Private Residential gardens across Auckland City. We will not be revealing the exact addresses until 10 days before the festival.
Our next event is in 2027.
The two-day design event, organised by the Garden Design Society of New Zealand showcases the best of New Zealand garden design talent while supporting incredible charities, focusing on children and wellness.
The event allows attendees to rub shoulders with some of New Zealand’s garden design elite and visit up to 16 unique, professionally designed gardens. Festival Director Deb Hardy.says "The weekend is a unique opportunity to ask questions, take advice and be inspired by ideas to enhance your garden and outdoor space. We're still securing gardens but we're super excited about the great range of designers and gardens so far; varying in size, style, budget and age including swimming pools, amazing outdoor rooms and spaces, courtyard gardens, edible/productive gardens, sculpture, garden art, colour, and planting from clipped and formal, perennials, colour and NZ natives. On-site accommodation also seems to be a theme in some of our gardens..."
Following the success of our previous bus tours, we will be offering a guided bus tour option, visiting half of the gardens on Saturday and the other half on Sunday. The tour leaders are former Landscape Architecture lecturers Penny Cliffin and practising Landscape Designer Anna-Maria Morris. Both are long-serving Garden Design Society of New Zealand (GDSNZ) members.
For more information and updates on the 2027 Auckland Garden DesignFest (including volunteering opportunities), please visit www.gardendesignfest.co.nz or follow Auckland Garden DesignFest on Facebook and Instagram.
All images are courtesy of official festival photographer Carme Aguyao.
The Garden Design Society of New Zealand was established in 2002 by enthusiastic professionals in garden design practice and education. Members of GDSNZ came up with the idea for an Auckland Garden DesignFest after visiting the Melbourne event, run by the Rotary Club of Kew.
The Auckland Garden DesignFest provides much-needed funds to our chosen charities so they can have the greatest positive influence on their communities.
Gardens range in size from a large balcony/terrace to a half acre.
Pricing TBC March 2027. Visitors can choose from an All Garden Ticket (allowing access to all gardens, all weekend), Seniors concession All Garden Ticket, Students concession All Garden Ticket, $10 single garden entry or take advantage of the First Release Earlybird discount for All Garden Tickets (limited to first 500 tickets sold). Got a group of 10 or more? Purchase 10 tickets for a discounted price each. Booking fees apply when purchasing through Humanitix. We will be offering discounted price ‘access’ tickets for visitors in wheelchairs to visit the gardens we have identified as having suitable or limited wheelchair access, TBC. We also offer an official Guided Bus Tour. All details will be available closer to the time on our website.
Guided bus tours will be available for the entire weekend or just Saturday or Sunday. Details to come.
The tours will give you an insight into the gardens, and the designers and provide plant selection information with printed notes and plans. At the last garden of each tour, we will round off the day with an opportunity for an informal walk around the garden, a glass of wine in hand.
It is primarily a 'self-drive' event although guided bus tours are available.
Private Residential gardens across Auckland City. We will not be revealing the exact addresses until 10 days before the festival.
A map and addresses will be in our printed programme and on our website from early November onwards.
Gardens to visit is a collection of New Zealand's most beautiful gardens that open to the public.
