On the lucky last day of 2018, we jumped in the car and took a little Tiki Tour to visit the new Mansfield Garden at Hamilton Gardens; an attraction that showcases just how something smelly and unsightly i.e. an old rubbish dump can be transformed into something beautiful for thousands of folks like you and I can enjoy.
2018 was a very life changing year for myself however one thing that kept me sane was gardening. I love to garden regardless if it’s growing fresh produce or pretty flowers for the bees and the birds to feast upon.
While my garden may have looked untidy and unkept to many keen gardeners, the garden was my own little success story…it fed me, it helped clear my mind when I was suffering from anxiety and it gave me pleasure when I saw all the birds and the bees coming into my garden for kai.
When you visit Hamilton Gardens, you really do appreciate the time and talent it takes to manage these absolutely stunning gardens and every time we visit there seems to be a new spot to explore; this time it was the Mansfield Garden which pays homage to one of New Zealand’s greatest authors, Katherine Mansfield.
To celebrate the opening, they’ve held a couple of summer garden parties in the garden and tennis court…
…with folks wearing their best vintage frocks.
In the words from one of Mansfield’s short stories – “They could not have had a more perfect day for a garden-party if they had ordered it.”
“As for the roses, you could not help feeling they understood that roses are the only flowers that impress people at garden-parties; the only flowers that everybody is certain of knowing.”
Lisa wore a beautiful floral dress that she had whipped up earlier in the week and gave it a twirl in the gardens…
…my little sister is a pretty talented seamstress.
Pappy decided to take a few photos of his girls in the gardens…
…I would like to say that I was behaved but you know that would be a fib (queue giggles from other folks visiting the gardens)…
…always with my tongue out…
…or doing something silly!
^^Lunging into 2019
The Christmas Lilles were in full bloom…
..I’d forgotten how beautiful these are in bloom at Christmas time and how tall they get.
You can’t visit Hamilton Gardens without checking out all the other gardens even if you’ve visited before (which we have…remember this post from our visit to Hamilton Gardens a few years ago)…something changes in the garden every day so you’ll never be bored! The gardens are so varied that there is a visual treat for everyone and inspiration for your own garden regardless of style.
^^Choose a path…any path
The gardens are split up into various themes; the Paradise Gardens, the Productive Collection, the Fantasy Collection, the Cultivar Collection and finally the Landscape Collection.
My mama loves the Rose Garden…
…the Tudor Garden always makes me smile as it’s not something you expect to see in New Zealand and it also brings back some happy memories when I almost drove into a Tudor Garden once in Gloucestershire thinking it was the way out…doh!
While the Te Parapara Garden I find really interesting and it showcases the traditional way of gardening and food storage of local Maori.
The Tropical Garden floats my boat as I just love the colours and its just fun.
The Concept Garden I didn’t really understand until I came home and did some research and it had me thinking…there is a Maori proverb (Whakataukii) on the wall “He peke tangata, apa he peke titoki”…
…when translated into English means “The human family lives on while the branch of the titoki falls and decays”.
The interpretation of this garden is that in the end, nature is going to win.
New Zealand has some beautiful gardens to visit but I think Hamilton Gardens is my personal favourite!
Travel Tips for the Mansfield Garden at the Hamilton Gardens, Waikato
- The Hamilton Gardens are free enter which means everyone can visit
- Pack your chilly bin and picnic blanket and enjoy a picnic within the grounds; there are plenty of beautiful spots in the gardens to enjoy a picnic including near the playground
- Take comfortable walking shoes as you’ll do a lot of steps as the gardens are vast
- Stop and enjoy the flowers…smell the flowers, paint within the grounds, take photos and offer to take photos for others…a smile and a friendly offer of taking a photo is always kindly appreciated by many families these days. We did this a few times…kindness is catching remember.
- Make sure you wear a hat, cover yourself up with sunscreen and carry water with you…the sun is bright in New Zealand and it’s easy to get badly sunburnt within an hour or two.
- The Waikato region has so much to offer New Zealanders and tourists including beautiful walks like the Blue Springs near Putaruru, stunning waterfalls like Bridal Veil Falls, the Hobbiton film set, the breathtaking Coromandel, quirky Kiwi towns like Tirau and so much more that I have yet to explore.
Where is your favourite spot in the Waikato Region? What do you recommend to visitors?
xx
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