New Zealand is well-endowed with natural and man-made parks and gardens; there are also many private gardens, but few of these are open to inspection at set hours, as is often the case overseas.
The following list sets out the main parks and gardens, by district or city.
Waipoua State Forest is a beautiful reserve of kauri trees on the road between Dargaville and Kaikohe. The road from Mangamuka to Kaitaia passes through magnificent native bush. Mair Park at Whangarei has native trees and a rose garden. Trounson Park is another reserve of kauri trees, of about 75 acres. It is at Aranga, 7 miles south from Waipoua.
Special features are the Domain and Winter Gardens; the Museum (park land, playing fields, and subtropical-plant houses); the Parnell Rose Garden; the Research Station of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (plant pathology and fruit research); the well-landscaped Ellerslie Racecourse; and the Waitakere Scenic Drive through native bush, with extensive views of the Auckland area.
In and around the city there are many private and commercial growers of lilies, orchids, gerberas, and carnations.
Among Hamilton's many reserves and sports grounds is Parara Park and outdoor theatre. Cambridge has tree-lined streets (early street planting) and an extensive domain of native trees and shrubs, with Lake Te Koutu in the centre. At Rukuhia there is the Department of Agriculture's Soil Research Station, and at Te Kauwhata a Horticultural Research Station (viticulture and wine making). Along the Waikato River, which has been transformed in sections by hydro-electric schemes, extensive planting of trees and native plants has been carried out.
There is a wealth of natural and man-made beauty in this district – Lake Okataina; Hongi's Track; Lake Rotoiti; the Government Gardens, with fine examples of Azalea indica and a display house with many subtropical plants; and the Kaingaroa State Forest, which is a huge area of exotic trees.
Tauranga has many private and public gardens with tropical and subtropical plants, some of unusual types. The coastal road from Tauranga to Gisborne, via East Cape, passes through fine scenery, with pohutukawa in flower at Christmas time. The Coromandel Peninsula has native bush, with good kauris.
The Botanical Gardens, with river running through, are very attractive, with plantings of trees, shrubs, and palms. There is an extensive private collection of trees and shrubs at Eastwoodhill, Ngatapa, and at Morere which has mineral baths and is a scenic reserve.
The Marine Parade at Napier, with its avenue of Norfolk Island pines, the Beach Gardens, Clive Square, with roses and palms, and Palm Avenue, Nelson Park, with a fine avenue of mature Phoenix palms, are features of the city. Hastings has the Tomoana Show Grounds, with impressive specimen trees, and Cornwall Park (ornamental plants and a large aviary); and at Twyford, Ormonds Road, there is an oak avenue over a mile long. There are many fine farm homesteads in Hawke's Bay with good collections of ornamental trees and shrubs and, in the higher altitudes, rhododendrons and azaleas. In the gardens around Havelock North there are numerous South African and Australian trees and shrubs.
At Pukekura and Brooklands Parks there are large collections of trees and shrubs and a fern grotto. The Pukeiti Rhododendron Trust contains an area of 600 acres of native trees and is being extensively planted with rhododendrons, azaleas, and other similar plants. Burgess Park, Main Highway south, has native bush. There are many nurseries in the district.
North Egmont, Dawson Falls, and Stratford Mountain Houses give access to Mount Egmont, with easy tracks through bush to subalpine scrub and alpine meadow. Inglewood, Stratford, and Hawera all have good public parks, and at Waverley there is a large private collection of roses.
The large public park at Virginia Lake has trees, shrubs, and a display house; at Kowhai Park there are specimen trees. Wanganui City streets are planted with many ornamental trees, especially the scarlet gum (Eucalyptus ficifolia), which flowers in January and February. At Bastia Hill there are nurseries specialising in rhizomatous iris and South African and Australian plants. Many private gardens have good collections of camellias, roses, irises, and the like.
Focal points are the City Square, widely planted with many kinds of flowering plants; Esplanade Gardens, which feature flowering cherries in October and rhododendrons and azaleas to December; Memorial Park, established as a war memorial and laid out for sports and suitably landscaped; and Bledisloe Park, with trees and shrubs. Massey University of Manawatu set in well planted, landscaped grounds, is a centre of horticultural teaching and research. (At present it is the headquarters nursery of the New Zealand Rhododendron Association.) At Milson the Department of Agriculture has a research area on turf and sports-fields management, and a seed testing station. At Long Milford there is a notable private collection of lilies, rhododendrons, and azaleas. In the district are several nurseries specialising in all types of horticultural and ornamental plants.
At Levin the Department of Agriculture's Horticultural Research Station carries out research in all horticultural crops, including ornamentals. Commercial cut-flower production, especially in flowers such as narcissi, Iceland poppies, violets, and carnations is concentrated around Otaki.
Masterton has its attractive Queen's Park, with an adjacent modern sports stadium and an interesting children's play area. On the roads near Greytown there are good specimen trees, including oaks and gums. Many farm homesteads have attractive gardens planted up with a wide range of trees and shrubs.
