Green Fingers at Greenhaugh

How long have you been at Greenhaugh Gardens and who lives there with you? I have been at Greenhaugh for forty-nine years. My husband Les and I brought up three children at Greenhaugh – they now return with my eight grandchildren. Les died nine years ago, and I have lived here with my wire-haired fox terrier Basil since that time.

What were the grounds or gardens like when you first moved to Greenhaugh? My parents-in-law had a half-acre garden, growing flowering shrubs, dahlias, gladioli, and a beautiful bed of pink Filipendula rubra mixed with red single hollyhocks. They had made a start on the renovation of the homestead, which was built in 1874. I began extending and developing the gardens to two hectares around forty-five years ago. The gardens have been open to the public for more than forty years. The overall property is eight hectares – on the other six hectares I run a flock of black-faced sheep.

Did you have a clear idea of what you ultimately wanted the gardens to be like, or did this evolve over time? When we moved to Greenhaugh, after my father-in-law became ill, I had a very clear idea of the garden I would create. As appropriate to a colonial garden, I wanted structure but riotous planting within it. Visits to Sissinghurst, Hidcote, and East Lambrook Manor confirmed this vision. Inevitably roses, clematis, bearded iris, perennials and bulbs filled the new beds under trees and around ponds, which are accessed by brick steps and shellrock paths.

What has been your biggest gardening challenge along the way? Strangely, I have never felt there have been challenges. It was always full steam ahead. Our soil is river silt, which, mulched with peastraw, has produced a wonderful medium to work with.

How do gardening and other parts of your life fit together? I balance out working in the garden with my yoga practice – I am a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher – and travel. My real love, now that the garden has matured, is working with the rare and special bulbs I have grown from imported seed over these many years: Fritillaria, species tulips, Iris, Galanthus, Crocus, Lachenalia, Allium and Lilium to name a few.

Who has shared in the development of Greenhaugh Gardens with you? I developed the garden with two special people who turned up in my life more than thirty years ago – Janet Wilson and Colin Mahy. Other talented gardeners have left their imprint, and the result of this dedication led to Greenhaugh Gardens being designated a Six Star Garden – a Garden of International Significance – by the New Zealand Gardens Trust.

Have you always loved gardening? I knew as a small child I would have a garden. I read English books and could picture those gardens, and revelled in the magic of my grandparents’ garden in Ōtaki – oh, those poppies, sweet peas, Ōtaki pinks, snapdragons and fragrant lilies.

What does your gardening future hold? Greenhaugh will be going on the market shortly for the first time in sixty years. Basil and I intend to retire and downsize. Of course we will create another garden. A riot again but looser with perennials, fine grasses, self-seeding annuals, and bulbs for all seasons. Think black Pennisetum, lime green Euphorbia, salmon Achillea, silver Stachys lanata, blue Cynoglossum with drifts of red Tigridia, and you have it.

What advice would you give to other gardeners? My advice to gardeners is to approach gardening with your heart not your head. It is art and, as such, should move you to tears of joy. Support your dreams with good soil preparation. Feed and mulch. Visit garden centres for inspiration. Buy perennials and seeds online – there are some wonderful suppliers out there.


Greenhaugh Gardens is one of twenty gardens featured in this year’s Manawatū Garden Festival, running Wednesday 12 – Sunday 16 November 2025. For more information and to book tickets, visit manawatunz.co.nz/gardenfest.

This story has been supported by the Central Economic Development Agency (CEDA), connecting people, place and business in Manawatū.