La Ultima may mean “the last” in Spanish, but Margaret Parker doesn’t seem particularly good at stopping – even when her bones take their own break. With help, the 81-year-old has developed the garden encircling her 1908-built cottage in less than two years, despite breaking her hip in January and her right wrist a few months later.

Christine and Leigh Hucker have always made a point of checking out the fresh faces in the Centuria Taranaki Garden Festival. Now it’s their turn to be first-timers. They are opening their garden, Floreat, for the 39th festival, from October 30 to November 8. There are five new gardens in this year’s event.

1. Is there a part of your garden you’ve changed, refreshed or added since the last time you were in the festival? Yes. The entire property continues to evolve, but this year a new development is the Jungle Garden Discovery Trail. When I bought the property in January 2020, there wasn’t a plant left on the nearly two-acre site. Around 80 percent of it was gravel, fencing and shade cloth. During the first year, we planted more than 2,000 palms, subtropical, deciduous and nativ

Q: You have made changes to your garden since the last festival – why? When I bought my home four years ago, I could see the potential to develop a garden and make it my space and place. I was lucky to have landscapers who put in amazing hardscape, introduced me to the world of palms and cycads and did the initial planting. But I had the urge to tailor the garden to my personal taste and create spaces that reflected my version of peace and calm with a touch of the whimsical

WIN the ultimate spring escape to Taranaki to experience theCenturia Taranaki Garden Festival. New Zealand’s premier garden festival returns from 30 October –8 November, and we’re giving you the chance to win the ultimate way to experience the Centuria Taranaki Garden Festival and enjoy a full weekend in our beautiful region. What’s included in this prize package: 2-night stay for two at The Plymouth International Hotel (checking in Fri 6th Nov - checking out Sun 8th Nov) 2

Planning your festival just got a little easier. The Taranaki Garden Festival app is now available to download, putting everything you need for your festival visit right at your fingertips. Browse the gardens, explore events, check opening times and locations, and plan your days as you make your way around Taranaki. Whether you’re mapping out the full 10 days or deciding where to head next while you’re out and about, the app is a handy way to keep the festival programme with

Set across one and a half acres, Nikau Grove is a peaceful native sanctuary nurtured by owners Ian and Elsie Lind over many years. In this Q&A, Elsie shares how her passion for nature has shaped the garden’s evolution, her efforts to support the surrounding birdlife and the memorable visitors who’ve left a lasting impression. What keeps you coming back to the festival year after year? Seeing visitors really enjoying the garden and the people seeking knowledge about plants an