My perfect weekend: Terry Dowdeswell

Terry Dowdeswell said a picnic lunch at the Bason Botanic Gardens is always on the cards. Photo / Paul Brooks

Each week we ask a member of the community to tell us what their perfect weekend in the region would be.

This week Emma Bernard spoke to retired founder and owner of Dowdeswell's Delphiniums Ltd, plant breeder, mentor and volunteer Terry Dowdeswell.

It starts off with a walk at 6.30am with my dog Ergo. That's an everyday job so it's got to be in there. It's a great start to the day, rain or shine. The walk always ends at Jolt for a cup of coffee.

Then I'll have breakfast, which I garnish with vegetables and herbs from the garden. It's usually an open sandwich with nut bread, some sort of meat, mustard leaf, maybe radishes and some lettuce.

My wife Janice and I go to the Yellow House cafe for the best gluten-free muffins in town for morning tea, then I'll probably just potter in the garden until lunchtime. After lunch, we go for a walk either around Virginia Lake, Durie Hill or Bastia Hill.

In the afternoon I might just potter around and make something, whatever that might be.

Something crafty I suppose, it's usually garden-related like a plinth, or I'll fix a chair or something. The main thing is to be doing something creative.

Then I'll take Janice out to dinner. We go to La Quatro and I ask them to spice up the Patata Bravas. I love the Latin culture and South America, so going there is nice.

On Sunday I'll obviously walk the dog again, then we like to have a picnic lunch at the Bason Botanic Gardens.

It's 40 acres of open gardens, lawns, lakes, bushes, and sculptures, it's just wonderful. I'll probably then nip down to Mowhanau beach and have a walk around there, then check out the garden centres and look for something new and interesting for the garden.

Nearly every Sunday for the past 22 years we alternate between our friend's houses for dinner, exploring different cuisines or old favourites. That's a lot of dinners over the years. We tend to like something with a bit of spice, Thai fish curry is always a favourite.

It's important, not only when you're young but when you're older, to get plenty of enjoyable exercise.

You might be tree bathing in the forest or walking around houses, but decent communing with nature I think is really important.

It's good for both your physical and mental health. We need to keep that connection with nature to keep our heads in the right place I think.

It's a cool weekend. Relaxing and plenty of room to accommodate people. Whatever we're doing, I'm a family man and if our family is in the area I like to include them in everything.