Te Awamutu’s Altrusa Home and Garden Ramble is back for another round

Te Awamutu Home and Garden Ramble 2023 takes place next Sunday, November 5. Sam and Patricia Win's garden is amongs those that will be featured.

The finishing touches are ramping up for homes and gardens featuring in this year’s Te Awamutu Altrusa Home and Garden Ramble.

The charity event, on Sunday, November 5, features a total of 12 properties, with 11 gardens to ramble about and five homes open for viewing.

Spokeswoman Leanne Milligan says they work hard to find a selection of homes and gardens each year and it was becoming “quite a task” after 28 years.

She says there were several must-see gardens that will surely inspire everyone.

Sam and Patricia Win’s garden has recently been renovated with gently terraced perennial and shrub borders and a stream flowing through a rockery into the water feature, providing the main focal point.

Sam was responsible for all of the stonework, with a design created by Patricia. A newly built shade house was also featured, acting as a home to tuberous begonias, ferns, fuschia and many annuals.

Architect Michael Brewerton's Georgian colonial New Zealand home.

A Georgian colonial New Zealand house with a touch of Queenslander-French colonial, built by architect Michael Brewerton would also be open for viewing.

Brewerton said he was looking for character but could not find a lot on the market that fell into that, so he created it himself.

Construction started in 2020 and finished the following year. It featured deep verandahs, tall ceilings, a farmhouse kitchen, heritage-themed bathrooms, Georgian and bungalow interior doors, double-hung sash windows and shutters to control the sun.

Brewerton’s home also contained unique features like the newel post at the bottom of the staircase from His Majesty’s Theatre in Auckland.

He offered his home to the ramble this year because it was “all about raising money for good causes”.

Milligan says it was their biggest fundraiser for the year and the team worked hard to ensure it was a great success.

“Altrusa is all about making a difference in our community and it is through fundraisers like this we have been able to support many organisations that support our community.”

This year all proceeds from the ramble would support the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Cancer Society, Assistance Dogs Trust New Zealand and the Rewi St Kindergarten along with many of Altrusa’s other community service projects.