Ultimate Escapes
This half-day garden tour visits three unique and inspiring private properties, including a newly added tranquil retreat in the Waihopai Valley. From romantically charming spaces to productive, thoughtfully planned designs, each garden reflects its owner’s passion, creativity and deep connection to the land.
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
STARSKY
Glenn and Carina Dick
Purchased in 2020, Starsky has undergone a remarkable transformation while preserving its rustic charm. Nestled in the serene Waihopai Valley, this unique property is surrounded by park-like gardens and well-established native and exotic trees, offering a peaceful escape from the everyday. A true haven full of love and life, Starsky is home to a lively menagerie including ducks, native tūī, bellbirds and kereru. It’s a never-ending project of passion – a place where nature, charm and heart come together.
HORTENSIA HOUSE
Huguette Michel-Fleurie
Huguette did not intend to create a particular style, instead her romantic garden simply evolved over time, becoming an inspired cottage garden with a host of hydrangeas - ‘hortensia’ in French. Colour-coordinated flowers match the house’s Victorian style and Spring Creek, a gem of pristine and peaceful water which flows through the garden, can be crossed via a bridge inspired by Claude Monet’s Giverny.
A peaceful and sheltered established garden with abundant fruit trees, vegetable gardens and berry enclosures. Formal plantings create rooms for outdoor living, with adjoining productive spaces to nurture compost and generate mulch to feed their soils. A labour of love and happiness.
