My field trip was with Alan Ferguson and Lisa Burton. Our first trip was to the Garden of Larnach Castle. We went around the garden and view various kind of garden has a special historic ambience. It is beautifully landscaped with a disciplined eye reflecting appropriately its association with the castle.
Nowadays the castle, a mixture of Gothic Revival and Colonial style, set amid 14 hectares of grounds, are a prime tourist attraction.
It has been owned since 1967 by the Barker family - a longer period than William Larnach, who shot himself in a Parliament committee room in 1898.
More than 100,000 visitors a year enjoy panoramic views of Otago harbour some 300m below, and its splendid gardens have been named as being "of national significance" by the New Zealand Gardens Trust.
Castle Garden has been a labour of love for Margaret Barker, who with her late husband purchased the neglected castle and 14 hectare property in 1967. Visitors can enjoy both a trip back in history, a ramble through a beautifully developed garden topped by an indulgent moment in the café.
Over a century old, this large garden surrounding historic Larnach Castle on the Otago peninsula is at an altitude of 300 metres. The scenery is spectacular and though the garden is subjected to wind and low rainfall it contains a unique collection of plants seldom seen elsewhere. Some remnants from the original plantings 120 years ago, Cupressus macrocarpa, planted extensively for shelter and Cedars and a Northern Rata to one side of the castle, give an air of maturity. The plantings reflect the owner's interest in New Zealand plants and in their southern hemisphere relations.
Behind the ballroom there are temperate rain forest plants with an avenue of mountain cabbage trees (Cordyline indivisa). A rock garden features many rare and difficult New Zealand alpines as well as the Chatham Island olearias, both colour forms of Myosotidium hortensia, grass trees (Dracophyllum) and other genera not usually encountered in cultivation. A recent development has been a South Seas garden where relations of the pohutakawa (Metrosideros) diverse palms from the South Pacific and other distinctive flora are established. Elsewhere there is a small arboretum featuring southern beech, a formal garden and herbaceous borders and a laburnum tunnel with a stunning view south. Rhododendrons display in spring.
From there we went to view the various types of rock in Otago Peninsula.
Finally after lunch we went to Hereweka means “snaring of the weka” - a native woodhen, sadly now locally extinct - and was named by the original Maori inhabitants of the peninsula. The name refers to the area around the prominent landmark called Harbour Cone, or Pukemata. In Maori oral history, a famous chief called Tarewai was wounded and captured in a tribal conflict, but escaped his captors and fled to the sanctuary of Hereweka - the forested slopes of Pukemata - and there rested, healing his wounds using the plentiful resources of the forest. He recovered fully and went on to defeat his enemies in battle.
The garden at Hereweka Garden Retreat continues to evolve. Recent developments include ponds, paths, and a little valley with a gondwana planting theme, including palms, cordylines and tree ferns.
Anna and Peter share a love of plants; a passion that is clearly evident in the composition and diversity of this harmonious and restful garden. Initially, several hundred rhododendrons, flowering cherries, magnolias and maples were planted, interspersed with larger trees and herbaceous perennials. Over the years the number and variety of plants in the garden has expanded as Anna and Peter’s interests and expertise has developed.
Peter’s passion and knowledge lie with the hundreds of trees planted on the property. A member of the International Dendrology Society, Peter has an excellent eye for form and structure as well as a thorough understanding of the ecological roles and habitat requirements of trees.
Anna’s skills complement Peter’s with her passion for detail and colour. She has underplanted the trees extensively with bulbs and woodland plants, as well as filling the large herbaceous borders with perennials, roses and many unusual shrubs.
After the field trip to Hereweka Garden we finished the trip for the day at 3.00pm.
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