Diana Loader has been co-opted on to the Bason Botanic Gardens Trust's board and wants to put the emphasis there back on flowers and gardening.
Mrs Loader was nominated by the gardens' former patron, Vonnie Cave, at its September annual meeting. Nominations from the floor were not allowed at that time, but chairman Ian Hamilton has since invited her to join the board.
She wants to make sure the gardens' original treasures - the homestead garden and memorial orchid house - are at their best.
"They're choice things in the middle of a rich and varied park," she said.
She's not impressed with the board having spent a $500,000 legacy, left by distinguished gardeners, on concrete lakeside terraces. And she said maintenance contractors did a good job generally but ripped perennials out of the homestead garden as if they were annuals.
"The choice things in the gardens are the perennials.
"This is what the ladies expect to see when they come out to the homestead garden. They expect to see treasures."
Mrs Loader has had a long connection with the gardens, and has been visiting them weekly since she became a board member.
She was present when their 25ha was donated and was consulted about past plantings and possum control. She was also the president of the New Zealand Tree Crops Association for six years.
Since she sold her 15ha walnut orchard to her daughter, Helen, two years ago, her considerable energies have been confined to a mere .4ha home garden, propagation houses and orchard.
She's been competing in dahlia, chrysanthemum, daffodil and gladioli shows - most recently three daffodil shows in eight days and about 16 placings.
She's an ambitious gardener in her own right, and hopes to bring that drive to the Bason.
"It's a lifetime ambition to have flowers every week of the year.
"If I like something, I like a lot of it."