Gardenza Nursery and Gardens is on the market as owner David Brundell, who has been on the property for more than 30 years, prepares to move to Rarotonga and take on the role of curator for a new botanical garden. The 3ha Franklin area garden, near Glenbrook Beach, has been notable for its subtropical, particularly clivia, displays but is being marketed as land only. David has also been a breeder of clivias.
I’m not sure if David’s Cook Islands project is anything to do with Maire Nui (Big Peace) gardens or not, but this ‘botanic’ garden says it has been organic for 20 years. Quite an achievement. And it’s clearly doing its bit as a caretaker for the planet. Kia ora!
Renowned landscape designer Trish Waugh has been learning new skills since closing her business, The Landscape Design Company, in 2013. Trish, and her late husband Doug, were part of the New Zealand gold medal team at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2004 for the 100% Pure NZ Ora – Garden of Wellbeing, which has been reconstructed at Taupo Museum.
Trish has has been studying permaculture and putting theory into practice on her own, large productive garden near Paeroa, as well as being an active member of PermaBlitz, a volunteer organisation in the Western Bay of Plenty that works on backyard projects.
She feels the time is right to begin paid landscape design again and will specialise in design that uses the principles of permaculture. Contact Trish by phoning 07 862 7380.
Bay of Plenty residents should note that the month of March – yes, the entire month – is dedicated to the theme of Sustainable Backyards. I am heading over to my Events page now to add the garden-related activities, but here are the two full events calendars: Western Bay of Plenty and Eastern Bay of Plenty.
Please note the entries for March 4 for Taneatua and Whakatane (Eastern Bay of Plenty) – Pamela Warhurst is a dynamic and entertaining speaker who is behind the transformation of her home town in the north of England through ‘propaganda gardening’ … “and we’ve done it all without a flipping strategy document”. The corner of the railway carpark, outside the police station, beside the canal and in the cemetery. Fruit and veges are growing everywhere. See a 2012 TED talk here (13:13)
And Pam will be at the Historic Village in Tauranga on March 5, speaking at 1pm at the Food Fest.