KEY POINTS:
One of the largest collections of native New Zealand plants outside the country was been unveiled at England's Windsor Great Park yesterday by Prince Andrew, the Duke of York.
The New Zealand Garden containing more than 3000 native plants is the latest addition to the world famous Savill Garden which this year marked it 75th anniversary.
The royal opening was accompanied by traditional Maori ceremonies provided by Manaia, a UK based Maori culture group.
The new garden has been developed and landscaped under the eye of the new head of Savill Garden, Harvey Stephens, working in conjunction with leading New Zealand landscape designer Sam Martin.
The garden showcases spectacular country flora with the use of more than a thousand tussock grasses, striking individual specimens of cabbage palm and spiky groups of the silver-leaved astelias.
The Savill Garden is one of the most significant woodland and ornamental gardens in England containing a number of national collections.
New Zealand deputy high commissioner Bronwen Chang said the links between England and New Zealand in plants and horticulture dated back almost 250 years to Captain James Cook's first voyage to New Zealand, when Sir Joseph Banks and his team collected specimens and produced botanical illustrations of many of our native plants.
"New Zealand is very honoured to be the only country with a garden all to itself in Windsor Great Park. The many thousands of visitors to The Savill Garden each year will be able to enjoy this distinctive slice of New Zealand flora and landscape design in such a historic setting."
- NZPA
