Often times, many think little of the different styles of gardening out there or the philosophies behind it. These styles were all developed with a reason and a purpose. However, one key piece to these gardening techniques is to display the beauty in nature wherever it is found. The best place to see this come to life is at the Hamilton Gardens in New Zealand. The gardens are located in a beautiful park with the river softly drifted along it’s side. Local families picnic on the grass while young children feed the ducklings trailing after their mother.

Follow the path to the entrance and don’t worry about picking up a map. This is the one of the few time I will ever tell you that leaving the map behind is ok. Why? Well someone was very creative in the planning of the gardens to make them connecting circles so you could start at one end and be back at the beginning before you know it. This allows you to see everything without missing any of the special exhibits they have put together. Now onto the actual garden portion of this piece.

The garden is sectioned into three main sections. The first section is dedicated to the many types of gardening out there in the world and why these different tactics developed. My personal favorite would be the India Garden and the English Garden. These gardens were in full bloom and were a true dedication to the gardening styles founded in these countries. The details were very precise and made you feel as if you were transported to that world. They even include animals to help sell the illusion of transportation. For example, in the English Garden there are beautiful white doves that live in the garden. The second section is dedicated to functional gardens. There is a Māori Garden, a herb garden, and a sustainable kitchen garden. The third section is the fantasy gardens. There is one truly unique fantasy garden called the Mansfield Garden which is a replica based on a famous book that a local author. It is very interesting because it was Victorian themed with an old house, tennis court, and retro car. It feels like a moment in time frozen for visitors to tour and get lost in their imaginations. One garden I wish was open but was still under construction was the surrealism garden. If you want to see the plans of what this garden will look like then click here.

Outside the designated garden in the park are even more gardens that are worth adventuring to. There is even an adorable colorful kid’s playground that is any child’s dream playground. My suggestion would be to at least check out the rose garden if you are visiting between November and December. It is not far from the gardens with just a short walk and are easy to access. I have never seen more variety of roses in my life. With the laid back atmosphere and family environment, it is perfect for any age and type of traveler.

I suggest going to this park and gardens over others due to how the gardens still thrived and presented beauty despite having a very wet growing season. This was really obvious in Auckland Botanical Gardens, the plant life looked battered and struggling to survive. Also the garden is very large so not easy to see everything in an afternoon. It also was not easy to get around as part of the gardens were closed for renovations. However, I loved seeing one special flora everywhere since it only blooms a couple of days during Christmas time. The tree is called Pohutukawa and has these spidery ruby flowers that almost look like Spider Mums. These are really special to look at and see during Christmas time. Don’t worry you can find these plants all over so if you can’t make it to one of the local gardens just drive around and you will find one.

So get out and check out the beauty in nature especially at the Hamilton Gardens. Please leave your thoughts below!