The garden has been extensively developed under the stewardship of the Mackenzie family and is maintained at an international standard. Each season is a joy as the garden has been developed for year round interest, and the features work together in perfect harmony. Whether you are interested in design, composition, plant selection, placement and nurturing, or enhancing nature’s elements and landscapes you will find plenty to discover and admire at Akaunui.
The immediate setting of the house has mature plantings, manicured lawns, hedging and rose gardens. The creek running through the property is tastefully incorporated, and there is a pond and a bog garden. Other features include a parterre, rondel, herbaceous borders, a woodland garden, rose gardens and a productive vegetable garden. Sport areas include a grass tennis court and a six-hole golf course complete with water hazards.
Rare and unusual plants have been added to the background of mature cedar, sequoia, lime, oak and ash. As Di says “The garden has enough space to really indulge myself in plant selection”. Significant plants are labelled and Diana keeps a box of plant labels for each year that she has been gardening at Akaunui.
A magnificent woodland garden is one of Di’s favourite places. Developed from an area overgrown with pussy willows, sycamores and brambles, the woodland has become a peaceful place where shade loving plants like rhododendrons, Himalayan lilies and hostas thrive.
Mostly, Di loves her vegetable garden and manages to keep fresh vegetables on the table year round. A plastic tunnel house is planned to extend the variety of produce during winter. There is a small orchard so that seasonal fruit is always available and excess produce is bottled and preserved. Di’s advice for a new gardener is to get the vegetable garden going first as it is the most rewarding in terms of gains and has the shortest waiting time. You will be pleased to know that MoaTour’s visits to Akaunui includes lunch and we are always treated to home-grown vegetables from the garden and meat from the farm.
Make a point of seeing the most recent development at the west of the property, a 4 hectare open-sky native area. Originally a very swampy area, a swale was created and the drainage improved. The area really makes the most of the mountain backdrop and has encouraged a diverse bird population.
You will also get a good insight into how a large property is managed. Di says it is a full-time occupation and there is never a down time. The weekly lawn mowing alone takes 15 hours, more with spring growth. She says hedge trimming is all about timing but has good gains for a quick tidy up. Plant propagation is also needed to garden on a large scale. Diana says that to ensure economic viability she increases plant stock for new developments and to replace any losses.
In terms of workload Diana has her eye on minimising garden maintenance by making different plant choices. This may mean fewer perennials which take work to maintain at their best but she is keen that future generations have a garden that is a joy rather than a chore.