Hurunui Garden Festival – Day 3 on the home straight

We woke up on Day 3 in the parking paddock at Flaxmere, the legendary Hawarden garden of Penny Zino and wondered how it could get any better than what we had seen so far at the Hurunui Garden Festival (HGF) . This many wonderful gardens in a relatively small area – how did it happen? Was it the climate? The soil? I think it was the people.  Many of these gardens started out as smaller gardens around a farmhouse and then green fingers took over and what great results!

After seeing such amazing planting schemes I was lamenting to Derek that perhaps we had downsized our garden too soon. There was no way I could replicate some of what I had seen. Then I realised once I got home and caught up on my weeding I would be quite happy with my small urban garden. In reality I had the best of both worlds – being able to enjoy these magnificent gardens without having the hard graft (and we are talking really hard graft) that was required to create them. How lucky are we that these hard working creative gardeners are only too happy to share.

Just around the corner from Flaxmere is Saddlewood, the garden of Anita and Richard Todd. Saddlewood was part of the Country Gardens Collective operating garden tours set up by the Zinos and neighbours back in 1985. You approach the homestead up a long driveway studded with an array of deciduous trees – plane, elm, oak, birch  very in keeping with the English styled home at the end. Anita and Richard warmly welcomed their visitors at the entrance. There was a festive atmosphere with a refreshments tent and the Weka Pass Market on site offering produce and plants. Walking past the front gate into a small formal rose garden we passed a replica classic SS Jaguar that Richard had imported from England. This was a point of great interest for many visitors, Derek included. Around the corner of the house was a formal rose garden bordered with clipped hedges, white bench seat and a bird bath in the middle. Unfortunately most of the roses were still in bud but I’m sure it won’t be long until they burst forth. Walking around the front of the house there is a sweeping lawn  that Richard had cut cricket ground style. This is not a sexist assumption that the male member of the team was driving the lawnmower – I actually asked  who was responsible for such green velvety finery. The green blended into the surrounding paddocks  leading  the eye on to the spectacular view of Mt Te Koa.

All of the Hurunui gardens we had visited had got the memo about making the most of the natural features their gardens had been blessed with. Even if you are not into gardens and don’t know your hosta from your heuchera, you would have to be soulless not to appreciate the grandeur of the wonderful vistas on display. Saddlewood like Flaxmere and Coldstream has made the most of their available water sources. Saddlewood has a large pond bordered with irises, grasses and poplars and a  woodland area with running water and a smaller pond, quieter and more contemplative.

The planting schemes around Saddlewood included many of the plants that we had seen in earlier gardens. Helpfully Anita had labelled many of the plants. You spot a plant that you love in a garden but often are not sure what it is called in order to source it later. This trip I had downloaded a plant identifier app. It’s a bit hit and miss. Very frustrating to have the plant identified as something you know it’s not. The unusual podophyllum came back identified by the app as hedera ivy. I suppose if you close one eye and squint there are some similarities – but really?! Just as well Gardener Mark is only a WhatsApp message away. His ID is always 100% reliable. Thank you Mark!

Only one more garden that day and it was where we had arranged to spend the night – Karetu Downs, a large hill country property with farm stay accommodation. www.KaretuDowns.co.nz. Karetu means sweet scented grass and  Mt Karetu was initially part of the station back in the 1900s. Another gorgeous setting. Just as well Miss Lil, the fur baby, had swallowed her Drontal and was welcome too. Karen, the friendly and gracious host, welcomed us and said to park wherever we liked. A moho that we had stayed every night with on the tour so far, was also here again this evening. They had gone through a gate into a paddock near the river sheltered by large trees. It looked too perfect so we did the same making sure to not crowd their well-chosen spot.

There are always a few rules to follow when parking up – some written and some just understood. Allow your fellow campers some space. When we parked at Flaxmere we parked at the far end of the parking paddock, away from the day-trippers, but close enough to some logs that we could tie Lily up outside and she wouldn’t get into too much trouble. Gorgeous views up towards the hills in every direction. No sooner had we poured our cuppa when another moho roared up between us and the logs, so close we could have passed a cup of tea out our window into theirs. Luckily Lily was not tied up outside or she may now have been the memorial motorhome hood ornament or a rug on the floor – take your pick. Fortunately, good manners prevailed and our fellow moho travellers relocated after their garden visit. Lily was safe to bark another day.

The homestead at Karetu Downs has large lawns surrounded by mature trees underplanted with rhododendrons, camellias, roses  and perennials. There are interconnecting paths through the garden alongside the river. The day was hot so the shade was very welcome. Along with some of Karetu’s own sculptures, there was an exhibit of sculptures by Michael Wells.  Michael’s work, strong geometric forms, are mainly in Corten steel. They look fantastic in a garden situation.  The rusty coloured steel stands out from the foliage but organic enough to not look out of place. Michael Wells Sculptures Instagram   

If you come to stay at Karetu Downs you will not be disappointed. Nature walks, farm animals, farm tours , sheep shearing, lovely garden and hosts.  There is even a little gift shop for those who need some retail therapy . Not only do they stock gardening products and giftware but they also make a great coffee. Yes, we can make coffee in the moho but as many locked down Aucklanders will attest to, a well-made flat white from a barista is hard to beat.