A selection of NZ gardens to visit
The latest garden to list on the site is Cottonwood, a 2 hectare garden set in rural Mid Canterbury, lovingly developed since 2005 by its current owners. Designed to be explored, the garden unfolds through a series of formal and informal spaces connected by winding paths that invite discovery. Visitors are guided through diverse plantings of both native and exotic species, with thoughtfully chosen combinations that provide year-round interest in colour, texture, and form. A Rhododendron walk, an organic kitchen garden, espaliered fruit trees, a gently meandering stream, and a pond are among the garden’s highlights.
View garden...
Completely in love! Utterly perfect for a night to recover. Graeme and Tracy Whanganui
Warm and welcoming hosts. Beautiful gardens . Gorgeous and comfortable room. Lyn, Australia
Beautiful place, great location, amazing food and company. Alonso , Peru
Gorgeous setting only 10-minute drive from Invercargill. Super comfy bed. Lovely breakfast. The owners are a joy to converse with. Joy , United States
Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful oasis with me.
It exceeded my expectations and the high tea was exquisite. You have inspired me to get on with my life projects!
Thank you for a wonderful visit yesterday to a wonderful garden Anne. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it and I know they will never forget it. Very many thanks,
Anne and Ron a quick thank you for providing Somerfield Garden members with such a wonderful visit to your amazing garden (the tulip tree was a very special topic of interest and discussion) and also for the lovely home prepared lunch. You are getting a well deserved reputation for the quality of your delightful food and I have to confess that personally I ate far too much as I could not resist a second visit to the table.
I just wanted to thank you for allowing my twin sister and me to visit your amazing property last week. What an absolute inspiration and delight you are Judy. You’ve kept that dream alive after your dear husband passed and I think it’s keeping you going!! We so enjoyed the experience, swapping our funny gardening stories and seeing your beautiful garden. The photos don’t do it justice but I created a post on my own page, The Uralla Garden. Hope you don’t mind. I used some of the photos from your website but captioned them as such.
Hope you are well and once again thank you Judy
We were lucky enough to stay 3 nights in the B&B cottage on site at Aramatai Gardens (highly recommended!). Jill is a wonderful host and her garden is beautiful. The ponds, lovely trees, seating areas, and naturalistic pathways make this a very restful garden. We also enjoyed seeing the white geese waddling about, cute piglets in the adjacent paddock, and friendly farm dogs who greeted us warmly from over the fence. Jill’s garden is well worth visiting and I’d love to see it again in November/December, when the peonies and roses will be doing their thing.
Thank you very much for our visit today. Your kindness and hospitality is very much appreciated. Your garden is a real credit to you both.
Hi Anne and Ron, Thanks again for the wonderful visit and afternoon tea on the 1st February, all our residents including myself had a great time. Your garden is just beautiful, it was wonderful to see all the love and care that you both put into creating it.
Our visit to Rapaura Watergardens was nothing short of magical. From the moment we arrived, it felt like stepping into another world — a peaceful sanctuary where nature is not just preserved, but truly honoured.
The gardens are crafted with incredible care and intention. Every turn of the path reveals something beautiful: tranquil waterfalls, crystal-clear ponds, lush native plants, and perfectly placed resting spots that invite you to slow down and simply breathe. You can feel the love and vision that went into creating this place. It’s not just a walk — it’s an experience that reconnects you with stillness.
What stood out the most was the atmosphere. There is a deep sense of calm here, almost meditative. The sound of flowing water, the birds, and the surrounding forest create a natural symphony that grounds you instantly. It’s the kind of place where time disappears and you feel fully present.
The staff were warm and welcoming, and everything is maintained to the highest standards
I visited Woodside for a friend's wedding and was blown away by the beautiful gardens. I've lived in Hamilton for many years and can't believe I've never seen this place before. Les, the owner, gardener, host and self-proclaimed comedian hehe... was so accommodating and friendly. We loved the place so much that my fiancé and I will be back here next year to have our wedding too!
Thanks for having us!
Gardens to visit is a collection of New Zealand's most beautiful gardens that open to the public.
