Hamilton Gardens

Hamilton gardens, which are also home to the Horticultural Education Centre of Waikato Institute of Technology, were first established in the 1960s as a traditional Victorian flower garden of annuals on what had been the city rubbish tip. They now cover 58 hectares of well maintained public parks and gardens alongside the slow moving Waikato river. In addition to the usual conventional public park recreational facilities, there are 5 interesting and well executed Garden Collections.

The piece de resistance here is undoubtedly the Paradise Garden Collection. Milestones of garden history are beautifully illustrated. Extensive and well designed set pieces take one through six interpretations of garden styles from around the world. These consists of the Chinese Scholar's Garden with its Court of Frozen Clouds (Photo 1); a Japanese Garden of Contemplation using the symbolism of water, asymmetrical placement of rocks, raked gravel and plants; a 'chahar-bagh' or 'enclosed four part garden', one of the most significant forms of Islamic garden which originated in Persia (Photo 2); an Italian Rennaisance Garden of classical symmetry and order (Photo 3); an English Flower Garden divided geometrically into garden rooms by walls and yew hedges; an American Modernist Garden with its allusion to Hollywood glamour. Maybe one day they will add a French Formal Landscape garden to illustrate the essential style missing from this magnificent historical garden collection.

In the Productive Garden Collection there is a Herb Garden, a Kitchen Garden and an Orchard.

The Fantasy Garden Collection contains a perfume garden and a time garden.

The Cultivar Garden Collection consists of the Rogers Rose Garden, the NZ Cultivar Garden, Rhododendron Lawn, Hammond Camellia Garden, the original Victorian Flower Garden, Tropical House, Temperate House and Cactus House.

The Landscape Garden Collection includes The Valley Walk, Echo Bank Bush and the Hamilton East Cemetery,

But this is not only a wonderful pleasure ground for gardeners, it also caters for public entertaiment in the Gardens Pavilion exhibition area, bowls club and a Music Conservatory

This is a most stimulating place to spend several hours.

Glossary