Garden a way of life for local couple
Gardening is a way of life for Te Awamutu couple Lachlan and Wendy Chambers.
Lachlan is a gardener at Highfield Estate, while Wendy has been a familiar face in the Mitre 10 Mega garden centre for 24 years.
So it comes as no surprise they also have a wonderful garden.
While they like slightly different styles, their small town garden has been developed over 14 years.
“It’s a constant evolution really.
“We both have a passion for gardening as we come from gardening families. But we only have one day to share when we aren’t working, so the garden also has to be reasonably low maintenance,” says Wendy.
Lachlan loves pots and previously worked for a company selling them, so the garden features a large number and variety of impressive pots.
The plantings have caught the eye of passers-by in the past and the Chambers have been asked several times to be part of a garden ramble.
While they are private people, when they were approached again this year, the couple felt they could support the Altrusa Garden Ramble.
“It gives many people who have been interested in our garden a chance to have a wander around and supports a good cause in our community at the same time,” says Lachlan.
Spring is their favourite season, so it has given them the impetus to spruce up the garden and add a new pond, something Wendy has wanted for several years.
Lachlan has built it using railway sleepers, which feature in other areas of the garden.
He has added water lilies and fish, and his last job is to install the water pump.
The garden also has a few surprises, especially at the rear of the property, that people will discover on the day.
Great day out
This year’s Te Awamutu Home and Garden Ramble is on November 3 (9.30am to 4pm).
A total of 11 properties, including new and old homes, large and small gardens, are included.
There’s also a plush toy collection and a landscape company to visit, with two morning tea venues (Rosenvale, Landscape Supply Company) and a coffee cart (Paige’s Caffeine Corner) in one of the gardens.
Many stalls will be included at various properties, offering a variety of things for sale.
These include everything from Reg Parkes’ rustic handcrafted copper work to Gigglegert children’s clothing created by Nicky Samuel.
This year’s raffle is a garden cart filled with Christmas treats.
Funds raised by the ramble will support the Te Awamutu Youth Development Trust, while smaller amounts will benefit other club projects.
Tickets are in great demand this year as several of the other local garden rambles have opted to be held every second year.
■ Tickets ($30) are available from the Te Awamutu i-Site, The Garden Shop and Campbell Lane.