The city has many scenic coastal drives, showing a varied vegetation of indigenous and exotic trees, interspersed with areas of gorse. The Botanical Gardens have fine bedding displays, ornamental plantings, and bush walks. The Lady Norwood Rose Garden has a large display house for begonias and other glasshouse plants; and the Otari Gardens, Wilton Road, contain a comprehensive collection of native plants. The coastal Waikanae-Paraparaumu district enjoys a mild climate and many modern gardens have a wide range of subtropical plants.
The Civic Centre at Lower Hutt is an effective illustration of the harmonising of architecture and horticulture. In the vicinity are Jubilee Park, with many native trees, and Percy Scenic Reserve, Petone, with ornamental plants and bush walks.
(Tulip growing is carried out mainly in the South Island from Christchurch southwards; the tulip fields are worth a visit in late September and early October.)
Waterlea Park is a well-laid-out recreation ground with a good selection of ornamentals. Seymour Square and Pollard Park feature displays of bedding plants. Blenheim is a centre of flower-seed production produced on specialised holdings.
The Grove Road from Picton to Havelock runs through native bush along the edge of the Sounds. Past Havelock, the main highway from Blenheim to Nelson goes through the Pelorus Bridge Reserve, an area of native bush preserved intact, including many fine specimen trees, especially totara. From Rai Valley a very difficult road leads through magnificent native bush to the Croisilles and the outlying points of Pelorus Sound.
Queen's Gardens have a wide range of trees and shrubs, including several rare and unusual species. Britannia Park, and other smaller public parks, provide extensive views across Tasman Bay. Isel Park has many labelled specimens of introduced trees and, further afield, at Wakefield, there are old specimen trees in gardens.
Roads to the West Coast pass through Golden Downs State Forest, which includes plantations of labelled specimens of exotics. The road through the Buller Gorge and from Hokitika southwards to the Haast runs through magnificent scenery, with many good stands of native timber. The southern rata is a lovely sight in January.
With its tree-lined Avon and its many large parks and reserves, Christchurch is rightly termed the “Garden City”. Hagley Park has magnificent trees and the Botanic Gardens have a large collection of all types of ornamental plants, well labelled, with a rose garden and display house. The Cockayne Memorial Garden has native plants. Other public parks or reserves have the following notable features: Avon Park, ericaceous plants; Elmwood Park, herbaceous borders; Rising Holme, fine specimen trees; Victoria Park, two rock gardens, one of native alpines, the other of exotic plants; and Deans Bush, Riccarton, a remnant of the once widespread kahikatea swamp forest. “Ilam”, now owned by the University of Canterbury, contains an extensive collection of rhododendrons and azaleas. Throughout the Christchurch area there are many nurseries and attractive factory and private gardens.
Lincoln College is a centre for agricultural and horticultural teaching and research. The Botany Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (research into native plants) has headquarters at Lincoln.
Arthur's Pass National Park, between Canterbury and the West Coast, has comprehensive collections of native plants. There are tracks leading to alpine flower fields.
Many of the towns in this district, such as Ashburton, Temuka, Geraldine, and Winchester, have extensive domains planted in exotics and shrubs. Victoria Park at Waimate has bedding displays and Nottingly Park contains many fine specimens of 80-year-old exotics. The Timaru Public Gardens feature roses, herbaceous borders, and conservatories, while Caroline Bay has marine gardens, of special interest being the she-oaks planted for decoration.
Oamaru has extensive public gardens with display house, fernery, roses, and beautiful exotic trees. The wide, tree-planted streets are an attractive feature of the town.
The beautifully situated Botanical Gardens include a rose garden, a large rock garden, and a Shakespeare Garden, where plants, referred to in the plays, have been planted. Rhododendrons, in a setting of native bush, and azaleas are a magnificent sight from September until December. Many private gardens contain a considerable number of good specimen plants. Around the city are many parks planted in exotic trees (Jubilee, Chingford) or with remnants of indigenous (Woodhaugh), and there are large municipal exotic plantations on the slopes of Flagstaff. At Whare Flat the flowering kowhais are an attraction in the spring.
Glenfalloch, at Colinswood, near Dunedin, was developed privately and planted with a wide range of trees and shrubs, including flowering cherries, lilies, azaleas, and rhododendrons; it is a garden both for general and for horticultural interests.
Central Otago is rich in deciduous trees, notably poplars and willows, which have superb colouring in the autumn. There is fruit blossom in the spring. Commercial flower seeds, tulips, and gladioli are produced at the Moa Seed Farm, Ettrick. “Daffodil Hill”, Lawrence, is a feature when the narcissus are in flower. The Government Public Gardens at Queenstown, with water lily ponds, bedding displays, and magnificent exotic trees, are set against Lake Wakatipu and a most beautiful backdrop of the Remarkables.
Invercargill has Queen's Park, the principal park of Southland, an area of 200 acres which includes rose, rock, and water gardens and a fine conservatory. There are several nurseries here and in Gore which produce hardier plants.
Stewart Island is noted for its wide range of native flora and fauna.
by John Paiba Salinger, B.SC.(HORT.)(READING), N.D.H., Horticultural Advisory Officer (Ornamentals), Department of Agriculture, Wellington.