Nourishing body and soul
Along with glorious gardens, this year’s Powerco Taranaki Garden Spectacular has a bunch of events to nourish the soul.
The annual spring festival runs from October 28 to November 6 and people can find out What’s Cooking? with celebrity chef Michael Van de Elzen. Known for his highly entertaining shows – on telly and live – he will teach people some special but easy dishes in the Theatre Royal on November 5.
‘‘I love to make people laugh – I tell people stories,’’ he says. But mostly, he wants to inspire people with food. ’’I want people to go home and wake up in the morning and think ‘I want to cook’.’’
On November 6, people are invited to dress up ‘‘glam and glitter’’ and join the Frocks on Bikes event. The idea is to dress up your bike, and regulation helmet, and yourself and join in a fun outing that begins at East End Beach and goes up Te Henui Walkway to the Sequoia Steps garden.
Another event set in the outdoors is a terrarium workshop with Pip Jones from Petal Pusher Flowers.
For this people can learn how to make a living plant creation in a glass bowl to keep on a table or desk. That’s on at Waiongana Garden at 2pm on Thursday, November 3.
The garden speaker series also includes propagating, gardening tips and hanging baskets with Jenny Oakley at Manaia and a walk and talk with Jodi Roebuck on his thriving Omata farmlet, which includes a bio-intensive garden. Also, rhododendron and azalea enthusiast Alan Morris will talk about gardening on a steep slope at his Pukemara Garden in New Plymouth.
Pollination expert Linda NewstromLloyd will be talking about Smart Planting for Healthy Bees at Magnolia Grove, Waitara, and the Sanderson Garden Manaia on October 29.
This year’s landscape design project Lost Paradise, created by Plantation’s Michael Mansvelt is a free event for everyone to visit during the festival.
Free guided walks are also on offer at Pukekura Park, Tupare, Pukeiti and Hollard Gardens.
Check out the free programme for more information or go to www.gardenfestnz.co.nz or phone (06) 759 8412.