Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Kevin Luff's Gonville garden is one of a kind

Anne-Marie McDonald
Reporter·Whanganui Chronicle·
6 Feb, 2018 06:06 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Kevin Luff's remarkable garden is a true labour of love. Photos/Bevan Conley

Kevin Luff's remarkable garden is a true labour of love. Photos/Bevan Conley

On an ordinary street in Gonville is an extraordinary garden.

The garden belongs to Kevin Luff. Even when you know Kevin is a landscape designer and gardener by trade, his garden is remarkable.

The garden was just a lawn with some camellias on it when Kevin moved in three years ago with his wife Christina, son Dante and dogs Lily and Sabbath.

So Kevin got to work and transformed the garden. He loves plants that are not often seen in Whanganui gardens, such as bromeliads and orchids.

"I'm a plant nut - I love unusual plants," he confessed.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"And we're lucky to have a bit of a micro-climate here - normally you can't grow bromeliads outside in Whanganui."

In both front and back gardens the lawns have gone, to be replaced by rockeries.

A little pond is tucked away at the back of Kevin Luff's garden.
A little pond is tucked away at the back of Kevin Luff's garden.

The front garden has a garden bed in the shape of New Zealand, with special plants and garden art marking Whanganui.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It took me about two weeks to make it. Once I start doing something, I just keep going until it's done."

In the garden, a shingle path leads through a small lawn into the large rockery.

Bromeliads - some very large and brightly coloured - dominate here, and there's also an orchid nursery, and garden art scattered throughout.

Kevin's garden contains several sculptures by Castlecliff-based artist Ivan Vostinar, and Buddhist and Christian inspired sculptures.

Discover more

Small-town life in the USA

13 Jan 04:00 PM

Whanganui opera fans pack recital

11 Jan 04:00 AM

Labour of love creates sprawl of beauty that keeps evolving

14 Jan 08:00 PM

Gorgeous Gardens: Perfectionism shapes rural paradise

22 Jan 01:10 AM

In the centre of the rockery is a covered barbecue area, one wall of which is devoted to a collection of another of Kevin's plant obsessions - Tillandsia.

Also known as air plants,

Tillandsia do not need to be planted in soil as they are able to get their nutrition from the air.

Kevin Luff's wall of Tillansias, also known as air plants because they get their nutrients from the air.
Kevin Luff's wall of Tillansias, also known as air plants because they get their nutrients from the air.

Tucked away In the far back corner of the garden is a little grotto with a waterfall and a small pond.

"I love sitting out in the garden when the weather is good, having dinner. Or inviting people over to have a barbecue," Kevin said.

There's only a tiny part of the garden that Kevin hasn't turned into a rockery, and wife Christina insists it remains as it is.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"She says we have to keep some of the lawn, and I suppose she's right."

Kevin Luff's garden includes a mix of religious art with exotic plants, such as this bromeliad.
Kevin Luff's garden includes a mix of religious art with exotic plants, such as this bromeliad.
Save
    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

'Not under control': Firefighters battle 300ha Tongariro National Park blaze

08 Nov 04:48 AM
Whanganui Chronicle

Mayor promises 'full review' as flight school future revealed

07 Nov 04:06 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

'Our drivers love a big crowd': Oceanview revs up for annual fireworks meet

07 Nov 04:03 PM

Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

'Not under control': Firefighters battle 300ha Tongariro National Park blaze
Whanganui Chronicle

'Not under control': Firefighters battle 300ha Tongariro National Park blaze

Six brigades and a command unit are working to contain the forest fire.

08 Nov 04:48 AM
Mayor promises 'full review' as flight school future revealed
Whanganui Chronicle

Mayor promises 'full review' as flight school future revealed

07 Nov 04:06 PM
'Our drivers love a big crowd': Oceanview revs up for annual fireworks meet
Whanganui Chronicle

'Our drivers love a big crowd': Oceanview revs up for annual fireworks meet

07 Nov 04:03 PM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP