Botanical Beauty fills garden lovers’ calendar
The hole in garden lovers’ calendars after the cancellation of Rapaura Springs Garden Marlborough has been partly filled thanks to a combined local effort.
Five Marlborough country gardens will stage the Botanical Beauty open day on Saturday, November 6 from 9am to 4pm.
The event stemmed from garden fans’ disappointment in the wake of the Garden Marlborough cancellation – the first in its 28-year history – due to alert level 2 restrictions.
Upton Oaks garden owner Sue Monahan, who has been part of the Garden Marlborough event for over 20 years, said she received many calls from people who still wanted to come to the region.
‘‘People have booked their accommodation and their flights for the event, and they have decided to come anyway and were asking if we would be open to view the garden,’’ she said. ‘‘I’ve touched base with some other country gardens, and they were having the same scenario with people contacting them, so we thought ‘‘let’s put together a oneday open garden day for visitors and locals too.’’
That’s how, a few days after the Garden Marlborough cancellation earlier this month, Blenheim’s Botanical Beauty sprung up.
There is no online booking with visitors invited to drive to the gardens and pay at the gate.
‘‘People will choose what garden they want to go to, they just turn up, sign-in or scan-in and each garden will manage the number of visitors,’’ Monahan said.‘‘visitors can safely enjoy the garden without masks because it is open air, and they are all very big gardens.’’
Rapaura Springs Garden Marlborough was due to be held from November 3-7. The festival normally sells more than 4000 tickets, with a packed schedule of garden tours, educational workshops and social events.
Monahan said gardeners worked all year to showcase their properties for Garden Marlborough.
‘‘It [Blenheim botanical beauty] is a one-off for this season. It’s not replacing Garden Marlborough.
‘‘Hopefully Garden Marlborough will be on again next year.’’
Blenheim’s Botanical Beauty entry fee is $15 per garden, payable at each garden (cash only).
Woodend Gardens (151 Rowley Cres), Burnlea (130 ‘Dwyers Rd); Hortensia House (134 O’dwyers Rd) Figtree Gardens (112 O’dwyers Rd) and Upton Oaks Gardens (33 Hammerichs Rd).