Tūrangi’s Garden Ramble returns for 2023

Sixteen locals have opened up their gardens for public viewings during the Tūrangi Garden Ramble.

Tūrangi Garden Club’s Garden Ramble is returning for another year, with 16 open gardens promising a variety of beautiful sights.

The gardens belong mostly to club members, with some of the public also throwing open their gates to welcome viewings.

Scattered around the southern end of Lake Taupō from Waitetoko to Kuratau, there was something for everyone, Tūrangi Garden Club president Christine Potter said.

“From emerging to well-established, native plants and a huge variety - large, small, rural, town and sections.”

The varied nature and locations of the gardens meant the trail made for a great day out, she said.

“And the thing, too, is the scenery’s lovely, driving along the lake.”

Many of the gardens will also feature native plant sales, or even exhibitions by artists with work available for purchase.

All of the artists involved are local, and work in media from printmaking to flax weaving to watercolours.

Gardens on the Tūrangi Garden Ramble range from traditional to modern.

Another twist, said Potter, was that participants would only learn the locations of the gardens when they collect a programme from Bayleys Tūrangi, Floating Rock Cafe Kuratau or Hungry Trout Cafe in Te Rangiita.

“You won’t know where the gardens are until you pick up the programme with a map.”

The ramble is a longstanding feature of the Garden Club’s calendar.

The club has been running for about 35 years and currently has about 80 members, including one original founding member.

They meet once a month in Tūrangi, with a competition, sales table and speaker at each meeting. They also takegarden field trips.

Every year, the Ramble raises funds for a worthy cause, including the fire service and search and rescue.

The charity of choice this year is Project Tongariro, with ticket funds raised going to their Oruatua restoration project.

The Oruatua Recreational Reserve Restoration Project began in 2014 and is a large-scale replanting effort to return the area to native bush.

Increasing the coverage of native plants provides a habitat for other native species, including birds.

To date, volunteers have planted and maintained more than 30,000 trees in the area.

As a result of the project, numbers of native birds including kereru and pōpokotea (whiteheads), are on the rise in the area.

This single Project Tongariro scheme requires about $25,000 a year to maintain sustainably, as the area needs constant maintenance to remove weeds.

The Tūrangi Garden Club’s Garden Ramble has had Bayleys Tūrangi as a long-term sponsor and is also supported by Ryman Healthcare this year.

The sponsors help with the costs of ticket and signage printing, as well as other overheads.

• What: Garden Ramble - 16 open gardens
• When: Sat 18 and Sun 19 November, 10am-4pm
• Where: Gardens across Waitetoko, Motuoapa, Tūrangi, Omori and Kuratau
• Tickets: $20 per adult, children under 14 free. Available from trybooking.com or via email at turangigardenclub@gmail.com.

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