A spot of garden leave
This enigmatic oasis is a worthy addition to your next Waiheke visit. Just don’t tell them we sent you, advises
With this destination, perhaps it’s best to just show up and breezily say: ‘‘Oh, we were driving past and noticed this mysterious garden.’’ Or: ‘‘A bloke at a bar in Oneroa mentioned the place.’’
Because here’s the thing: At the quixotically named Sacred Blessing Sanctuary Gardens, on Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf, they enjoy flying far from the radar.
‘‘We prefer people to discover for themselves what is now known as Waiheke’s best-kept secret,’’ they told me, rather self-effacingly. Fair enough, but they really should relax and let it happen because what a clandestine treat of flora this is; a curious idyll high above Enclosure Bay where a team of constant gardeners toil in monastic silence.
‘‘Strawberry?’’ a woman says in hushed tones. We’re wandering past the mini agapanthus when she appears from nowhere with her sweet offering. It’s like that at the Sacred Blessing. Zen and very particular. Apparently they clip the carpeting pratia with scissors.
There are gardeners everywhere – far outnumbering our group of six patrons – which makes one wonder about the business model. Certainly this is somebody’s passion project more than anything – a serene respite from the world. And last summer it reopened after a substantial 20-month makeover and renovation, having originally revealed its charms to the world in 2015.
It was looking splendid on the summer day we were there: From the new entrance kiosk, you follow trickling water and ponds into the garden proper. This opening salvo is a collection of lilies, palms, mondo grass, mosses and bromeliads, which, like much of the garden, may not be startling in themselves but are deployed with painstaking perfection.
The garden slopes down from there, framed by native trees and sea views. It’s not a huge area, maybe two acres, with lots of ‘‘rooms’’ – distinct areas to pause and smell the roses, literally.
Flowering annuals and perennials jostle in what sometimes appears to be a random fashion, though you suspect not much is left to chance here.
There are herbs and beds of strawberries in some of the spots you’d expect more drama, and drama in the quiet corners where’d you expect more filler.
Bird and bug life is of course deeply encouraged here, assisted by the natural ‘‘borrowed’’ buffer zones of the four-hectare McKenzie Reserve, which neighbours the Blessed on two sides.
One path leads to a small, point-perfect resting chalet, open to the gardens in Balinese spirit if not style. More exploring reveals other meticulously landscaped areas where weary tourists can sit and reflect.
And then there’s the large-scale sculpture collection sprinkled through the beds to offset the vegetation – a selection of bronze Paul Dibble sculptures (some specifically commissioned for this garden), a kinetic Phil Price work and a weathering-steel sculpture by Ray Haydon. They’re a whimsical counterpoint to the more serious nature and vibe of the plantings.
In another corner of the plot is a huge breeding cage for your ubiquitous swan plants, like a school project that got out of hand. It sums up the casual idiosyncrasy of the place, which is certainly not average in any way.
Esteemed gardening writer Lynda Hallinan once declared it ‘‘the most beautiful garden I have ever visited in New Zealand’’. While I may debate that with her over a glass of elderflower wine, this enigmatic oasis is certainly a worthy addition to your next Waiheke visit.