Spectacular Spaces
This half-day tour explores three spectacular gardens shaped by vision and passion. Discover a terraced hillside oasis rich with blooms and birdlife, a whimsical and evolving sanctuary lovingly restored from a 1920s layout, and a grand, Italian-inspired estate where classical design meets Mediterranean plantings in a truly breathtaking setting. Each of these gardens features exciting new additions, enhancing their beauty and showcasing their owners’ creativity.
Thursday 6 November
8.45am – 12.15pm $95
1.30pm – 5.00pm $95
Friday 7 November
8.45am – 12.15pm $95
1.30pm – 5.00pm $95
Saturday 8 November
8.45am – 12.15pm $95
1.30pm – 5.00pm
$95
THE GARDEN OF
Robyn Gifford and Rod McLeod
Originally laid out in 1924 with extensive vegetable gardens, a small home orchard and native plantings, this garden was wildly overgrown when Robyn Gifford and Rod McLeod – brand new to gardening – took on its restoration in 2022. While respecting the original setting, this work-in-progress garden is transforming to include extended native plantings and whimsical, cottage-style naturalistic beds, creating a sanctuary for the owners to enjoy. An exciting new feature is currently in the works and will be unveiled in time for Garden Marlborough, adding another layer of charm to this ever-evolving space.
WILLOWS GREEN
David and Kirsty Wraight
A unique response to a challenging site, this terraced hillside country garden features beautiful blooms, a pergola-covered ‘lane of roses’, a summerhouse and winding woodland paths filled with camellias and hydrangeas. Veranda and decked platforms behind the house offer relaxed viewing across the garden. A boardwalk leads you into Hydrangea Lane and expansive plantings below, with open spaces under the poplars overlooking wetlands that shelter abundant birdlife.
LONGFIELD
Lynne and Rob Hammond
Italy inspired this grandly formal garden, with its statues and fountains, Corinthian columns reminiscent of Tivoli, and extraordinary stone pieces rescued from Christchurch’s Catholic Basilica. Brick walls and hornbeam hedges create garden rooms, featuring old fashioned roses, citrus, lavender and olives, alongside an English orangery.
