Visit gardens in their summer finery

SPLENDOUR: Garden club member Peggy Frew at work in her Ohakune Garden. PHOTO/LIZ WYLIE

The Ohakune/Raetihi Garden Ramble will give visitors the chance to visit 10 beautiful gardens in the Waimarino on January 30 and 31.

The ticket price is just $10 for the two days and visitors will get to see gardens like Peggy Frew's Ohakune garden which she has worked on for the past 40 years.

The beds are a mix of formal and informal arrangements with a range of borders and colour schemes.

"That's my yellow-and-white bed," said Mrs Frew, pointing to a bed on the edge of an orchard.

Ohakune has just experienced a sudden downpour and Peggy said the rainwater seemed to provide better nourishment to the garden than tap water.

"I think the rain water has more nitrogen in it and the plants enjoy it," she said.

The Garden Ramble will take place from 10am until 4pm on both days and tickets are available from the Raetihi Information Centre and the Ruapehu i-Site, Ohakune and there will be refreshments, raffle and plant sales. Organiser Trish Smart said the biennial event helped to raise funds for the Ohakune/Raetihi Garden Club to purchase prizes for competitions.