Auckland Garden Designfest Blossoms This
Weekend
For immediate release: Monday 11 November
2013
This weekend sees 25 of Auckland’s most
spectacular residential gardens throw open their gates to
the public for the second biennial Auckland Garden
DesignFest. On 16-17 November, the DesignFest celebrates
the wealth of design talent across the Auckland region and
showcases the incredible results produced when creative
talents combine.
The Festival’s Joint Chairperson Rose
Thodey notes that one of the DesignFest’s unique
trademarks is the fact that it makes great design accessible
to everyone. “These owners have agreed to open up their
normally private properties to the public. It’s a special
act of generosity which means that visitors to the
DesignFest can learn from and be inspired by these stunning
professionally-designed gardens,” says Thodey. “Whether
you’re a young family doing up your backyard for the first
time, an experienced landscaper, or someone who just loves
wandering amongst beautiful spaces, you’re certain to come
away uplifted by the experience.”
Visitors to each
garden will have the chance to explore the grounds and speak
with its designer onsite. “It’s a rare opportunity to
ask the professionals how they achieved the finished effect,
and about any tips and tricks they can offer,” says
Thodey. She adds that the DesignFest is about showing the
public how good garden design makes living spaces more
functional and pleasurable to live in. “When you see a
garden that’s been well thought-through and which you
enjoy being in, you get a real sense of the impact great
design has.”
The DesignFest gardens feature an array of
styles, plantings, artworks and materials, but all are
underscored by a passion for the outdoors. To the North,
highlights include Brett Maclennan’s
native coastal garden overlooking the sea from Milford and
Bryan McDonald’s contemporary Bayswater
creation complete with a canopy of palms. Closer to the city
centre designer Deb Hardy unveils her own
family garden in Western Springs and Robin
Shafer presents a whimsical Balmoral garden
designed around a primrose yellow-coloured concrete villa.
Neighbouring gardens in Freemans Bay belong to designer
Sally Gordon and award-winning architect
Pip Cheshire –both were created in a
three-way consultation process with friend and landscaper
Trish Bartleet, and backing onto One Tree
Hill’s farm paddocks is Jan McGowan’s
Arts Crafts inspired garden. Finally, towards the
East is Jo Hamilton’s rich oasis
combining multiple landscaping styles in St Heliers, and a
Glendowie garden by Pascal Tibbits which
makes the most of a magnificent setting and is also featured
in a new Prime TV series launching this week.
The Festival
runs from 10am-4pm on both days, with tickets available for
purchase online,
at Auckland-based Palmers Gardenworld and Palmers Planet
Stores, or at the garden gates. Proceeds from all tickets go
towards children’s charities Ronald McDonald House,
KidsCan and Garden to Table. Picnic
lunches from can be pre-booked and picked up from
gardens in Milford and Western Springs. For more
information, visit gardendesignfest.co.nz.
ENDS
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