Explore beauty of homestead gardens

The Wairarapa Garden Tour in November will comprise 12 homestead gardens, including Fernside Gardens, pictured, near Featherston, and Brancepeth homestead near Wainuioru. FILE PHOTO

Tickets go on sale today for November's Wairarapa Garden Tour.

The tour, featuring 12 homestead gardens, includes Fernside Gardens near Featherston and Brancepeth homestead near Wainuioru.

The annual tour, on November 7-8, is a fundraiser for Pukaha Mt Bruce.

Wairarapa Garden Tour event organiser John Gilberthorpe says the properties located between Featherston in South Wairarapa to Opaki, north of Masterton, will open up over the two days.

"The Wairarapa Garden Tour is a great chance to explore some of the region's most beautiful gardens that range from country gardens to more formal styles," says Mr Gilberthorpe.

"This year, we are excited to announce the inclusion of Fernside Gardens, a remarkable property that is sure to appeal to everyone, and the incredible Brancepeth.

"The event promises to be a special one for Wairarapa and, of course, ultimately, help protect wildlife at Pukaha Mount Bruce."

Fernside Gardens, located just north of Featherston, featured in Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Twenty acres of landscaped gardens surround the Heathcote Helmore-designed homestead with its American Colonial detailing that used to be the American government's ambassadorial residence in the 1950s. Brancepeth, a 15-minute drive from Masterton, is a New Zealand Historic Places Trust Category 1 homestead dating back to the 1850s.

Early bird tickets on sale from today via www.wairarapagardentour.co.nz