2024 Enchanting MATAKANA GARDEN TOUR
The Pancreatic Cancer Support Association and The Gut Cancer Foundation
invite you to a sneak peek of the Enchanting Matakana Garden Tour.
Omaio Garden
Omaio is a maori name meaning “place of peace, quiet and tranquility”. Over 18 acres of coastal property, it is a 6-star garden of international significance near Matakana, overlooking pretty Kawau Bay.
Nestled on the picturesque Tawharanui Peninsula, near Matakana, Omaio Garden is a serene haven of natural beauty and tranquility, offering a unique experience with its lush native bush, stunning coastal views, and meticulously curated plantings. The garden’s design, featuring curving, flowing shapes that mirror the waves and coastal landscape, creates a harmonious blend of formality and natural beauty. Explore a variety of trails, including the enchanting “Jane’s Lane” and “Olioli Way,” which wind through mature stands of native trees and vibrant plantings.
There is some formality in the clipped specimens, plant shapes and textures. The repetition of the plantings throughout is effective, providing continuity which does not compete with the natural surrounding bush. The canopy of established native trees provides protective shade where clivia, hydrangeas, arthropodium, bergenia, ligularia, and ferns flourish. “Omaio” was planted to create calm – the colour palette is soft, tones of green dominate, it is relaxed and easy on the eye.
Omaio Garden is not just a visual delight but also a place of historical and horticultural significance. The garden is home to a magnificent Puriri tree, estimated to be between 1,400 and 1,700 years old, and features a diverse array of native and exotic plants that thrive under the protective canopy of established trees. With its soft colour palette and thoughtfully designed spaces, Omaio Garden offers a calming and restorative experience for all who visit.
BARCLAY GARDEN
It’s hard to imagine that Robin and Simon Barclay’s garden was a blank canvas just seven years ago. Apart from some large, established trees (one of the drawcards for the couple), the existing gardens around the previous old farmhouse had been cleared so there was really nothing but paddocks.
Once the magnificent house, outbuildings and pool area were built, the couple turned to the landscaping. The work began with diggers – gently shaping the sweeping lawns, clearing the large pond, building the jetty (where operas have since been staged!) and laying out the vegetable gardens.
Although Robin has a diploma in landscape design, she enlisted the help of family friend Andy Hamilton, a globally-renowned landscape architect who had recently returned from London, to get the bones of the garden mapped out and to help planting design.
The tree-lined driveway was underplanted with drifts of bulbs, woodland perennials, shrubs and grasses. Planting around the house showcases Robin and Simon’s love of colour and fragrance, with roses, hydrangeas and perennials putting on a show from early spring onwards. Throughout the garden, the use of clipped buxus, westringias and raphiolepsis give structure throughout the year.
The pool area is discreet and private behind swathes of the tall grass Miscanthus Sinensis, whose dramatic, fluffy seed-heads look fabulous right through winter – these have proved a favourite plant.
Simon and Robin’s vegetable gardens, with their multiple raised beds and well-designed composting setup, provide lush harvests for family and friends and the young orchard trees are doing well. There’s an enclosed berry garden too, and quaint garden shed is wrapped in the climbing rose Alberic Barbier.
Further from the house is a large area of ongoing native planting, both for shelter and to encourage the plentiful birdlife in the valley – kereru, tui and kaka are regular visitors. Across the stream, a collection of exotic trees gives lush autumn colour and hidden away is a small grove of kauri and kahikatea.
An extra delight in this garden are the large outdoor sculptures, thoughtfully positioned among the trees and around the lake – some of New Zealand’s best sculptors are represented here and indeed within the home on a smaller scale.
Simon and Robin’s property is ever-evolving – the passion of its owners, and unmissable for any garden-lover.
bAILEY-mILLS gARDEN
Established from bare farmland over the last 10 years the Bailey-Mills Garden is a very personal testament to Carmen’s vision, strong design aesthetic, and to the labour of love she, husband Rex and father Dennis have poured into the property.
Recognised as the 2022 Regional Garden of the year and the garden comprises a series of different spaces each with its own unique inspiration or story. From the formal touches of clipped hedging and topiary to the practical and very productive orchard and Corton steel raised vegetable beds, and the truly special rose garden created in memory of Carmen’s mother Elaine. The Bailey-Mills Garden is a magical place.
The sweeping tree lined driveway creates an arch of green in summer and a blaze of burgundy and orange in autumn and leads you to the formal circular garden roundabout that perfectly complements the beautiful bungalow that was re-sited to the farm some years ago, which Carmen and Rex have extensively renovated.
Nestled in the heart of a working farm this home has seen extensive modernisation; retaining the classic wooden floors, open fireplace and expansive white framed windows of a traditional bungalow and updated with a contemporary informal sophistication throughout the design perfectly complements Carmen’s extensive New Zealand art collection. And in a recognition of her true love of gardens many of the art works and touches of décor have a lush botanical theme.
Seamlessly integrated with the fabulously appointed kitchen the home’s latest addition is a sun-drenched conservatory and entertaining area that echoes the home’s classic features and enables year around flow that links the house to the outside spaces. Framed by hedging, the expansive decks, spectacular pool and poolside louvered portico take in the sweeping views across the garden to the farmland and bush clad slopes of Taumahunga beyond.
Carmen’s love of art extends to the garden, from the formally structured water feature that forms a focal point from the house to the delightful sculptural pieces perfectly placed to be discovered as you meander through the property.
With strong visual interest throughout the seasons the Bailey-Mills Garden is especially re-known for its abundance of spring and summer colour. Cottage gardens frame the guest house, and the dahlia beds are famous for their prolific and spectacular displays and for the fabulous bouquets frequently gifted to friends and family.
Seeing a garden as lifetime work in progress the Bailey-Mills Garden will continue to evolve and delight the family for many years to come.
Lunch is at Matakana Botanicals
Sit back relax with a light lunch catered by Source Kitchen Matakana
cONCLUDE YOUR DAY AT The sCULPTUREUM
Where you will be served grazing platters and a glass of wine as you stroll their front Garden, “The Garden of Creative Diversity”.
“The Garden of Creative Diversity” has a one-way path system which winds through different gardens. It also has some animals (birds, rabbits, tortoises and turtles).
Thank you to our sponsors.
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