Gardens create Mansfield magic
Top hats and finger food were the order of the day as Hamilton Gardens opened their Katherine Mansfield-themed garden.
Amongst those first down the garden path was Sally Evers, 63, who bussed up to Hamilton from Wellington on Sunday night, to see the garden as described in Mansfield’s famous short story The Garden Party.
‘‘I was an English teacher and Katherine Mansfield was one of my great authors and I sort of raised many students on Katherine Mansfield.’’
Wellington has Mansfield House but it doesn’t have the garden Evers was looking forward to seeing. ‘‘I was hoping to see some pink canna lilies and some cream puffs. But everything is very much in theme, it’s fantastic.’’
Before her visit to Hamilton Gardens, Evers even revisited the popular story yesterday, reading it aloud to her friend and husband.
A few hundred people were on hand to get the first look at the late 19th-century villa and nearby tennis court and lily pond.
There was a banquet table on the tennis court laden with tea, cream puffs, lamingtons and other dainty-looking morsels. But the deliciously sculptured food was for looks only as it’s made from concrete and resin – designed to brave wind, rain and sunshine.
Artist Sacha Lauchlan produced the life-like food. ‘‘My background is in sculpture but I have only recently got into using concrete as a medium. I have done a little bit of that for Hobbiton as well but that was about my second time using concrete.
‘‘Once you’ve got the form right, then the painting helps a lot as well, that helps it to become more convincing.’’
Lauchlan also painted the cello and concrete piano situated by the tennis court so was pleased to see her work all come together.
Some visitors took the opportunity to dress for the occasion, including Friends Of Hamilton Gardens president Virginia Graham, who wore a 1920s dress and a wide-brimmed hat.
‘‘I’m a big fan of Katherine Mansfield’s writing, I remember reading her stories at school and it’s nice to see her brought to life almost through the garden.’’
The Mansfield Garden is the third of five gardens to open in the city’s $7.2 million development programme.
The first was the Tudor Garden, opened in 2015, and the second was the Concept Garden, which opened in January. The final two – the Picturesque Garden and Surrealist Garden – are on track to open in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
‘‘I was an English teacher and Katherine Mansfield was one of my great authors.’’ Sally Evers