetable Gardens
This vegetable garden illustrates a country lifestyle with the convenience of living close to the city. Set on 1.9ha with a sustainable vegetable garden, fruit trees, microgreen glasshouse and livestock paddocks, this garden also is a great stop for lunch on the deck amidst the palms and sub-tropical plantings.
Lunches available daily booking not essential.
Greg will give daily talks from 11:30am–12:30pm on his methods for composting and Worm Casting.
Suburban permaculture garden educating visitors on self-sufficiency and growing food. Planted with annual, biennial, and perennial productive plants that produce food all year. The garden has mandalas, mosaics, stepover and espaliered fruit trees, herb spiral, food forest, productive sub-tropicals, and an ancient bush block.
Through the canopy entrance of 20-year-old prunus, michelia are underplanted with ivy to give structure. This property was purchased 5 ½ years ago and the owners have since transformed this mature garden with palms, varieties of fern, bromeliads, and natives.
Bring the kids to the wetlands garden, home to three large turtles; stand there quietly to see them pop their heads out of the water. The large Bug Retreat will also ignite their imagination and yours!
Meandering paths hedged with liriope lead through woodlands plantings. Past the gleditsia is the enclosed potager patch with espalier fruit trees and antique water feature. Here you will discover the Galley’s passion for growing unusual edible delicacies.
Public Gardens
Discover Jungle Nurseries – a lush 1.5-acre botanical wonderland created by award-winning designer Michael Mansvelt. Wander through vibrant native plantings, steamy tropical zones, and traditional landscapes with stately trees and long-flowering perennials. Each zone offers a unique mood, designed to inspire creativity and joy. Explore the expansive glasshouses filled with rare and exotic plants from around the world. Meet Michael, enjoy onsite refreshments, and pick up a signed copy of his acclaimed book Everyday Opulence – a heartfelt celebration of nature, beauty, and the art of living well.
Tūpare is a masterpiece of nature and design. Spanning 8.5 acres, this enchanting landscape was crafted by Sir Russell Matthews and blends formal elegance with natural beauty. From the iconic Chapman-Taylor homestead to the tranquil flow of the Waiwhakaiho River, Tūpare captivates with its lush plantings and serene atmosphere. Wander beneath towering trees, discover hidden garden rooms and experience the magic of this historic place.
Free public garden
Pukeiti spans an impressive 360ha of lush gardens and rainforest and has built up one of the world’s biggest and most diverse rhododendron collections. Along with other exotics, they create an explosion of colour amidst lush native rainforest and mountain streams. Pukeiti boasts an all-weather visitor centre and walking tracks for all fitness levels. Other highlights include the covered vireya houses, the treetop viewing platform over the waterwheel and the popular Rainforest Eatery.
Open all day, every day. Free admission.
Located in the heart of New Plymouth, Pukekura Park is a Garden of National Significance, has a five-star rating from the New Zealand Gardens Trust and has the international Green Flag award. Created in 1876, the 52ha park has an amazing range of native and exotic plants displayed in a natural setting.
The Fernery and Display Houses have been a must-see for almost a century. Linked by tunnels, the three glass-topped caverns dug into a hillside and the tropical house display a wide variety of native and exotic plants. The Fernery and Display Houses are open 8.30am-4pm
Located just off Te Henui Walkway, The Vicarage garden embraces history, hues and harmony. Encircling the early colonial building is a wide variety of colourful annuals and perennials that create a restful experience. The Vicarage itself, built from Taranaki andesite in 1845, is one of the oldest surviving stone buildings in New Zealand. It’s also home to the New Plymouth Pottery Club.
Free public garden.
A Park established 1902 seen in its charming Edwardian design. Clipped hedges giving shelter to abundant azalea and rhododendron collections. Rose beds of both modern and heritage varieties, historic aged trees. Featuring the bronze Wendy Statue, 150 year old cannon and refurbished Observatory/Park Museum (open daily 10am-2pm). Seek out hidden features along pathways or bring a picnic to seated areas.
Free public garden.
This lush horticultural oasis in the heart of dairy country boasts a nationally significant plant collection featuring rhododendrons, azaleas and a stunning mix of native and exotic species. Established in the 1920s by renowned plantsman Bernie Hollard, the garden is a living legacy of his passion for horticulture. Year-round, Hollard Gardens hums with the activity of birds and insects feasting on seasonal flowers, fruits and seeds.
Families can enjoy the quirky playground and free barbecues in the Family Corner, while keen gardeners will find inspiration in Bernie’s home garden.
Free public garden.
Stratford’s King Edward Park is a gem in the heart of Taranaki, showcasing the area’s unique history, a colourful array of plantings, and the Pātea Awa.
Take the Three Bridges Trail spanning the river, wander along easy walkways of mixed exotic and native gardens and enjoy the McCullough Rhododendron Dell.
Remember to visit the Malone Memorial Gates, built in 1923 to honour local Gallipoli hero Colonel William George Malone, who also invented the lemon squeezer hat.
Free public garden.
New Gardens
The Festival is always on the lookout for new gardens. If you want more information on how you can be part of the 2023 festival contact us 06 759 8412.
Special Interest Gardens
This relaxing garden will transport you to an island paradise. It’s packed with over 50 palms and cycads, underplanted with lush tropical flora and brimming with bromeliads. To complete the picture, add perennials, rhododendrons, vireyas, agaves and ferns, along with a vertical garden, water features, a fishpond, and garden art. For sale are bromeliads and a selection of other plants. Enjoy complimentary tea and coffee on the decks and enjoy the view!
Take a relaxing wander through this picturesque tree garden filled with many different conifers, some rare and interesting. Enjoy a lake-side walk and take a look inside the restored railway station. Owned by passionate gardeners David and Noeline Sampson, previous owners of Cedar Lodge Nursery, Santa's Choice Christmas trees and Christmas Shop. Featured in New Zealand Gardener magazine.
Discover Jungle Nurseries – a lush 1.5-acre botanical wonderland created by award-winning designer Michael Mansvelt. Wander through vibrant native plantings, steamy tropical zones, and traditional landscapes with stately trees and long-flowering perennials. Each zone offers a unique mood, designed to inspire creativity and joy. Explore the expansive glasshouses filled with rare and exotic plants from around the world. Meet Michael, enjoy onsite refreshments, and pick up a signed copy of his acclaimed book Everyday Opulence – a heartfelt celebration of nature, beauty, and the art of living well.
Tropical Treasures is a private garden set within a subtropical outdoor and tropical indoor plant nursery.
Following their passion for subtropical plants, Shane and Sharolyn Croton have created an exotic paradise at the foot of the mountain. In their creatively landscaped gardens, they showcase their love of palms, cycads, aloes, cacti, agave and succulents, as well as epiphytic plants. Maples and bamboo add a Japanese vibe. Tropical Treasures is also a nursery/garden centre with many plants for sale.
Free admission.