Continuing the garden tour...
Garden Three: The lavender farm. Because the lavender is just starting to grow, the crop of lavender looked pretty boring. But we did have lunch there and looked in the shop which had lavender products. I should have taken photos there because the little shop was pretty.
Garden Four: On the outskirts of Taumarunui, a lovely garden which is on the national gardens list. Firstly, we had a super afternoon tea with scones, cream & jam served in cakestands with lovely old china (again, it was so special I should have taken a photo!), then went for a guided walk through the gardens.
solomon's seal
deciduous azalea just coming out
a lovely bark-y tree trunk
a NZ cabbage tree. A lot of people think this is a palm tree, but really it is from the lily family.
a rampaging copper wild pig
In the background a rhododendron in full flower
As you can see, the lavender is just starting to have new growth shoots
Maybe an old shepherds hut?
hosta 
Apparently they have lots of weddings here in their garden rooms, which probably explains why it felt a bit staged to me. My favourite is still garden one.
We got back on the bus, travelled over to Turangi to a Motel/Restaurant for dinner (at which we had been asked to wear something floral - a bit of fun), then off to bed.
Beautiful gardens and plants-we have a smaller one of those cabbage trees in our garden and the starlings go mad for the seed heads
ReplyDeleteCarol x
OH! You make me look forward to Spring Carol, what beautiful gardens. You must be enjoying these different gardens you are going to.
ReplyDeleteFaith x
I feel the same as Faith about spring time Carol, this really brings home how much I miss it, I have enjoyed looking at your tour, bet this place looks stunning come summer. I hope you had fun, sounds like it.xx
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous trip Carol - where was the lavender farm, obviously in the Taumarunui area? I love lavender and know of a couple of farms nearer us, but one day I may be able to head south to that one...who knows
ReplyDeleteBlessings
Maxine
Maxine: the lavender farm is outside Taumarunui on the road to Taranaki, but there is a just-as-good lavender farm on Brotherhood Road just out of Ohaupo, best seen December-January.
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