Hollard Gardens, 1

A German couple we met on the Dawson Falls trail put us on to Hollard Gardens, to the southeast of Taranaki, near Kaponga. It was one of the better travel tips we have gotten. The gardens were the work of one man, dairy farmer turned horticulturalist Bernie Hollard. He inherited the farm in the 1920s, turned to "share-milking" (think "share-cropping") and devoted the rest of his life to the garden, which grew over many years, introducing new specimens and preserving some old. The gardens passed to the Taranaki regional council in the 1980s and has been maintained by the council since. It is free and open to the public. Part of the interest of the place, apart from the layout and the plants themselves, is the signage here and there describing in Hollard's own words the development of the garden, introduction of new plants, development of new specimens, and so on. It is a plant-person's paradise. We only wish we knew more in order to have appreciated it more.

Delavay fir, from southeast Asia

With its characteristic black cones

Many very large rhododerons, apparently Bernie's favorite; these
are the last of the blooms

Note the large bug house, back, left

Apart from being open 24x7, the gardens host tours and a variety
of educational programs

There is a fine view of Taranaki from the north side of the
gardens, with a good bit more of Taranaki coming into view

Small snowfield top left

More of the red Kaponga rhodos that Bernie cultivated...described
on one of the signs below

Twelve years...

Many hydrangeas still going

And big trees