STORY BY LUKE ELWORTHY
RICHARD BRIGGS & JULIET NICHOLAS
Garden
Marlborough
Celebrates
with it’s 25th
annual event
This year Garden Marlborough
turns 25. With a new naming
sponsor, local family-owned
wine business Rapaura Springs,
the energetic and still youthful
garden festival could not be
in better heart as it hits its
quarter-century at full pace.
W
hen ticket sales started in July,
organisers were optimistic but
cautious. “The committee takes great pains
to create a varied and interesting tour
and speaker line-up” says President Tim
Crawford, “But you never know how well it
will be received until tickets go live.”
Well the verdict is now out, with sales
surprising even the most seasoned event
organisers and fans. As long-time supporter
Lucy Walter put it, “Houston, we have a
problem! What a line up! I have just put
my leave request in with my husband for
that week. Looking at the programme, Dan
Rutherford is amazing, I love Ben Elms’ work
and then you get to the famous Chris Woods,
Lynda Hallinan, Ruud Kleinpaste and Annabel
Langbein! It’s an impressive line-up.”
With some tours and workshops already sold
out the success of the event is assured, but
for gardeners keen to attend there are tickets
to plenty of events still available.
It’s twenty-five years since a trio of mad
gardeners dreamt up a forum to celebrate
their local gardens and bring other garden-
crazy folk together. Today, the event brings
thousands of visitors to Marlborough over
the four days. International guest speaker
in 2017, Fergus Garrett of Great Dixter in
the UK, described Garden Marlborough
as “world class”, and it’s a wonderful
opportunity to brush up on your skills,
deepen your horticultural knowledge and
learn professional gardening tricks and
tips from prominent New Zealand and
international gardening experts.
The tour programme this year includes
an inspiring selection of new gardens,
with some tweaks and improvements to
existing tours, and of course the line-up of
established gardens features some long-time
favourites that always offer something fresh
with each return visit.
Organisers are particularly excited about
the full and varied programme of speakers
and workshops this year. Garden designer,
horticulturist and intrepid explorer/traveller
Chris Woods headlines as the international
guest speaker. Chris is a highly sought
after public speaker around the world,
NELMAC - Proud Sponsor Of New Zealand's Premier Garden Event
S
pring is upon us which means Rapaura
Springs Garden Marlborough will be
serving up some great entertainment once
again for 2018! Nelmac is privileged to
be a Gold Sponsor for this year’s Garden
Marlborough, a welcome chance for all of us
to immerse ourselves in everything green.
This year’s event will bring summer to life in
Marlborough with its theme of ‘Hi Ho Silver’;
celebrating the stunning landscape. This
event showcases the very best the region
has to offer with a range of garden tours,
workshops and social events.
Nelmac is looking forward to what this
years’ Garden Marlborough has in store.
With notable guest speakers; Chris Woods,
Ruud Kleinpasteand, and many more, there
is something for everyone to get excited
about. With so much to learn, take away,
and implement into your own gardens
and lifestyles, Rapaura Springs Garden
Marlborough 2018 is an event not to be
missed!
Stepping down as the naming rights sponsor,
Nelmac is still heavily involved in Garden
Marlborough and continues into its fourth
year of support for this fantastic event. We
have seen Garden Marlborough continue
to flourish and evolve over the years into
“New Zealand’s Premier Garden Event’.
The time has now come to hand over the
reins to another naming rights sponsor,
Rapaura Springs, who will showcase Garden
Marlborough as it enters its 25th year.
With the stunning Marlborough Sounds
on its doorstep, rugged mountain ranges,
fertile plains and world class Sauvignon
Blanc, Marlborough has a lot to offer and the
Rapaura Springs Garden Marlborough 2018
is a great opportunity for those of us lucky
enough to live in the region to showcase the
lifestyle and horticultural attractions that
make it the place to be!
Thanks to those of you who have supported
Nelmac during our tenure as the naming
sponsor of this event. Please rest assured,
we are committed to Marlborough and if
you have any gardening, arboriculture or turf
maintenance needs, please make sure to
contact Jason and the team locally, who are
only too happy to offer their expertise.
knowledgeable funny and entertaining.
Celebrated gardener, chef and cookbook
writer Annabel Langbein demonstrates her
growing and cooking philosophy in a one-
off demonstration that has already been
hugely popular with ticket buyers. Another
speaker making a return visit to is garden and
landscape designer Dan Rutherford, giving
tips on how to plant like a pro, and using
garden screens and fences. Linda Hallinan is
presenting the 24-Hour Vegetable Garden,
as well as talking about her new book on the
damson plum, while plant and beer experts
Ron Beatson and Geoff Griggs tell us the
amazing story of hops from garden to the
glass. Ruud Kleinpaste talks green gardening
for the future and bugs, while workshops on
natural health and skin care, weed cuisine,
cutting and arranging flowers, composting
and more ensure there truly is something for
everyone.
With the annual garden awards, the buzz of
Saturday night’s garden party and of course
Sunday’s fete, Garden Marlborough looks
ahead to an evergreen future.