GREENLIFE MATTERS
On the banks of the Waikato River a world-renowned garden has proudly etched a place for its city on the international tourist map. SUE LINN checks in with Operations Manager, Gus Flower, for a peek behind the scenes at Hamilton Gardens.
Hamilton Gardens
Over a million visitors make a beeline for Hamilton Gardens each year. Ops manager, Gus Flower says most visitors are not gardening enthusiasts or plant nuts and that’s the way it should be.
“Rather than being a botanical garden showcasing collections of plants, our gardens tell a story of history and cultural diversity through garden design,” he explains. People come to see the famous Paradise Garden Collection, to be wowed by the Landscape Garden Collection and Productive Garden Collection. “Along the way they’ll hopefully pick up a small piece of inspiration, or take home a greater understanding of sustainability,” adds Gus.
Hamilton Gardens holds the esteemed Qualmark Gold Sustainable Tourism Business Award. Visit any day of the week (incredibly it’s free, at least for now) and you’ll most likely be in the company of visitors from overseas. They arrive in buses with their cameras and generally spend a half day enjoying the spectacle of the Garden Collections and refuelling in the cafe. For those who stay longer, there is plenty more to enjoy on the outskirts of the visitor hotspots. New developments are constantly in play. This spring sees the opening of the brand new Mansfield Garden, a recreation of the early 20th century NZ garden described in Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Garden Party’.
CONNECTING COMMUNITIES
Of course, Hamilton Gardens is a whole lot more than an awardwinning tourist attraction. It is a beautiful place for Hamiltonians to chill out, walk the dog, take the kids for a breath of fresh air and connect with nature. It contributes to the vibrancy of its city as a popular event venue hosting a diverse range of functions, including well-attended public events. Hamilton Gardens is, perhaps most importantly, a special a place for the people of Waikato.
CONNECTING WITH NATURE
Increasingly, research is highlighting the concept of ‘urban ecology’ and the importance of nature