Franklin Hospice Garden Ramble

Earlier this year, we were invited to support the local hospice fund raising efforts by opening up our garden for a Garden Ramble. Supporters purchase a ticket which gives them access to 18 gardens around the Franklin area in Auckland, New Zealand over a weekend in November. While we are very proud of garden, which is the fruit of our labours (supported by good friends), we are also very private. The thought of opening our property to the public was initially off putting. However, the ability to contribute in a small way to a deserving cause quickly outweighed our objections. Here are a few photos from the event.

The long range weather forecast predicted heavy rain for the weekend of the ramble. Chris was actively planning around his work commitments and the changeable weather to prepare the garden for the ramble. As we got closer to the weekend, the forecast improved. Rain arrived a couple of days early, paving the way potentially for good weather on the weekend of the ramble. Here are a few shots of Chris working in the garden earlier in the week and helping to install a few garden sculptures supplied by a local artist (Steelworkz) for the weekend.

Together with our friend Linda and a few other volunteers, we stationed ourselves at the entrance of our property and welcomed over 800 people to our garden over two days. It was a wonderful chance for us to greet people, share our journey transforming the garden and welcoming them to view our garden. It was very tiring but enriching.