Farewell to The Naki

9 days and 28 gardens later our Powerco Taranaki Garden Spectacular journey comes to an end. Having managed only 60% of the gardens and none of the 63 gardens featuring in the Taranaki Fringe Garden Festival, which runs at the same time, there are plenty of reasons to return again next year. Or as a friend of mine’s Scottish mother would say we have “left a little salt on the bread”.

We have seen some amazing gardens and had the privilege of talking to their passionate creators. In all but a few of the gardens, the owner/gardener was in their garden to welcome visitors, answer questions and give pointers on making the most of your visit to their little piece of paradise. Without exception they could not have been more hospitable and welcoming, particularly considering the strain of answering the same questions again and again over 10 days. Let’s face it, gardeners tend to be lovely people. Something about your hands in the soil, I guess.

As to the plants, I take away an overwhelming sense of riotous colour. The azaleas and rhododendrons are like the can-can girls of the garden –  colourful, in your face blaze of glory. There is no ignoring them. And then the irises, and in particular bearded irises, featured heavily. They are the old ladies of the garden – floppy, blousy, soft, generally in muted shades (apologies to old ladies everywhere), but you can’t help loving them.  Now I could say roses were a stand out and there were some beauties but for me it was the clematis. Some were as big as bread and butter plates, all different shades, mostly simple single petalled but a few as fussy and delightful as any heritage rose.

Gardening as we do on Waiheke Island, mainly clay with very little topsoil, we were green with envy of the rich free draining soil courtesy of the resident volcano Mt Taranaki. One of the gardeners said she could dig a hole anywhere in her garden and be blessed with dark friable soil the likes of which us Islanders only dream of. So, although these gardens had a good base, it was the passion of their gardeners that got them over the finishing line.

Yes, there was a lot to love about Taranaki. We will be back.

For more information:

Powerco Taranaki Garden Festival https://www.gardenfestnz.co.nz

Taranaki Fringe Garden Festival http://www.taranakigardens.co.nz