A Nursery

The Fragrant Garden has an on-site nursery where plants are propagated and grown. These are available from our mail order catalogue. The garden centre is open 9am to 5pm six days a week (closed Tuesdays).

Herbs are a feature as we are one of the top specialist growers and suppliers of herbs within New Zealand. There are over 400 different varieties grown. The one-hectare of herbal display gardens are the stock beds and resource for nursery production.

New Zealand, as an island nation, has unique flora and fauna. New Zealand’s native plants are now gaining world recognition for their form and appeal. Most New Zealand gardens already include native trees and shrubs, as they are well adapted to the windy wet weather of winter and the dry drought of summer. The Fragrant Garden stocks an impressive range of these native trees. Flax, ferns, ground covers as well as large sized Kanuka, Pittosporum, Beech and forest giants like Kahikatea and Kauri are available. Pittosporums are particularly suited for windy and exposed sites so these are grown in quantity at The Fragrant Garden for gardeners who need shelterbelt and regenerated bush areas planted. These are reasonably priced and there are price cuts for bulk orders. Mature examples of many of the natives are growing in the display garden and can be viewed to see their eventual size and form. Often gardeners arrive with several tree variety names that they think they can grow and will be suitable for their site. But often they leave with something different after they view the garden and see the fully-grown tree. Along with the native plants the staff can offer their considerable plant experience and advice to customers.

Other hedging lines that are not native but are well suited for New Zealand conditions are also grown and displayed in the hedging plant area of the garden centre. From small box to edge a garden to tall Poplars for a windbreak there are many choices. There are examples of Camellia, Box, Sage Germander and Cupressus hedges to view in the display garden too.

The nursery was originally built in 1976 and specialized in camellias. These are still grown years later and The Fragrant Garden continues to sell Camellias from small sized through to large, in-ground beauties. The advantage to the home gardener is being able to source a large number of the same variety for hedging purposes straight away. In winter these Camellias are in full flower and visiting the nursery, mature Camellia bushes can be viewed.

"Gardeners who visit our peaceful and pretty place leave with more than just plants"