Spring Garden Open Days

This is a self-drive tour.
Date
Thursday 14, Friday 15, Saturday 16 & Sunday 17 November*
Time
10am–4pm
Price
$0 - $20 per garden

Venture through Cedar Park and discover 1.5 acres full of a variety of vibrant plants, trees and shrubs.

See how spring has brought the award-winning Broadfield Garden to life, through its 3.5 hectares of blossoming plants and flowers.

Discover the transformation of an old quarry at Casa Rossa into an established award-winning garden.

Right next door you will find The Herbal Garden with a mix of medicinal herbs and plants grown for health and wellbeing. 

Venture to Knockdolian in Darfield with its well-established orchard, vegetable garden, rose garden, native plants and woodlands.

Wander through Ortel Garden and Nursery, explore an extensive plant collection, native arboretum and various plantings.

Visit Tai Tapu Sculpture Garden a sanctuary for native birds and art lovers alike, with its stunning sculptures amongst the native bush.

Purchase tickets on the day at each garden. Ortel Garden tickets can be pre-purchased online.

Nearby places to visit...

  • Pop by Maddison Eatery for coffee and breakfast.
  • Les Delices in West Melton for morning tea pastries.
  • The Willows for a walk and to take a look over the Waimakariri River.
  • Finish the afternoon off at Melton Estate for wine tasting, lunch and vineyard tour.
What you'll be visiting...

Cedar Park

101B Lowes Road, Rolleston

Explore this spectacular, peaceful 1.5-acre garden in Rolleston, offering something for everyone.

Enjoy a variety of beautiful gardens, trees and a productive potager. On-site parking is available and a selection of plants are for sale. Bring a picnic and relax. 

*15 and 17 November only.

Entry: $5 adults, children free.

Read More

Broadfield Garden

250 Selwyn Road, Rolleston

Explore this award-winning garden, featuring beautiful vistas, New Zealand cultural icons, topiary, bonsai, and well-kept hedges. Find practical ideas for garden design, planting advice, and maintenance tips, with a focus on plants that thrive in Canterbury.

Wander through various plant collections, including beech and kauri forests, a canal, a museum lawn, and an azalea garden. Talk to experienced gardeners for tips on growing native plants. Bring a picnic and enjoy a peaceful day outdoors. 

Entry: $20 adults, children free.

Read More

The Herbal Garden

205/1 Jowers Road, West Melton

Discover a thriving organic permaculture haven where culinary and medicinal herbs grow alongside vibrant flowers, trees, vegetables and a flourishing orchard. Explore handcrafted herbal skincare products, teas, and salts, all made from the garden’s abundance. 

Entry: $12 adults, children free.   

Read More

Ortel Garden and Nursery

West Melton

This expansive, meticulously designed garden, over 30 years old, features garden rooms with roses, vegetables, and pleached hornbeams. Explore ponds, a stream, perennial borders, new wave planting and a Japanese-inspired cloud-pruned garden. The garden includes an extensive plant collection, native arboretum and various plantings.

Visit the on-site nursery open daily at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. Tea and refreshments are available for purchase. 

To book tickets and receive the address visit ortel.nz

*14, 15 and 16 November only

Entry: $20 adults, children free.

 

Read More

Casa Rossa

203 Jowers Road, West Melton

Visit this 1.25-acre Italianate garden, transformed over 25 years from a former shingle quarry into a masterpiece with a 5-star Garden of National Significance rating from the New Zealand Gardens Trust.

Explore the tapestry beech walk, vibrant maples, elegant roses, striking junipers, and unique artworks throughout the garden. 

Entry: $15 adults, children free.  

Read More

Knockdolian

505 Deans Road, Darfield

Established in 1939, Knockdolian is now a 4-star Garden of National Significance, recognised by the New Zealand Gardens Trust. With a variety of well-established areas—orchard, vegetable garden, rose garden, native plants, rockery, deep borders, and woodlands—there’s plenty to explore and enjoy. 

Entry: $15 adults, children free. 

 

Read More

Tai Tapu Sculpture Garden

1/199 Cossars Rd, Tai Tapu

Tai Tapu Sculpture Garden, a native regeneration project, showcases work by some of New Zealand’s favourite artists set within one hectare of native bush.

Since 2010, over 8,000 trees and shrubs have been planted, creating a haven for rare native plants of Canterbury and a sanctuary for native birds and art lovers alike. Explore, discover and be inspired. 

Entry: $20 adults, children free.

Read More

#SelwynNZ Adventures

Explore people’s latest adventures here in Selwyn. And be sure to add your own – just tag us #selwynNZ on social.